S-T-A-R in Initiative

Let's look at how this competency interview works.

The interviewer is answered the question:

Give me an example of a time that you were able to take the lead in changing financial policy or practice for your organization

What competency is the interviewer looking for?

Generally, he's looking for leadership and initiative. Here we go. If you have prepared 2 examples, pick one and reframe your answers like this:

Situation: It was back in 2000 When I became the Chief officer in Investment at ABC company, the senior managers and board were used to taking very little risk with portfolio. The problem at that time was that by playing it so conservative, the returns were lower than what our customers would expect.

Task: As this problem continued, it became obvious to me that I needed to review the company's best offer in portfolio management.

Action: I spent six months educating key senior managers and board members from BBB about the potential benefit of taking at least 15% of portfolio and using hedge funds and other nontraditional investment strategies. As they responded negatively in the beginning, I met with them one-on-one and presented my recommendations at the end of the year board meeting........

Result: With support from the chief financial officer and the CEO, I persuaded the board to change the company's investment policy to allow up to 25% of the investment portfolio to be invested in selected hedge funds and other, more esteric investment. It turned out that in 2001, we gained an 15% increase in portfolio return.

What Must Be Included When Responding to Competency-Based Interview Questions?

Let's cut the crap and make it REALLY simple:

1. Situation or Task or Problem

2. Action

3. Result


Good interviewers are trained to listen for the three parts of the answer.

Then you might come up with the question: How am I gonna prepare for these competency-based interview questions?

Take time to be strategic. Think through at least 6 examples that show as high level of competence as possible. Usually, firms are looking for employers who possess leadership, communicational skill, initiative, who knows teamwork, who can be analytical and very organized.

Prepare individually 6 stories to exemplify these competencies.

What Interviewers Are Trained To Look For

Talking about interviews, increasing number of Interviewers is trained to look at you using a behavioral, competency-based interview skill;

• They tend to focus on the key competencies for a particular position and core competencies for the organization
  
• They assess much closer to your personal characteristcs by listening to your stories and observe your response to competency-based interview questions

Johnson & Johnson reflects this tendency by going after core competencies model called Integrity and Credo-based Actions. According to Uneeda Brewer-Frazier, Director of Management Education and Development at the company, "we work hard to select people who treat other employees and cutomers with respect, don' t cut corners, and demonstrate integrity through their work and actions"

So the interview, after going through introductions and background questions, begins the main part of the interview.

Told to answer competency-based behavioral questions.

The interviewer is asked to look at three main parts of any answers to a behaviroal questions: Situation / Task, Action and Result (STAR)

• Situation, Task: What is the basic situation, task that you are giving answer to the question?
  
• Action: What action did you take to make your task better? What decision did you make to handle the task or resolve the problem? How would other stakeholders in that situation respond to you?
  
• Result: What was the result of the action? How did it benefit the organization or your department? What did you learn that will help you be even stronger? Did you make money? Did you save time?

To take a success, you need to work hard to succeed in a good competency-based interview

What Are Competencies?

Competencies are defined as " a written description of measurable work habits and personal skills used to achieve a work objective."

What does this mean?

To put another buzz word from b-school very simple, competencies are the key characteristics that makes you look like the candidates organizations are seeking. As the use of competencies is continuing to grow, it takes thoughtful research and preparation to succeed in job interviews.

As the saying goes, you don't want to be fighting today's war using equipment, strategy, and tactics from the last century