Focusing on what you enjoy doing rather than what you can do, strength-based interviews are being used by a growing number of employers
What is a strength-based interview?
Strengths interviews are more personal and allow recruiters to gain a genuine insight into the personalities of candidates and to see whether they’d be a good fit for the company.
They also allow you, as the interviewee, to be selected on the basis of your natural abilities.
But don’t be fooled, while you’re talking about what you like and dislike, the employer is learning about what you’re good (and not so good) at.
Strength-based interviewing has its foundations in positive psychology. The theory is that by identifying your strengths and matching them to the role you’ll be happier in your work, perform better, learn quicker and stay with the company for longer.
Why do employers use strength interviews?
Competency-based may be the most common type of interview, but strength-based interviews are gaining in popularity, as an increasing number of organisations recognise the benefits, including:
- They’re useful for those who don’t have a lot of work experience.
- Candidates have less opportunity to prepare and rehearse their answers, meaning that interview questions are more likely to bring out the genuine interest, motivation and aptitude of interviewees.
- Most people come across best when they’re talking about things they enjoy, so strength-based interviewing makes for a more enjoyable interview experience all round, for both the interviewer and interviewee.
