​For years, competency-based interviews have been the go-to method for assessing candidates. Questions like “Tell me about a time when…” or “What are your biggest strengths and weaknesses?” were once seen as fair and insightful. But they’ve been used to death, and in my opinion, they’re now holding businesses back from hiring great people.

The Problem with Competency-Based Questions

Whilst these types of interviews used to serve a purpose, they’ve become so overused that most candidates now fall into one of two camps:

• Those who get so nervous about saying the “right” thing that they don’t showcase who they really are.

• Those who rehearse their answers to the point that they sound scripted and unnatural.

In both cases, you’re not seeing the real person, and that’s a big problem.

Let’s be honest – no one is truly themselves in an interview setting. Add to that a list of generic competency questions, and you’re basing your hiring decision on how well someone performs under artificial pressure, not on how they’ll actually perform in the role.

The “Tick Box” Trap

I’ve seen so many good people overlooked because their answers didn’t tick the right boxes.
Take “Where do you see yourself in five years?” as an example. It’s okay for someone not to know! Most people give a stock answer like “thriving in this role” or “promoted within the company.” But what do you, as an employer, actually get from that? Nothing meaningful.

Then there’s the classic “What are your biggest strengths and weaknesses?”
One candidate might say, “My biggest strength is that I’m committed to getting the job done and won’t allow myself to fail.”
To one interviewer, that sounds determined and driven. To another, it sounds arrogant. At the end of the day, there’s so much opinion between interviewers based on body language, phrases used, etc, anyway, why add more to the mix? Interviews should be about finding alignment - not decoding who can perform best under pressure.

And when someone answers honestly, such as “I’m not great on Excel, but I’m keen to learn”, too often that’s seen as a red flag, rather than a sign of self-awareness and a growth mindset.

The truth is, if someone ticks 100% of the boxes you’re looking for, are they really going to want the job? Probably not. They’ll be looking for their next challenge, not a like-for-like role.

And in today’s candidate-led market, it’s important to remember you’re not the only one doing the interviewing. Candidates are assessing you too, and they’ll spot a rigid, outdated interview process from a mile off. Especially if there’s no opportunity to have a ‘human conversation’ or ask the questions that they have.

What to Do Instead

There’s still a time and a place for some competency-based questions, but it’s time we evolved. There are far better ways to understand whether someone is the right fit for your business and your team.

1. Practical Trials

For hands-on roles, practical trials are brilliant. They give you genuine insight into how someone works, how they interact with others, approach tasks, and carry themselves in a real environment.

Keep these short and reasonable – no more than a day. Candidates often have to take annual leave for this, and asking for more is unfair, and sometimes, not achievable. But within a day, you’ll learn far more than any number of rehearsed answers could tell you.

2. On-Site Tours

This is another great approach. Invite candidates for a site tour rather than a formal sit-down interview. Even better, have different team members lead parts of the tour – this spreads the involvement and gives you multiple perspectives without overwhelming the candidate.
You’ll be surprised how much you can gauge just by how conversational the tour is, the questions they ask, and how naturally they interact with the team.

3. Scenario-Based Discussions

This is the direction I encourage most of my clients to take. Instead of asking about past experiences in a textbook way, frame your questions around real-life scenarios they could face in your business.

For example:

Replace “Tell me about a time when your communication skills improved a situation” with:
“We’ve got a number of different personalities and learning styles on the team. If you needed to update everyone on a new process, say changing how we move stock, how would you go about it?”

Replace “Tell me about a time something didn’t go to plan and how you handled it” with:
“In horticulture, things change all the time, and a lot of the time, these factors are outside of our control. If you arrived on-site to find the irrigation system had broken on a scorching day, what steps would you take to handle it?”

These kinds of questions show you how candidates think, not how well they’ve memorised examples. It’s not about them getting the process “right”; it’s about assessing their lateral thinking, problem-solving, and understanding of the working environment.

And chances are, they’ll still draw on prior experience in their answer, but it’ll come across naturally and relevantly – not rehearsed.

The Changing Workforce

The workforce in horticulture is changing. We’ve got a mix of seasoned professionals, career changers from other industries, and younger candidates who value culture, flexibility, and growth over job titles.

The next generation of talent wants genuine conversation, not interrogation. They value transparency and authenticity, and if your interview process feels outdated, they’ll quickly disengage.

Businesses that adapt their approach will not only attract better people but also retain them. Don’t miss out on a 70% “tick box” candidate just because they can’t use every Excel formula. Productive working relationships start at that first interview, so make your potential new hires feel seen, understood, and comfortable being themselves from the start.

My Opinion - Questions to Bin (and What to Ask Instead)

Here are a few to leave behind, and what to use instead:

Outdated: “Where do you see yourself in five years?”
Better: “What kind of work environment helps you thrive?”

Outdated: “What are your biggest strengths and weaknesses?”
Better: “What kind of tasks or projects do you naturally gravitate toward – and which ones do you tend to avoid?”

Outdated: “Tell me about a time you handled conflict at work.”
Better: “If you and a colleague disagreed on the best way to complete a task (mention a specific work environment), how would you approach resolving it?”

Outdated: “Why should we hire you?”
Better: “What about this role or business made you want to apply?”

Final Thoughts

Competency-based interviews had their place, but it’s time to evolve. The horticulture industry thrives on people who are hands-on, adaptable, and passionate – not those who can deliver a perfectly scripted answer.

If you want to attract the right people, it’s time to drop the tick-box questions and start having real conversations. That’s where the best hires happen.

Not sure where to start, or want to sanity check your current process? Let’s have a chat.