Pure hosted an informal breakfast workshop at its Norwich office on Wednesday (7 December) to help local employers understand more about the benefits of using competency-based interview techniques.

Competency-based interviewing helps to select the best candidates to fit the role and the organisation’s culture. It focuses on gathering evidence of required skills, experience and personal qualities, known collectively as competencies. It is often a more structured and scripted approach to interviewing compared to a more free-flowing, conversational style interview.

Recruitment consultant Claire Bush, who organised the event, explained more about how Pure consultants interview candidates using a competency-based framework, highlighting how it works, the benefits it brings and how it can be put into practice.

Claire said: “Competency-based interviewing provides in depth data which employers can use to help with their hiring decisions. We can look at past behaviour and use it as a predictor of future behaviour in the workplace. We’re proud to offer this service because it adds immense value to both our clients and our candidates, yet we are one of only a few consultancies to do so. Our clients benefit from a far more cost-effective recruitment process and ultimately a new employee who is a good fit for the role. The structured approach of this technique also gives candidates an excellent framework in which to sell themselves and this means they leave our offices feeling like they’ve had a good interview.”

Rosie Wallace from Norwich City Football Club, added: I found the session very inspiring. Claire gave an excellent and very well thought through presentation around interviewing and the techniques used. All of the materials were so useful and I will continue to refer to them in the workplace. I am now also keen for several of my colleagues to attend the workshop and would highly recommend this to anyone who is involved in the interview process in any way. It is the best interview workshop I have attended!”

Consultants Claire Pitt and Jade O’Brien also provided attendees with a brief overview of some of Pure’s key campaigns, designed to help support businesses in the Eastern region, including the Best Employers Eastern Region, Women In Leadership programme and Compare My Salary.