Tell Me About Your Past: 10 Competency Based Interview Questions You May Be Asked

Do you remember in school when your teacher would give you a study guide with questions that would be on the test? Think of this article, and many others on Ploymint, as that. We want to give you as many examples of possible interview questions as possible, so that once you enter the interview, you’re 150% ready to answer any question that may be thrown at you. Whether it be Common Job Interview Questions, Common Nursing Questions, or Common Behavioral Questions, Ploymint has you covered. I’m here now to go over which competency-based interview questions you may be asked.

What is a competency-based interview question? You guessed it, it’s all in the name; competency-based interview questions are designed for the hiring manager to get a feel for your ability to do the job, usually based on your past. These questions are designed to find out how you have already overcome obstacles and such. According to job searching expert Alison Doyle, competency-based interview questions “require interviewees to describe a problem or situation, the actions they took to handle the problem, and the results of the situation.” This is a chance for hiring managers to see how well you handle certain situations, and your chance to ensure the hiring manager that you can handle anything thrown at you. I spoke with someone who works in human resources, and here are 10 competency-based interview questions you may be asked.

1. Describe a time that you effectively worked with others who had conflicting ideas or viewpoints. How did you work together to accomplish your goal?

2. How would you deal with a coworker who was holding up the progress of a project by not doing their part?

3. Describe a situation when you really had to put forth extra effort. What did you do?

4. Describe a time when you had to work with a coworker who could be described as “difficult.” What did you do?

5. What methods do you use to make decisions?

6. Can you give an example of a time when you had a strict deadline for a project? How did you manage your time to ensure that you met the deadline?

7. Most companies have a code of ethics that is meant to drive employee behavior. Can you describe a time that you made an ethical business decision?

8. What is the biggest change you ever had to deal with, and how did you overcome it?

9. Describe a situation where you failed to communicate correctly. What did you do to compensate?

10. Tell us about a big decision you recently made. How did you reach this decision? Why?

As you can see, none of these questions are hypothetical; hiring managers want to know how you personally handled these situations. If you have yet to experience such a situation in your work life, think of an experience in your personal life that can apply as well. Did you just decide to move to a different city? There’s the big decision you recently made. Did you have a strict deadline for your thesis? Tell that story. Was there a member of your group for a group project that did not pull their weight of their work? Tell the hiring manager how you handled that. Hiring managers want to see your obstacle overcoming, problem solving ability; tell them the honest, appropriate stories. Additionally, please promise me that you’ll never lie; hiring managers will call your references and the truth can easily come out. Think of these questions as your chance to shine; they’re your way of showing you can handle any situation you may encounter!