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Competency SAMPLE INTERVIEW QUESTION(S)
Competencies that support LEADING PEOPLE
Change Leadership Please tell us about a time when you led a significant change in your organization and how you helped others to deal with the change. Tell me about a time when you had to help others deal with change. Tell me about a time when you anticipated the future and made changes to current responsibilities/operations to meet future needs. Give me an example of a time when you helped a staff member accept change and make the necessary adjustments to move forward. What were the change/transition skills that you used? Tell me about a time when your department was going through long-term changes or working on a long-term project. What did you do to keep your staff focused? Change Management Tell me a time when you helped others understand or accept a substantial change in their work or work environment. Tell us about a situation in which you have had to adjust quickly to changes over which you had no control. What was the impact of the change on you? Tell me about a difficult change you have had to make in your professional career. How did you manage the change? Describe a time a change effort you were involved in was not as successful as you or the company would have liked. Give me an example of a time you had to adjust quickly to changes over which you had no control. What was the impact of the change on you? Developing Others Tell me about a time when you had an opportunity to develop the knowledge, skills or abilities of another person. Describe a situation when you were able to have a positive influence on the actions of others. Tell me about a time when you needed to have co-workers working on a project who normally have different work styles/ideas. How did you pull them together? Tell me about a time you coached or mentored someone to a higher level of performance or a higher level position. Give me an example of a time you helped one of your direct reports develop or improve their (communication, negotiation, etc) skills. How did you determine this was a developmental need? Tell me about a time you had to provide constructive feedback to an employee who was not meeting performance expectations. Empowerment Tell me about a time when you worked to build a sense of commitment and ownership in a group, and you shared or delegated responsibility. Tell me about a time when you shared or delegated responsibility. What did you do? Tell me about a time when you delegated a project effectively. Tell me about a time when you needed to delegate parts of a large assignment. Describe for me a time when you provided your direct report(s) with the freedom to determine their work process, within the parameters of the task/project, even though you may have completed the work another way. Tell me about a time you encouraged your direct reports to be actively involved in solving problems related to their position rather than coming to you for the answers. Give me a specific example of how you have empowered your staff to make independent decisions.
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Competency SAMPLE INTERVIEW QUESTION(S)
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Holding People Accountable Tell me about time when you took action to ensure that others met established performance standards. Describe a situation where you had to deal with a performance issue. How did you handle it? Discuss a work situation in which you felt you successfully directed the work of others. Tell me about a time one of your direct reports was not meeting expectations. What did you do? What was the result? Tell me about a time when you had to provide constructive feedback to a direct report, outside contractor, other agency, etc. who was not meeting expectations. Tell me about a time you needed to implement a new or different performance standard for your team. Leadership Tell me about a time when you took on a significant leadership role on a project or program that you are particularly proud of. Describe a situation when you had to lead a group to accomplish a specific job. Tell me about a time when you made an unpopular decision. Give me an example of a time you had to persuade other people to take action. Were you successful? Describe a time when you led or motivated others. Describe a leadership situation that you would handle differently if you had it to do over again. Give some instances in which you anticipated problems and were able to influence a new direction. Tell me about a team project when you had to take the lead or take charge of the project? Give me a specific example of how you have helped create an environment where differences are valued, encouraged and supported.
