Principle - dedicated professionals

Competency based questions?

Competency based questions help organisations identify key skills required for a job. Questions are designed to draw out evidence of skills required for an individual to properly perform a specific job. The number and type of competencies will depend on the nature and complexity of the position.

 

Preparing for competency based questions

Firstly you need to identify the competencies required for the job and define each competency in behavioural terms. Secondly identify any past experience to illustrate how you demonstrated that behaviour. Thirdly prepare examples and practice talking about your experience. Finally in responding to questions use the acronym STAR.

 

Responding to competency based questions “STAR”

Example question: Give me an example of a problem you encountered. How did you approach it? What was the outcome?

Response using STAR

• S:        Describe the situation
• T:        Explain the task / problem that arose
• A:        What action did you take
• R:        What was the result or outcome?
• What did you learn from the experience

Examples of competency questions 

Competency_Questions.pdf