Competency-Based Interviews

If a job applicant said "I have no idea how to grow your startup" would you hire them as your VP of Growth? (Because I probably would). Wait, hear me out… If there was an obvious way to grow your startup, you'd already have done it. If you haven’t, you're betting on your next hire to help figure it out. But candidates with the most confidence often, paradoxically, have the hardest time uncovering new ideas, thanks to the “illusion of knowledge bias.” 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗯𝗶𝗮𝘀 - Individuals mistakenly believe they possess a deeper understanding of a topic than they actually do. They overestimate their knowledge and fail to recognize the gaps in their understanding, leading to poor decision-making and an unwillingness to seek further information. Wait, it gets worse - Commitment & consistency bias If they claim to know the right strategy, they will become anchored to that approach, even if it's incorrect, thanks to the Commitment & Consistency bias. (That's the one that says: After we state a position, we’re far more likely to act in accordance with that belief, even if it’s incorrect, and less likely to consider alternatives.) What should you do instead? When interviewing candidates, focus less on how much they know, and more on how quickly they can figure things out. That starts the moment a candidate walks in the door. People are uncomfortable admitting “I don’t know” — especially in a job interview! So take a moment to create space for humility and candor in the conversation. Talk about your own mistakes and blind spots, and explain that you don’t expect people to have all the answers – only to figure them out. Then ask questions about their experience finding and applying new information, such as: 1. Tell me about a time when you were wrong about something? How did you find out? And what did you do as a result? 2. What’s something you learned recently from your customers or your data that surprised you? What did you do with that information? 3. Looking at our business, what things do we need to figure out before we can scale? And how do you suggest we bottom those things out? 4. Tell me about a time when you had to tell your boss they were wrong, how did that conversation go? These aren’t easy questions, give them time to think. As they’re answering, focus on what they say plus how they say it. Are they comfortable talking about surprises and unknowns? Simple next step Be honest with yourself, are you hiring a VP of “drive it like you stole it” or a VP of “figure out how to grow my business?” If you need someone to figure it out, hire with that explicit mandate, and ask the whole team to do everything they can to support the discovery process. By the way, this approach can also unlock thinking in your existing team. Helpful? Follow me for more Matt Lerner .

Measuring Success: How Competency-Based Assessments Can Accelerate Your Leadership If it’s you who feels stuck in your career despite putting in the effort. To help you gain measurable progress, one can use competency-based assessments to track skills development over time. 💢Why Competency-Based Assessments Matter: They provide measurable insights into where you stand, which areas you need improvement, and how to create a focused growth plan. This clarity can break through #career stagnation and ensure continuous development. 💡 Key Action Points: ⚜️Take Competency-Based Assessments: Track your skills and performance against defined standards. ⚜️Review Metrics Regularly: Ensure you’re making continuous progress in key areas. ⚜️Act on Feedback: Focus on areas that need development and take actionable steps for growth. 💢Recommended Assessments for Leadership Growth: For leaders looking to transition from Team Leader (TL) to Assistant Manager (AM) roles, here are some assessments that can help: 💥Hogan Leadership Assessment – Measures leadership potential, strengths, and areas for development. 💥Emotional Intelligence (EQ-i 2.0) – Evaluates emotional intelligence, crucial for leadership and collaboration. 💥DISC Personality Assessment – Focuses on behavior and communication styles, helping leaders understand team dynamics and improve collaboration. 💥Gallup CliftonStrengths – Identifies your top strengths and how to leverage them for leadership growth. 💥360-Degree Feedback Assessment – A holistic approach that gathers feedback from peers, managers, and subordinates to give you a well-rounded view of your leadership abilities. By using these tools, leaders can see where they excel and where they need development, providing a clear path toward promotion and career growth. Start tracking your progress with these competency-based assessments and unlock your full potential. #CompetencyAssessment #LeadershipGrowth #CareerDevelopment #LeadershipSkills

