Competency based interviews are increasing in popularity. Many organisations use this style of interview including Public Service | Civil Service, Local Authorities | County Councils | HSE, and An Garda Síochána
Many interviewees struggle with preparation and become overwhelmed
We apply a very simple approach to competency based interview preparation
One key element we teach is how to structure your answers
We simplify this using the acronym – SAR
SITUATION
A short introduction setting the scene, about 10% of your time spent talking. Don’t overcomplicate or over explain. For example, if the competency is decision-making, simply state the decision you had to make
ACTIONS
This is the meat of the story, most of your talking. It’s critical to demonstrate the actions and behaviours associated with the competency. Focus is critical. NB: You MUST use the word “I”
RESULT
A brief end to your story, again about 10% of time spent talking. Simple state the positive outcomes, avoiding the temptation to go off in tangents or overexplaining
Need help with competency based interview preparation | contact us
We have distilled my process into a 2-hour Zoom session
We would teach you
(a) How to structure your answers
(b) What the interview panel are really listening for within your examples
(c) How to build easy-to-remember answers
Our approach = Keep it simple, zero jargon, upbeat delivery, and concise take-away notes
