Competency Based Interviews

Competency based interviews are the most prevalent style of interviewing. Competency
based interviewing, also known as behavioural based interviewing, requires you to draw on
past experience and describe specific examples of incidents that demonstrate your
competence in a particular area. The most effective way of answering these questions is to
use the ‘STAR’ technique:

SITUATION Briefly describe the background to the situation

(Who were you working for, what was your role?)

TASK Specifically describe your responsibility

(What were you responsible for? What challenges did you encounter?)

ACTION Describe what you did

(How did you go about delivering to this?)

RESULT Describe the outcome of your actions

(What was the result?)

You may be required to provide more than one example to validate one particular
competence. We recommend that you are prepared with a ‘toolbox’ of 8-10 specific
examples of your past experience that you can draw upon. Here is an answer to a
competency-based question using the ‘STAR’ technique that is testing teamwork as a
competence:

Question:
“Teamwork is very important in our organisation. Describe a situation in which you were
able to help out a peer or team member.”

Answer:
“I have a number of examples I could share with you. In one instance, when I was working
as a financial analyst at ABC Company, the sales team were putting together a bid for a
large piece of work and the analyst that normally helps them was on leave. I offered to help
them and worked late every night for two weeks to ensure they had all the information they
needed. They took on my suggestions regarding pricing and also some creative ideas I had
on formatting the proposal. As it turned out we won the bid and I was promoted as a result.”

To follow are several examples of competencies that might be assessed during the course
of a competency-based interview. We suggest that you use the document in preparation for
your interview; use it as a tool to prompt your memory and build your ‘toolbox’ of specific
examples.
Initiative

Definition
Making active attempts to influence events to achieve goals; self-starting rather than
accepting and passive; taking action to achieve goals beyond what is required; being
proactive.

Key Behaviours
• Anticipates requirements and proactively deals with situations before they become an
issue
• Acts without waiting for instruction
• Generates ideas for improvement
• Identifies and takes advantage of opportunities without being directed
• Seeks opportunities for self-improvement
• Exceeds requirements

Possible Behavioural Questions:

1. Describe a situation in which you identified a problem and took action to correct it without
being directed to.
2. Can you give us an example of any new ideas or suggestions that you have generated in
one of your roles?
3. Describe some ways you changed your job at __________. What prompted you to
make those changes?
4. Can you think of a policy or procedure in your department/organisation that you thought
needed changing? What did you do about it?
5. Can you give us an example of a time when you have exceeded the requirements of
your role?

Situation / Task Action Result

1.Identify Offering Pledges 1.Entered in to 1.We could

missing. spreadsheet. email out
reminders,
2.AP Giving, large giving 2. Created new keep track of
spreadsheet. payments.
Boss happy.

2.Allowed
better decision
making,
painted better
picture.

3.Training others 3.Flew up to Hamilton. 3.More

accurate data
4.Budgeting 4. Updated budget, 4.Raised it as a
include more items concern in
finance
meeting,
budget
eventually
altered.

5.Reporting needed done 5.Worked really late, got it 5.Manager

for the week. done in one and a half really happy,
day. tramsfers could
happen.
Planning & Organisation / Work Management

Definition
Establishing a course of action for self and/or others to accomplish a specific goal; planning
appropriate assignments of personnel and allocation of resources.

Key Behaviours
• Accurately assesses the length and difficulty of tasks and projects
• Prioritises workload effectively
• Sets objectives, milestones, and goals
• Identifies, allocates and utilises resources effectively and efficiently
• Evaluates performance and results against objectives and goals

Possible Behavioural Questions:

1. Tell us about a project you had to plan, organise and co-ordinate from beginning to end.
If you had to do it over, what would you do differently?

2. What procedures have you used to keep track of items that need your attention? Tell us
about a time when you used that procedure.

3. Tell us about a time you were faced with conflicting priorities. In scheduling your time
how did you determine what was top priority?

4. We’ve all had times when we just couldn’t get everything done on time. Tell us
about a time when this has happened to you.

5. What objectives did you set for this year? What steps have you taken to make sure
you’re making progress on all of them?