Competencies that support ACHIEVING BUSINESS RESULTS
Analytical Thinking Tell me about a time when you had a complicated problem to solve. Briefly outline the problem and describe how you approached solving it. Tell me about a time when you had to analyze a great deal of information in order to solve a problem. We can sometimes identify a small problem and fix it before it becomes a major problem. Give an example(s) of how you have done this. Tell me about a time when you had a complicated problem to solve. Describe how you identified or gained a better understanding of the problem. Describe the project or situation that best demonstrates your analytical abilities. What was your role? Tell me about a time when you had to analyze information and make a recommendation. Business Acumen Tell me about a time when your understanding of the business helped you to achieve a goal. Tell me about a time when you thought specifically about your organization’s strategy and goals in deciding on a course of action. Give me an example of a decision that was made in your area that had a major impact on another area or department. Give me an example of a time when your understanding of your organizations business needs enabled you to achieve something that, had you lacked the understanding, you probably would not have achieved. Tell me about a time you recognized a problem before your boss or others in the
Competency SAMPLE INTERVIEW QUESTION(S)
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Problem Solving / Judgement Describe the typical decisions you are required to make on a daily basis. Tell me about a time when you had to analyze or solve a difficult problem. Describe a time when you had to consider various options before you could come to a conclusion. Give me an example of a time when you used good judgment and logic in solving a problem. Give me an example of a time you had to make an important decision. How did you make the decision? Tell me about a situation where you achieved a satisfactory outcome to a problem that others thought couldn’t be solved. Tell me about a time you helped resolve a group problem. Tell me about a difficult problem you solved that had a significant positive impact on all or part of the organization. Gathering/Analyzing/Using Facts and Information Describe a problem situation where you had to seek out relevant information, define key issues, and decide on which steps to take to get the desired result. Catching problems early Give me an example of a time you identified a potential problem and resolved it before the situation became serious. Strategic Orientation Tell me about a situation where you had to weigh the long-term business implications of a decision you made for your department/function. Tell me about a time when you had to develop a solution to a business problem. Give me an example of a strategy you developed to achieve a long or short-term business need, goal or objective. Tell me about a strategic initiative or opportunity you identified and pursued. Tell me about a time where your ability to keep your eyes on the future proved to be a benefit to your organization/department/team. Tell me about a time when your ability to translate strategy into your team’s day to day work had a positive impact.
Competencies that support PERSONAL EFFECTIVENESS
Building Partnerships with Stakeholders Recount a time when you deliberately chose to establish a positive, collegial relationship with a stakeholder. Describe a professional relationship you have established with a stakeholder, and tell me about a situation where you have used it within a work context. This position requires constant communication with various regional authorities and stakeholders. Give us an example of a project where you effectively dealt with various issues driven by multiple stakeholder interests. What steps did you take to make this a success? Commitment to Continuous Learning Tell me about a time when your supervisor/co-workers gave you feedback about your work/actions. What did you learn about yourself? Tell me about a recent job or experience that you would describe as a real learning experience. What did you learn from the job or the experience? Tell me about a time when you were asked to complete a difficult assignment even though the odds were against you. What did you learn from that experience? Tell me about a time when you had to learn something new in a short amount of time.
Competency SAMPLE INTERVIEW QUESTION(S)
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What created the situation? What did you have to learn? How did you learn it? Give me an example of a situation at one of your previous employers when others knew more than you did. How did you close the gap? Concern for Order Tell me about a time when you helped avoid a serious situation or problem through your own monitoring activities or processes. Tell me about a time when you were able to provide important information to someone immediately because of the way you organized your files. In some aspects of work it is important to be free of error. Can you describe a situation where you have tried to prevent errors? What did you do? What was the outcome? Continuous Development Tell me about a time when you changed how you were doing your job. Tell me about a time when you took steps to improve your personal capability. Tell me about a time when you took advantage of a slow time at work to improve your work skills. Tell me about a time when your coworkers gave you feedback about your actions. How did you respond? What changes did you make? Expertise Tell me about a time when you shared your knowledge and expertise with others to help solve a technical problem. Give an example of how you applied knowledge from a previous job to your current role. Tell me about a time you anticipated the need to improve a technical/functional skill and took action proactively. Give me an example of a time you took the initiative to find out about a new or upcoming product/service change. Give me an example of where your understanding of your job contributed to solving a larger problem of the organization. Flexibility Tell me about a time when you successfully handled a change or a shift in priorities. Describe a time when you needed to adapt your approach to get the result you wanted. Tell me about a situation in which you have had to adjust to changes over which you had no control. How did you handle it? Tell me about a time when you had to adjust to a colleague’s working style in order to complete a project or achieve your objectives. Tell me about a time when you had to stop working on a project/idea/assignment and start working on a completely different one. What did you do? How did that work out? Tell me about a time when you changed or modified your priorities to meet another person’s or group’s expectations. Improving Operations Tell me about a time when you drew upon your own expertise in order to improve a process or operation. Tell me about a time when you had to be creative in solving a problem, or looking at the way things are done. Tell me about a suggestion you made to improve the way job processes/operations worked. What was the result? Tell me about one of your workplace improvements that another department now uses. Give me an example when you initiated a change in process or operations. Describe something you have implemented at work. What were the steps you used to
Competency SAMPLE INTERVIEW QUESTION(S)
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What did you do about it? Tell me about a time when you failed to meet a deadline. What did you learn? Results Orientation Describe some projects or ideas (not necessarily your own) that were implemented, or carried out successfully primarily because of your efforts. Give me an example of an important goal you have had and your success in achieving it. Describe a time when, against all odds, you were able to get a project or task completed within the defined parameters. Tell me about a time when you were asked to complete a difficult assignment and the odds were against you. What did you learn from the experience? Self Confidence Tell me about a time when your belief in yourself helped you deal with a situation or helped you get something done. Tell me about a time when you were confident in your decision or opinion. Describe a situation where you had to request help or assistance on a project or assignment. Self Control Describe a time when you were faced with problems or stresses that tested your coping skills. Give an example of when you had to work with someone who was difficult to get along with. How did you handle that person? Tell me about a difficult situation when it was desirable for you to keep a positive attitude. What did you do? Describe a time when you felt it was necessary to modify or change your actions in order to respond to the needs of another person.
