Hello there, my name is Richard McMunn from the interview training company, PassMyInterview.com,
and in this tutorial, I'm going to give you my Top Five Competency Interview Questions.
Now, if you have an interview coming up where you suspect you will be asked a series of
competency-based interview questions, please make sure you stick around and watch this
tutorial from beginning to end, because it will make a huge difference to your preparation
and your performance at the interview!
Now, before I get into those all-important tips, a very warm welcome to this tutorial.
My name is Richard McMunn.
That's me there, the bald chap in the center of the screen.
And in this tutorial, I will give you top scoring answers to competency based interview
questions.
Please do SUBSCRIBE to my channel to make sure you don't miss out on any of the weekly
interview training videos I'm uploading.
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Thank you very much.
So, what are competency interview questions?
Well, competency interview questions are basically designed to assess whether or not you have
the necessary skills and qualities to carry out the role you are being interviewed for.
And there are a number of competencies that an interviewer can use to assess you.
Now, the competencies they will use will be very much based on the requirements of the
role.
But some common type of competencies are, team working.
For example, working with other people to achieve difficult tasks.
Working under pressure.
Demonstrating excellent customer service.
Being able to solve problems.
Also leadership and management competencies.
And using your initiative to solve problems.
So, those are just a small number of sample common competencies that are used during interviews.
About competency based interview questions; how are the questions posed?
Well, the competency based interview questions will be asked in a number of different ways.
They may say to you: Tell me about a time when you carry out excellent customer service?
Tell me about a time when you worked under pressure to achieve a complex task?
Or they could say: Give an example of when you have experienced conflict within a team?
Describe a time when you worked with others?
Have you ever been in a situation where you disagreed with your manager?
Now, the important thing when answering competency based questions is to always, always give
evidence based answers.
You have to give the interviewer or the hiring manager a specific SITUATION that you were
in.
When you answer any kind of competency based interview question, please, please do make
sure you use the STAR technique.
So, what is the STAR technique?
You basically start off your answer to the competency based interview question by describing
the SITUATION you were in.
You would then move on an outline the TASK that needed to be done.
You would then tell the interview panel the ACTION that you took, and it's really important
to tell them the action that you took and focus on what YOU did.
So, if I was answering a competency based interview question, and I will give you an
example in a second, I would be saying I did this, I did that.
I contributed to the team, I supported the others.
I took this action because they are wanting to know about YOU.
And then finally, you have to describe the RESULTS of your actions.
So, it’s Situation, Task, Action and Result.
Make sure you write that down.
And whenever you respond to any kind of competency based interview question, make sure you use
that format.
So, whenever they say: Tell me a situation you are in where…
STAR should immediately spring to mind, and you can say “The situation I was in…”,
and that will get you going to give a great answer to the interview question!
A few tips for answering competency based interview questions before I come on to give
you a sample answer to a common question.
Be positive throughout the interview.
Very, very important.
Be positive.
Do not be negative or criticize other people.
Do not say: “I was working with others, but they didn't perform that well.”
OK.
Although we want to put you ‘on show’ that you are a great person, you should never,
ever be negative in an interview or criticize other people or your former employer.
Just don't do it.
And also focus purely on what YOU DID and how you contributed to the situation.
That's very important.
So let's take a look at a few common competency interview questions.
Tell me about a time when you worked as part of a team?
Give an example of when you delivered excellent customer service?
Describe a time when you worked under pressure to complete a challenging task?
Have you ever been in a situation where you did not get on with someone in your team?
How do we answer these questions?
Let's take a look at a sample answer for the competency based interview question: “Tell
me about a time when you worked as part of a team?”
Now I am going to utilize SITUATION, TASK, ACTION and RESULT and you will see how effective
this method is for answering the question.
Here we go.
“A SITUATION occurred one day where my manager came into the office and told us he needed
some volunteers to work as part of the team to carry out an urgent stocktake of all company
goods, as he had to compile an urgent end of month report for the company owners.
I immediately volunteered to help.
The TASK we needed to complete as part of a team involved methodically and accurately
working through all company stock in as fast a time as possible.
The ACTION we all took as part of a team included getting a full brief from our manager to make
sure we knew what we all needed to do and by when.
I then suggested we allocate team tasks based on each other's strengths.
My TASK was to work through all company stock and then record it accurately on a spreadsheet.
I calculated how much time I had to complete my specific task, and then once completed,
I offered to support the other team members.
The end RESULT was, we all worked seamlessly as part of a team and managed to present a
full and accurate stocktake to our manager on time and to the required specification.”
Now that is a great in-depth answer!
An example of how to answer a competency based interview question.
And remember this, you are essentially telling a STORY.
It's a short story where you're utilizing situation, task, action and result.
And another really important tip is, you will see that my “prompt” is in the answer
for each specific element.
So I say…
“A situation occurred… and then I say “The task we needed to do…
“The action I took… and “The end result…
So that's how I respond to those questions by remembering situation, task action and
result; the STAR technique.
And it is a winner.
It will help you to pass your interview.
Now, if you want to download my Great Answers To Competency Based Interview Questions, there
is a link below the video or also in the top right-hand corner of the screen, and you can
download all of my answers to competency based interview questions, or you can go direct
to the website PassMyInterview.com.
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(Thank you very much.)
Have a brilliant day and I hope you pass your interview!
All the best.