Pre-assessment methods help trainers understand trainees' baseline knowledge and skills before starting a training program. Here are various types of pre-assessment methods along with examples for each: 1. Quizzes and Tests Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQs): Assess specific knowledge areas with questions offering several possible answers. Example: "Which of the following is a primary key feature in relational databases?" True/False Questions: Quickly gauge understanding of basic concepts. Example: "True or False: The Earth orbits around the Sun." Short Answer Questions: Require brief, written responses to test knowledge recall. Example: "What is the capital of France?" Essay Questions: Assess deeper understanding and the ability to articulate thoughts. Example: "Explain the impact of globalization on local economies." 2. Surveys and Questionnaires Likert Scale Surveys: Measure attitudes or perceptions with scales (e.g., 1-5, Example: "Rate your confidence in using Microsoft Excel: 1 (Not confident) to 5 (Very confident)." Self-Assessment Surveys: Trainees evaluate their own skills and knowledge. Example: "How would you rate your proficiency in programming languages? (Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced)" Open-Ended Questions: Gain insights into trainees’ thoughts and experiences. Example: "What are your main goals for this training program?" 3. Practical Tasks and Simulations Hands-On Exercises: Assign tasks that mimic real-world scenarios relevant to the training. Example: "Create a simple budget spreadsheet using Microsoft Excel." Role-Playing Scenarios: Simulate situations trainees might encounter. Example: "Role-play a customer service interaction to resolve a complaint." Problem-Solving Activities: Assess critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Example: "Solve this case study on supply chain management challenges." 4. Interviews and Discussions Structured Interviews: Ask standardized questions to each trainee to compare responses. Example: "Describe a time when you successfully managed a team project." Unstructured Interviews: Allow for open-ended conversation to explore trainee experiences. Example: "Tell me about your experience with project management." Focus Group Discussions: Facilitate group discussions to gather diverse perspectives. Example: "Discuss as a group the challenges you face in your current roles." 5. Skill Assessments and Competency Tests Technical Skill Tests: Evaluate specific technical abilities required for the training. Example: "Complete a coding challenge in Python." Competency-Based Assessments: Measure specific competencies related to job roles. Example: "Complete a leadership assessment to evaluate your management skills." #training #trainthetrainer

When I started preparing for Data/Business Analyst and Product Analyst interviews, I assumed the toughest parts would be SQL or Python. But after giving few interviews, I realized something surprising… The most decisive round — is not technical. It’s the Case Round — where your coding skills won't save you unless you know how to think like a business partner. Let me explain - In these rounds, the interviewer says something like: 👉 “Sales have dropped by 10% in the last 2 weeks — how would you approach this?” 👉 “We launched a new feature but user adoption is low — what will you do?” 👉 “How will you evaluate the performance of a retention campaign?” Now, here’s where most candidates go wrong: They jump straight to solutions. Write 5 metrics. Suggest dashboards. Throw around some SQL terms. But that’s not what the interviewer is really looking for. What they actually want to know is: ✅ Can you ask smart clarifying questions? ✅ Can you structure an open-ended problem? ✅ Can you think like a stakeholder, not just a dashboard creator? What I’ve learned (through both mistakes and experience): 📌 Clarify before solving Don’t assume you understood the problem. Ask things like — “What does churn mean in this case?” “Are we talking about orders, active app usage, or repeat customers?” 📌 Break the problem into components Sales dropped? Break it down by region, segment, product, time, and acquisition channels. 📌 Layer your thinking Ask: “What business levers can impact this KPI?” “Has anything changed in user journey or pricing recently?” “What data do we have to validate this?” These case-style interviews are now standard in top product and growth-focused companies like Zomato, Meesho, Flipkart, Swiggy, Amazon, PhonePe, CRED, Razorpay. You don’t need 100 tools. You don’t need fancy buzzwords. You just need structured, clear thinking. If you're preparing for such roles, here’s my advice: 👉 Start reading real case studies. 👉 Think like a business owner. 👉 Practice breaking down vague problems into logical steps.

In roles like Investment Banking, PE, and VC, interviewers test for how you think. On my podcast, CA Parth Verma shared the Top 5 questions you must master to crack these roles: 1. "Walk me through a DCF model." → It’s not a viva. It’s about defending every single assumption behind your cash flow projections and your terminal value. 2. "Why is Cost of Debt taken as post-tax in WACC?" → Don’t just say "tax shield." Explain the actual impact on firm valuation and how the effective tax rate alters the cash outflow. 3. "Which Beta will you use: Bottom-up or Regression?" → You can talk about the 'Bloom Adjustment.' It proves you understand that Beta always tries to revert to the market mean (1.0) over the long run. 4. "How does a US Fed rate hike impact a domestic consumer stock like Dabur?" → This tests your ability to link macro-to-micro, specifically the jump in risk-free rates and the resulting FII equity outflows. 5. "Two firms face a 70% raw material cost jump. Why does one survive while the other fails?" → This is a test of pricing power. Is the product a generic commodity or a specialized necessity with a brand moat? You need to be able to defend the 'why' behind the numbers to be ready for the seat. For more insights, check out the full episode on YouTube. #linkedin #linkedinforcreators #investmentbanking #finance #kushallodha

