Assessing competencies

Last updated: April 13, 2022

In the BC Public Service, behavioural competencies are used to recruit and select new employees. Assessing critical competencies in the hiring process helps predict which applicants will perform well in the job.

A competency-based hiring approach shifts the focus from the applicant’s experience, education and training to a way that demonstrates how their competencies can be applied to the job.

Establishing competencies

Identify the critical competencies needed for superior performance and use these to establish the job requirements.

In the BC Public Service, there are 3 types of competencies:

• General behavioural competencies that apply to all supervisors, managers and staff
• Competencies for strategic leadership positions
• Indigenous relations behavioural competencies for those working directly and indirectly with Indigenous people

Additional resources

The following resources will help you apply competencies during the hiring process:

• Interpretive guides for behavioural interviews (IDIR restricted)
• Interpretive guides for Indigenous relations behavioural competencies
• Core Competencies for Strategic Leaders (PDF, 402KB)
• Assessing applicants
• Conducting interviews
• BC Public Service Competencies List (PDF, 146KB)
• Competencies for interviews and hiring

The guides for managers, supervisors and staff help hiring managers record, interpret and evaluate interview responses to determine whether the candidate is qualified for the position.