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Sample
of Competency-based Interview Questions
PERSUASIVENESS: Reason
effectively to convince the other party.
Achieve goals and alter views by demonstrating
shared benefits.
Behavioral statements:
1. Showing a cooperative attitude by convincing
people that the decision is necessary (rather
than imposing the decision).
2. Get an idea of colleagues' counter-arguments
and resistance in advance - act on this
in anticipation.
3. Relate the benefits of ideas or recommendations
to the needs and interests of individuals
and clients.
4. Present compelling arguments to support
positions.
Questions:
- As a member of a
staff department how have you gone about
persuading line managers in the past?
Give an example.
- What is the best
suggestion you ever made that was accepted
by your boss or colleagues? How did you
present it?
- What is the best
suggestion you ever made that was rejected
by your boss or colleagues? Why was it
rejected?
- In a discussion most
people are usually convinced that their
ideas are right. How successful are you
in getting others to accept your point
of view? Can you give an example?
- What do you think
is the best way of 'selling' an unpopular
idea? How do you go usually go about this?
Example?
TEAM-WORK: Be active in
realizing shared goals - even when you do
not get a direct benefit.
Behavioral
statements:
1 Dealing well with different viewpoints
as part of a (multidisciplinary) team.
2 Work co-operatively with equals or other
team members to set responsibilities.
3 Share information, ideas and suggestions
to accomplish mutual goals.
4 Support team decisions even if not in
total agreement.
Questions:
- Can you recall a
situation when you completely disagreed
with the way your team was working? What
did you do then?
- Have you ever been
a member of a team that broke up because
it was impossible to work with one another?
What was your position?
- Do you work together
with colleagues at the moment? How do
you deal with conflicts / disagreements
/ misunderstandings in this group?
PLANNING /ACTION:
Deploy human and other resources to meet
targets and standards. Do it on time.
Behavioral
statements:
1 Plan work so that
it gets done on time.
2 Formulate work objectives clearly including
a timetable and priorities.
3 Getting thing done by focusing on the
implementation.
4 Anticipate and act to compensate for
potential risks and problems.
Questions:
- Have you ever had
to readjust a timetable due to unforeseen
circumstances? How did you go about it?
Examples, please.
- What are your department's
long and short term plans? Have they been
put into writing?
- What were your work
objectives last year? Were they achieved?
- Can you give an
example of how your department arrives
at operational plans to adjust to new
situations?
- How did you plan
your time at work over the past week?
- Describe a normal
working day or week for me. How do you
plan your daily activities?
LEADERSHIP:
Set challenges within own parameters.
Then coach and motivate staff to realize
these. Welcome and delegate responsibility.
Be forceful when appropriate.
Behavioral statements:
1 Practice and stimulate open and two
way communication including frank and
honest feedback
to co-workers.
2 Show interest and give support and coaching
when necessary.
3 Involve subordinates in issues of company
and department policy.
4 Develop ideas to improve departmental
operations and take the appropriate actions
to implement change
and ensure group acceptance.
Questions:
- Have you over had
a subordinate who did not perform as well
as you thought he should? What did you
do about it?
- Have you ever had
to arbitrate between two staff members
who were unable to work together? How
did you get them to cooperate?
- How often do you
hold meetings with your staff? Why not
more/less often? How did you prepare for
the last meeting?
- Have you ever involved
your staff in issues of company policy?
How did you go about this?
- Have you ever lead
a work group or project team whose members
were not lower-placed than yourself in
the organizational hierarchy? How did
you manage this?
- Has it ever happened
that targets were not met while you were
in charge or had final responsibility?
What did you do then?
PROBLEM ANALYSIS:
Identify problems; recognize significant
information; gather and coordinate relevant
data; diagnose possible causes.
Behavioral statements:
1 Take well planned steps to gather and
organize data for diagnostic purposes.
2 Distinguish the grade of problems and
to indicate major issues.
3 Foresee problems and to judge their relevance.
4 Ask for questions and ensure they are
answered.
Questions:
Describe a significant
problem that you were confronted with during
the past year? What steps did you take to
assemble and organize data? What do you
consider to be the cause of the problem?
- Unforeseen problems
sometimes arise. Have you ever been surprised
by an unexpected problem?
- Have you ever been
confronted with a situation which turned
out to be very different (and perhaps
more complicated) than you had at first
judged?
- Sometimes a problem
seems to have been solved when in fact
only part of a far more extensive, underlying
problem has been dealt with. Have you
ever experienced a situation like this?
- Can you describe
a problem that you were unable to solve?
ACHIEVEMENT ORIENTATION:
Set and meet the highest standards. Be discontented
with average performance.
Behavioural statements:
1 Set high standards and seek continuous
improvements.
2 Input more than the required effort to
realize predetermined targets.
3 Formulate realistic and challenging tasks
for yourself and the team members.
4 Maintain quality and urgency towards desired
results.
Questions:
- When have you aimed
for perfection? Concrete examples please.
- What do you demand
of yourself in your work? Do you demand
the same things of your staff?
- If you have recently
had to evaluate a staff member or colleague
on job performance, what for you was the
difference between a good worker and a
poor one?
- Can you remember
ever demanding of others too much or too
little?
- Have you ever worked
in a team? What did you expect of the
other team members?
- When have you been
satisfied with your work? Can you give
an example of a situation in which you
were unable to come up to your own standards?
What did you do about it?
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