The key to designing powerful interview questions is to focus on cognitive patterns rather than past accomplishments. Research shows strong connections between certain thinking patterns and job success. For example: • Original thinking strongly predicts innovation ability • Intellectual independence correlates with leadership effectiveness • Perseverance consistently outperforms raw intelligence in predicting achievement These research findings demonstrate why carefully crafted questions matter. To develop your high-impact questions, focus on five cognitive domains that predict exceptional performance. Follow this formula to create questions that uncover thinking patterns, not just experience: 💡 Design questions targeting original thinking: Ask about problems candidates see that others miss. Format: "What [challenge/opportunity/trend] do you notice that seems overlooked by most people in [relevant context]?" This reveals pattern recognition and the capacity for novel insights. 💡 Craft questions probing intellectual independence: Encourage candidates to articulate contrarian but thoughtful positions. Format: "Where do you find yourself disagreeing with conventional wisdom about [relevant domain]?" This assesses courage and independent analysis. 💡 Develop questions that examine perseverance: Structure questions around specific obstacles that have been overcome. Format: "Tell me about a time when you pursued [relevant goal] despite [specific type of setback]." Focus on process over outcome. 💡 Create questions measuring intellectual flexibility: Ask candidates to describe evolution in their thinking. Format: "What important belief about [relevant domain] have you revised recently and what prompted this change?" This evaluates adaptability and learning orientation. 💡 Formulate questions exploring intrinsic motivation: Probe self-directed development activities. Format: "How do you invest in developing [relevant skill/knowledge] when it's not required by your role?" This reveals a proactive growth mindset. The most effective questions avoid hypotheticals and instead target specific behavioral patterns that reveal how candidates actually think and operate. That's how you can develop interview questions that identify true potential—uncovering the cognitive patterns that transcend resume qualifications. Coaching can help; let's chat.  Follow Joshua Miller #executivecoaching #interviewing #careeradvice

If you’ve ever walked out of an interview replaying every answer, worrying if you were likable enough, polished enough, or impressive enough, let me tell you something: none of that matters. Interviews aren’t about charm or perfection they’re about demonstrating that you solve problems and create impact. I break down exactly how top candidates approach interviews strategically and how you can too! 1. Stop selling potential start showing solutions. Every role exists because something in the organization isn’t working, isn’t scaling, or could be improved. Your goal isn’t to convince them you deserve the job it’s to show that you already operate at the level of the role and can immediately move things forward. 2. Your resume isn’t your story. Reading your resume aloud is boring. To stand out, you need to share examples using the CAR framework: Context, Action, Result. Show how your experience maps to real problems the organization is facing. For example: "I noticed your team recently expanded into new categories, which often creates operational challenges. At my last company, I worked with cross-functional teams to streamline approvals, improving launch efficiency by 25%." This positions you as someone who thinks like a peer, not a hopeful applicant! 3. Questions aren’t small talk they’re your superpower. At the end of every interview, you have a chance to demonstrate strategic thinking. The right questions signal leadership and curiosity: What does success look like in the first six months for this role?   What are the biggest challenges this role needs to solve immediately?   How do you define top performance here, and how do promotion decisions get made? These questions show that you’re already thinking about impact, results, and growth, and they set you apart from every other candidate who just says, “No, you covered everything.” 4. Follow-up is more than etiquette. A thoughtful follow-up reinforces your value. Reference a topic you discussed and demonstrate your understanding: "I’ve been thinking about our conversation around onboarding and am excited by the opportunity to streamline that process." This reminds them that you’re a problem solver who already adds value. The truth is, most people treat interviews as auditions. But career growth isn’t about being liked it’s about demonstrating your impact, asserting your value, and choosing the organizations you want to work with.

We rejected every candidate who matched the job description. and hired the one who didn’t. No perfect resume. No textbook experience. Not even direct alignment with the role. But the moment I saw the interview, it was clear, this person had something the others didn’t. Not credentials. Not years in the industry. Presence. Drive. Coachability. We made the hire. Today, they’re not just delivering. They’re thriving. They’ve ramped faster than expected, earned the team’s trust, and added value far beyond the original scope. It reminded me of something most leaders know but often forget: A job description is just a framework. But real talent doesn’t always fit the framework. And the right person with the wrong experience can outperform the wrong person with the right one. Hiring should be about more than alignment. It should be about potential. Because you can teach skills. You can’t teach hunger.

