Are Competency-based Application Forms making the CV Redundant?

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    Competency-based Application Forms

    For many people who work in the public sector and want to ‘career or job’ progress through its various departments / sections or people who want to work in the public sector, the now new norm is to apply by completing a competency-based application form. Rarely nowadays is a CV requested. A Covering Letter i.e. an expression of interest may be requested, but the CV is simply not required, as the application form covers everything that the hiring managers need.

    For many people who work in the private sector and want to ‘career or job’ progress in the organisation or people who want to work in the private sector, the norm is still to apply by developing a Cover Letter and a CV. The private sector has not yet embraced competency-based application forms, though there is a huge focus on competencies at interview stage, similar to the private sector.

    One would have thought that by now the private sector would have embraced and designed competency-based application forms for their specific industry / departments. However, as the use of competencies in recruiting and selecting are over 20 years in existence now, it is unlikely that the private sector will use them now, like the public sector do.

    Competency-based application forms have the following advantages over CV’s:

    • Allows the applicant give actual examples of where they have used a key skill in the past that is relevant to the role on offer
    • There is consistency in the application forms for the interviewers
    • It allows the interview to be more structured

    CV’s have the following advantages over competency-based application forms:

    • Are never more that 2-3 pages in length, whereas competency-based application forms can be over 20 pages
    • They can give the interviewer a quicker overview of the applicant
    • It is easier for the applicant to apply for the role, as competency-based application forms can take days / weeks to complete.

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