skillbased recruitment: Guide, questions & STAR technique

Skills-based recruitment: New guide for 2026

Are you still recruiting on gut feeling? If so, you risk missing the stars and hiring 'copies' of yourself. Competency-based recruitment is the method that eliminates the guessing game, reduces discrimination and increases accuracy. In this guide, we'll walk you through exactly what it is, how to use the STAR technique and how to create a process that actually works.

What is competency-based recruitment?

Competency-based recruitment is a structured approach where you focus exclusively on the candidate's skills, qualities and potential to do the job. It sounds obvious, but in practice, many recruitments are still guided by gut feelings, common interests or who "feels most comfortable" during the interview.
The aim of the method is to make the process objective and unbiased. Instead of looking at who the person is (age, gender, background, hobbies), you look at what the person can do and how they behave in work-related situations.

Why should you use this method?

• Increased accuracy: you measure what actually matters for performance.

• Reduced discrimination: All candidates are assessed on the same basis.

• Better candidate experience: The process is perceived as professional and fair.

• Clearer decision-making: It's easier to compare candidates when you have data instead of opinions.

How to do it: The process step by step

Successful skills-based recruitment is all about preparation. You cannot "wing" a process like this. Here are the steps you need to follow:

1. Needs Analysis and Requirements Profile (Foundation)

It all starts here. Before writing the ad, you need to know exactly what you are looking for.

• What are the requirements? (E.g. training, certificates, specific system knowledge).

• What personal competences are essential? (e.g. analytical skills, teamwork, initiative).

• Tip: Select a maximum of 3-5 personal competences. If everything is important, nothing is important.

2. Advertising and Selection

Design the advertisement based on the requirements profile. Avoid platitudes and focus on what is required. In the selection phase, it is important to be consistent.

• Use selection questions (knockout questions) to screen out those who do not meet the target requirements.

• Consider using anonymized selection or work psychology tests early in the process to put potential before CV.

3. the competency-based interview

This is the heart of the method. Here you ask questions aimed at finding out if the candidate possesses the competencies you defined in step 1.

Competency-based interview and the STAR technique

A competency-based interview is not about asking "what are your strengths?". It is about asking for concrete examples of past behavior. The theory is that past behavior is the best predictor of future behavior.

To get good answers, you should use the STAR technique. It helps you structure the answers and prevents the candidate from wandering off.

• S (Situation): What was the background/situation?

• T (Task): What was the task/goal?

• A (Action): What did YOU actually do? (Here many miss and say "we").

• R (Result): What was the outcome?

Examples of competency-based interview questions

For the competency "Collaboration skills":

"Tell me about a situation where you and a colleague had different opinions on how to solve a problem. What happened and how did you handle it?"

For the competence "Taking initiative":

"Can you give an example of when you saw an opportunity to improve a work process without being asked? What did you do?"

For the competency "Stress management":

"Describe a situation where the workload was unreasonably high. How did you prioritize and how did you interact with your environment?"

Common traps to avoid

Even with good intentions, it's easy to fall into these traps. Here are the traps that kill objectivity:

• Halo effect: You let a single positive attribute (e.g. the candidate went to the same school as you) color the whole assessment.

• Confirmation bias: You decide early on that you like the candidate and then subconsciously look for evidence to support your feeling.

• Leading the candidate: You ask questions like "You're a good collaborator, right?", which forces a yes.

• Break the structure: You start "talking a bit" instead of following your interview guide.

Automate the method with the right tools

Conducting competency-based recruitment manually requires discipline. It's easy to fall back into old habits when time is short. This is where a modern recruitment tool makes a difference.

With Higher, you build the skills focus directly into the system:

• The requirements profile controls everything: You set up the competencies digitally from the start.

• Testing & Screening: Let the system test candidates objectively before you even read their names.

• Structured interview: Get support directly in the tool with ready-made interview templates linked to the competencies.

Using Higher ensures that the process is unbiased and competency-based, without you having to spend hours on administration.

Frequently asked questions about competency-based recruitment

What's the difference between competency-based recruitment and regular recruitment?

The difference is the structure and objectivity. In 'regular' recruitment, gut feelings, cover letters and unstructured interviews often carry a lot of weight. In competency-based recruitment, everything is based on a predefined requirements profile and measurable criteria.

How to prepare for a competency-based interview?

As a recruiter: Have your requirements profile and interview guide ready. As a candidate: prepare concrete examples of situations (according to the STAR model) where you have demonstrated the required characteristics.

Is it complicated to implement?

It requires a shift in mindset, but the process is often faster because you know exactly what you are looking for. With a digital recruitment tool, the transition is much smoother.