Are you ready to take on the "No CV" Interview Challenge? Today, I want to talk about a unique approach to interviews that has completely transformed my hiring process. We all know the traditional interview drill: review stacks of CVs, shortlist candidates, and conduct interviews based on their past experiences. But what if I told you that there's a game-changing method that breaks the mold and puts the focus on raw talent, potential, and passion? Enter the "No CV" Interview Challenge! You might be wondering how this works. It's simple yet powerful! Instead of diving into candidates' CVs, I set up a conversation where I know nothing about their professional backgrounds. The purpose is to allow candidates to shine based on their skills, mindset, and enthusiasm for the role they're applying for.  Here's how we make it happen: 1️. The Blank Slate: I approach each interview with an open mind and a blank slate. It's a thrilling experience because it removes any unconscious biases and allows candidates to impress me solely with their personalities and ideas. 2️. Skills Showcase: During the interview, I encourage candidates to showcase their skills in a fun and interactive way. For tech roles, I might present them with a small coding challenge; for marketing roles, a creative campaign idea. The possibilities are endless! 3️. Passion Probe: Beyond skills, I delve into candidates' passions and interests. What motivates them? What excites them about the industry? This insight helps me discover who aligns best with our company culture and mission. 4️. Cultural Fit: Instead of relying on CV keywords, I focus on cultural fit. Does the candidate's personality align with our values? Can they thrive in our dynamic team? The Results? Unbelievable! The "No CV" Interview Challenge has been an eye-opener. I've met extraordinary talents who might have been overlooked in a traditional process. The level of creativity, problem-solving skills, and enthusiasm I've witnessed has been truly inspiring. It's like discovering hidden gems! Embrace the excitement of unknown potential and see your team flourish with diverse and passionate individuals. Let's ditch the CVs and embrace the power of human connection! Have you ever experienced or conducted a "No CV" interview? I'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences in the comments below! #NoCVChallenge #InterviewInnovation #HumanConnection #FutureOfWork #DiversityandInclusion #LinkedInCommunity

Three unpopular ways companies can remove bias from their hiring process. 👯 More interviewers Those posts that go viral about hiring someone after a single coffee chat? Or mocking hiring managers that need a panel ? That's all bias - decisions based on gut instincts instead of with objective criteria. Instead, involve multiple interviewers with different perspectives - a peers and key stakeholders may have different interactions with the new team member, and their input can help you make a better decision. 🔎 This is backed up research from Harvard that shows that structured interviews with multiple interviewers are 2x more predictive of success in the role than unstructured ones. 🪧 Assess skills I know skills assessments aren't popular, and many people claim that they won't engage in a process that includes them. But lots of people can talk the talk and make up examples in interviews. It's harder to fake hard skills. If you're hiring a financial analyst, ask them to build a model using dummy data. If you're hiring a social media manager, ask them to create a plan for a campaign for a fake product. Work samples are great as well! And then dig in with questions to fully understand what they did, why they made the choices they made, etc. to ensure they didn't just submit something where someone else did the work. 🔎 And the research backs it up: the Aberdeen Group did a study that showed that those who completed skills assessments had a 36% higher rate of retention in their roles than those who didn't. 💰 Don't negotiate Negotiation increases inequity. When companies are big on negotiation, hiring managers will suggest things like "let's go in at X so when they negotiate we can bump up to Y." Then the candidates who don't ask for more end up underpaid. It promotes playing games and the people who are afraid to push are the ones who will be negatively impacted. Instead, companies should be transparent about their salary ranges and how compensation is determined, and then apply those practices consistently across all hires. Adjusting offers should be reserved for the rare cases where a candidate brings new information to the table around their qualifications or ability to have an impact, or the company realizes they're misaligned to the market. Now, I do know that many companies don't operate this way so it never hurts to ask, but just know that if a company comes up a lot with their offer after you negotiate, that's a signal that they were happy to try to lowball you. 🔎 And again, research backs this up: countless studies from McKinsey to Leanin to Harvard show that there are differences in who negotiates and in how negotiation is perceived, and this hurts people from marginalized groups. Like I said, these aren't necessarily popular ideas - they are more work for companies AND candidates. But they are research-backed ways to make hiring more equitable. And that's something we should all support.