How to answer competency based interview questions

Preparation:

Preparation for any interview is key. Knowing the background of the company, achievements, awards they have won etc will of course highlight the level of research you have done. For more information on how to successfully prepare for an interview, click here.

Employers will want you to provide specific examples of your previous experience and relate it back to the role you are applying for. To think about: How will you transfer those skills and experience to this new role?

Core Competencies:

Each competency-based question will cover one of these 5 key skills. I would recommend creating a mind-map and list examples from your previous work to each of these key areas.

• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness
• Relationship Skills
• Decision Making

Examples:

1. Can you give an example of a time you handled conflict in the workplace?
2. Could you tell me about a time you overcame a specific challenge within your working environment?
3. Tell me about your biggest achievement to date?
4. Could you tell me about a time your communication skills improved a situation?
5. How do you maintain good working relationships with your colleagues?

Answers:

The best way to answer competency-based interview questions is by following the below approach:

• Explain the situation/example: Give enough background detail so that the interviewer can fully understand the situation but be careful not to go on a tangent with too much information that doesn’t actually add to the story.
• Action: Explain what you done to achieve/resolve the situation that occurred and how you played an instrumental part in this decision-making (link this to your leadership, communication skills etc)
• Result: Explain the outcome and what impact this has on the business/team