How to Answer a Competency Question
This 'How to' Sets out the steps you need to consider and use when answering a competency question, or behavioural question, in your interview. You can tell when you are being asked to give a competency answer because the interviewer will often use the phrase, 'Can you tell us about a time when...'.
An example of a 'Team Work' competency question could be, 'Can you tell us about a time when you worked as part of a team on a challenging project that led to a good result. What part did you play in the team?' Other competencies are phrased similarly.
An example of a 'Team Work' competency question could be, 'Can you tell us about a time when you worked as part of a team on a challenging project that led to a good result. What part did you play in the team?' Other competencies are phrased similarly.
Listen to the competency question. What competency do they want to hear about?
Search for specific examples, ideally from the last 2 years when you actively demonstrated the competency required. Competencies can include team work, organisational skills, attention to detail, communication, leadership and initiative among many others.
When you have thought of a good example, structure your answer using the STAR method. S=Situation, T=Task, A=Actions, R=Result. This keeps your answer orderly and easy to follow. Aim for 70% of the answer to be detailing the Actions you took in that situation.
Remember to tell the interviewer about the Result. Always aim to use an example that had a good Result.
Your competency answer should be about two minutes long.
Expect one or two probing follow up questions based on the answer you gave. These are asked to clear up any ambiguity in your answer and to fact check.