Competency Based Questions

Questions that require thinking about past events in order to answer a question may give you the best prediction of future results.

Interviewees that are skilled in this method will use the STAR method to answer:

Use these questions to drive your competency questions.

Describe a time when you were faced with a decision you did not want to make. What did you do?
Tell me about a time when you had to make a difficult decision. What process did you go through to arrive at the decision?
Tell me about a time you had to make a decision that would impact a number of other people. How did you go about it?
Do you tend to make decisions quickly and instinctively or more slowly and methodically?
Tell me about a time when your method did not achieve the results you expected. What happened and what did you do?
It can be difficult to use good judgment when everyone else seems to disagree with your approach. Tell me about a time when you had to go against the wishes/needs of the group. What did you do?
How did you explain your reasoning? What was the result?
Have you ever received negative feedback from a manager, employer or coworker? How did you handle it?

Give me an example of a time when you had to reduce expenses. How did you determine where to cut costs? What was the impact?
Tell me about a time when it was difficult to stay within your approved budget. What did you do? What was the result?

Describe the process you use to set and achieve goals.
Give me an example of a time when you faced obstacles that were keeping you from meeting a goal. What did you do?
What is the greatest risk you’ve taken in the last three years and what motivated you to take it?

Tell me about a time you delegated a task or project to someone and met with resistance. What did you do?
Describe the process you use to determine what to delegate to whom. Give me an example of a time when this worked successfully

Tell me about a task or project you completed that required a very high level of accuracy and thoroughness. What steps did you take to ensure both were achieved?
Tell me about a quality improvement that you initiated and implemented. How did it improve the organization?

Tell me about a time when you potentially had to compromise a safety or security procedure to expedite a task you had to complete.
Have you ever participated on a Safety Committee? If so, what was your role? What were your responsibilities?
Tell me about a potentially unsafe condition that you had to report or correct. What was the potential impact if it had not been corrected?
Tell me about your experience with ergonomics. Give me an example of an unsafe ergonomic condition that you experienced and what you did about it.

Give me an example of a time when you had to go above and beyond to meet your project goal.
Describe a situation in which you knew you would not be able to meet a deadline. What did you do?
Tell me about a time when you did not agree with the direction given you. How did you address the conflict?
Give me an example of a time when you had to go above and beyond to meet your project goal
Tell me about a situation when you did not respond appropriately. What did you do?
Tell me about a time when you had difficulty keeping a commitment. How did you handle it?

When have you completed a difficult task as part of a team?
Describe how you have positively contributed to a team.
How have you contributed to the improvement of a team’s overall performance in the past?
Have you ever had to work with someone you didn’t get along with? If so, how did you make the situation better?

Have you ever had to resolve a customer complaint? If so, how did you resolve it?

Describe communication to me and tell me how you have resolved a misunderstanding.