London-based B Corp. recruitment agency Career Moves specialises in finding career roles in HR, finance, PR & communications, office support, marketing, broadcast and digital.
Founder Caroline Foote says the the current UK job market is not the one many predicted: “After 18 months of cautious hiring, falling vacancies and economic uncertainty, the labour market remains highly uneven. UK vacancies have fallen to their lowest level since early 2021, while job postings remain 32 percent below their pre-pandemic baseline."
While most occupational categories have seen job posting declines over the past year, she notes a small uptick in industrial engineering, IT systems and solutions, arts and entertainment and veterinary roles.
“For candidates, the question is increasingly less about whether opportunities exist and more about where they exist. The market is not frozen, but it is becoming more selective."
In a market shaped by AI-assisted applications, skills-based hiring and increasingly structured recruitment processes, the agency says employers are looking beyond polished answers and focusing on evidence, authenticity and adaptability.
Unlike traditional interviews built around hypothetical scenarios, a growing demand for competency-based interviews require candidates to draw on real-life experiences and measurable outcomes with the strongest answers combining clarity, self-awareness and tangible impact.
“We’re seeing employers place greater emphasis on how candidates communicate, solve problems, collaborate and navigate change in real working environments. Competency interviews are no longer simply about proving technical ability; [now] they’re designed to uncover how you think, lead, learn and respond under pressure,” adds Foote.
Click here for the guide: https://www.careermovesgroup.co.uk/blog/2026/08/competency-based-interview-questions