Situation / Task Action Result

1.Conference Info 1.Do IT checks before we 1. More reliable internet,
start. Better Back up plan system. Accurate data
entry.

2.Calendar alerts on email 2.This weekend. Income 2.Pastor received timely

plus sync it with your update info and could adjust his
phone strategies on Sunday.

3.AfricaRec/Income 3.Whats not getting done, 3. Purchases could be

reports can church happen next made, decisions made.
week if it doesn’t get done.
What decisions are
affected. What are my
bosses priorities?
4.Emails,reports,recs etc, 4.What doesn’t get done 4.prioritise, communicate.
last week.
5. Build info team, create 5.Communicate, asked to 5.Clear direction,
stability in finance team. be assessed on expectations are not
responsibilities by my mismatched etc.
superiors, be accountable.
Analysis / Problem Assessment

Definition
Securing relevant information and identifying key issues and relationships from a base of
information; relating and comparing data from different sources; identifying cause-effect
relationships.

Key Behaviours
• Detects problems or opportunities
• Gathers all relevant information
• Able to rapidly sort through varied and complex information to identify underlying issues,
problems or trends
• Able to structure and logically organise information

Possible Behavioural Questions:

1. Give us an example of the most complex financial or technical analysis you have
had to complete recently in your role?

2. Tell us about a situation in which you did some investigation and research, analysed
the results and made recommendations.

3. Describe a complex problem you have had to deal with? How did you identify the issues
and gain a better understanding of the problem?

4. Give us an example of a time when you were given a vague brief and you were unsure
as to exactly what was required. How did you assess the situation and go forward?

Situation / Task Action Result

1.Income Recs, 1.Microsoft Excel, Access. 1.graphs, pivot tables etc
spreadheeting,
graphs.Accounts prep. 2.Update it, take out 2.Affected our spending.
2.Income trends.certain giving, created
Preparing accounts, tax better graphs. 3.Applied tax rates,
returns. 3. Went to IRD seminar changed our policies
around decision making
process of this.
3.Tax on Honarariums 4.Looked at what was 4.Accounts prepared
done the previous year, accurately, on time,
what plan of attack was generated extra
4.Preparing set of used. What major work/income from tax
accounts, no background changes happened, eg team.
information asset purchases, ask for
help, consult tax team.
Judgement / Problem Solving

Definition
Committing to an action after developing alternative courses of action that are based on
logical assumptions and factual information and that take into consideration resources,
constraints, and organisational values.

Key Behaviours
• Defines decision criteria
• Considers all pertinent facts
• Weigh pros and cons/impact of alternatives
• Informs others when necessary
• Develops creative solutions and commits to the most appropriate action

Possible Behavioural Questions:

1. What was the toughest decision you had to make? How did you go about making
that decision? What alternatives did you consider?

2. Describe a problem you’ve recently been asked to solve. What did you do? What
alternatives did you consider?

3. Describe an occasion when you decided to involve others in making a decision.

Why did you do so? To what extent did you use their input?

4. We all make decisions that turn out to be mistakes. Describe a decision you have made
that you wish you could do over.

5. Describe a time when you weighed the pros and cons of a situation and decided not to
take action. Why did you decide not to act?

Situation / Task Action Result

1.Not getting certain
1.Prioroties, distancing 1.some people had to wait
things done due to time emotion or personal longer, feel frustrated but
restrictions, letting some
preference, considering the most important jobs
down. what jobs only I can do. got done. Sense of
What can be postponed. satisfaction.
2.Getting work done when 2. Delegation, extra work
I was away on holiday etc

3.Conference Info/Sales 3.More efficient team,

Team 3.Used other’s strengths greater efficiency.
in sales, creativity, IT
4.Hiring wrong 4.Created checklist before
person/preparing 4.Hired someone not making decisions.
accounts, not asking for totally reliable. Let the
help sooner. team down. 5.Found more efficient
ways of doing what we did
5.Buying new equipment 5.Improvised on what we now, avoided costs.
for team. had, asked myself, is it
necessary, can it be done
without it, do I need it now.