Competencies that support INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS
Concern for Image Impact Tell me about a time when you became aware of how the organization was perceived by others. What did you do? Tell me about a time when you wanted to ensure that your role was positively perceived by others. Conflict Management Tell me about a time when you became aware of conflict and what you did about it. Tell me about a time when you had to deal with conflict within your workplace. Give me an example of a time when you were able to successfully communicate with another person even when you felt the individual did not value your perspective. Describe a time when you facilitated a creative solution to a problem between employees. Tell me about a recent success you had with an especially difficult employee/co- worker. Describe a time when you took personal accountability for a conflict and initiated contact with the individual(s) involved to explain your actions. Creating Customer / Client Focus Tell me about a recent situation in which you had to deal with a very upset customer or co-worker. Tell me about a recent time when you went out of your way to help a member of the public? Give me an example of something you have done to either develop or strengthen customer relationships. Tell me about a customer whose needs you spent considerable time learning about.
Competency SAMPLE INTERVIEW QUESTION(S)
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What was the result of that time investment? Describe the process or method you used in a particular situation to develop an understanding of your internal/external customer’s viewpoints and needs. Describe a time you exceeded the expectations of a client/customer/stakeholder. Customer / Client Development Tell me about a time when you assisted a customer/client to learn. Tell me about a time when you supported the development of a client/customer. Tell me about a time when you had to foster learning in a client/customer to allow them to operate independently (i.e. rarely calling you for help). Engaging External Partners Describe a time when you deliberately chose to establish a positive, collegial relationship with an external stakeholder. Describe a professional relationship that you have established with an external stakeholder. Give me an example of a time you developed and maintained (or strengthened) a relationship with a person or group outside the organization. Tell me about a time you realized that what you were working on could have a far- reaching impact, and you sought out relevant/appropriate people to gather their concerns and perspective before you proceeded with the task. Give me an example of when you wish you would have spent more time looking for common ground with stakeholders before you took a particular action. Impact / Influence Tell me about a situation when you had to influence someone to achieve a desired result. Describe a situation in which you were able to use persuasion to successfully convince someone to see things your way. Describe an instance when you had to think on your feet to extricate yourself from a difficult situation. Tell me about a time when you anticipated a problem and were able to use your influence or persuasiveness to change the direction of the situation. Describe a time when you had to influence a number of different people/groups coming from different perspectives to support you in what you wanted or needed to do. Information Seeking Describe a situation where you had to get more information to resolve an issue. What did you do to get it? Tell me about a time when you worked to get to the bottom of a particular problem. Describe a time when you had to get more information to resolve an issue. What did you do to acquire that knowledge? Tell me about a time when you were successful in getting crucial information from another person. Describe a time when your patience in gathering information paid off. Listening, Understanding, and Responding Tell me about a time when you had to understand another person's point of view or position in order to solve a problem. Describe a situation in which you had to arrive at a compromise or guide others to a compromise. Tell of a time when your active listening skills really paid off for you - maybe a time when other people missed the key idea being expressed. Describe a work situation that required you to really listen and display compassion to a co-worker/employee who was telling you about a personal/sensitive situation.
