How can you balance technical and soft skills in competency-based interviews?

1 What are technical and soft skills?

Technical skills are the knowledge and abilities that are specific to a certain domain, industry, or role. They are usually acquired through formal education, training, or experience. Examples of technical skills are coding, accounting, or graphic design. Soft skills are the interpersonal and communication skills that enable you to work well with others, adapt to different situations, and solve problems. Examples of soft skills are teamwork, creativity, or resilience.

3 How to design competency-based questions for technical skills?

To design competency-based questions for technical skills, you need to identify the core competencies that are relevant to the job and the level of proficiency required. For example, if you are hiring a web developer, you might want to assess their competency in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, as well as their ability to use tools and frameworks. Then, you need to craft questions that ask the candidates to describe how they have used those skills in previous projects, tasks, or situations. For example, you might ask them to explain how they created a responsive website, what challenges they faced, and how they solved them. Alternatively, you can also use practical tests or assignments to evaluate their technical skills in action.

5 How to balance technical and soft skills in competency-based interviews?

Competency-based interviews are a powerful tool to assess candidates' technical and soft skills, but they require careful planning and execution. You need to consider the nature and level of the job, the quality and quantity of questions, as well as the scoring and feedback system. You should align your questions with the job description and expectations of the role. Aim for a balanced and comprehensive set of questions that cover the most important and relevant competencies for the job. Avoid asking too many or too few questions, as this might affect the validity and reliability of the assessment. A good rule of thumb is to ask between four to six questions per competency, depending on the complexity and depth of the skill. Additionally, establish a clear scoring system that measures performance on each competency and skill, as well as provide constructive feedback to candidates highlighting their strengths and areas for improvement. By following these tips, you can design effective and fair questions that balance both types of skills and help you find the best talent for your organization.