Certified Professional Interviewer | Practical Training Program
Hiring decisions shape culture, performance, and long-term business success. ASCENT’s Competency-Based Interview (CBI) course equips HR teams, line managers, and assessors with the practical interviewing skills needed to select the right talent with accuracy, fairness, and confidence.
Delivered using the Saville Consulting framework, this program strengthens competency-based and behavioral interviewing capability—transforming interviews from unstructured conversations into evidence-based decision-making tools.
Approach
Competency-based interviews are recognized globally as a highly effective selection method, as they are built on the principle that past behavior is one of the best predictors of future behavior and performance. The techniques taught in this course are more structured, valid, and reliable than unstructured interviews.
The program is delivered in an engaging and participative way. You practice the latest interviewing techniques through role-play simulations and guided feedback; allowing them to apply different questioning methods, handle special interview situations, and improve calibration for stronger decision-making.
You will also be introduced to the Saville framework and how it translates into powerful CBI questions that assess a range of competencies and behaviors.
What You Will Learn
By the end of the program, you will be able to:
- Apply a structured competency-based interviewing approach with confidence.
- Conduct interviews that are objective, fair, and aligned with job requirements.
- Use proven questioning and probing techniques to uncover behavioral evidence.
- Apply competency indicators and rating scales to assess responses objectively.
- Reduce bias and improve consistency across interview panels.
- Translate the Saville framework into powerful CBI question sets.
- Deliver interview feedback and support stronger hiring decisions.
Program Outline
- Role of an assessor in competency-based selection and development
- Importance of fair and objective evaluation
- Recognizing and avoiding bias
- Definition and purpose of CBI
- Competencies vs. skills: understanding the difference
- Types of competencies (technical, behavioural, leadership)
- Structured vs. unstructured interviews: pros and cons
- The STAR technique
- Effective questioning techniques for uncovering behavioral insights
- Identifying behavioural indicators across different competency levels
- Using rating scales to evaluate responses objectively
- Differentiating between types of responses
- Responsibilities before, during, and after the interview
- Avoiding biases: common types and how to mitigate them
- Key considerations in competency assessments
- Conducting CBI interviews
- Practicing questioning and probing techniques
- Observing and evaluating responses using competency indicators
- Handling special cases
- Interactive roleplays with feedback for calibration
- Knowledge test to assess learning outcomes
- Roleplay assessment exercise with facilitators observing candidates against certification measures
Certification
Facilitators and senior assessors observe participants throughout practical exercises. Successful participants will receive the Certified Professional Interviewer certificate.
Enrol Here
To enrol your team, request training logistics, or plan an in-house delivery, contact ASCENT.