Before the Interview

Review and familiarise yourself with the appropriate Job Description.

Review this interview guide, so that the competencies being evaluated are firmly in
your mind.

Read the instructions fully before commencing the interview.

Read and review the position description so responses may be seen in the context of
background and experience that will be necessary.

Typically as least two people will be present at the interview.

 MANAGING WORK KEY ACTIONS
Quickly establishing courses of action for self a) Quickly determines tasks and
and others to ensure that work is completed resources
efficiently and effectively, while appropriately b) Schedules work
monitoring outcomes. c) Develops time lines
d) Co-ordinates resources
e) Manages plan
f) Ensures consistent outcomes

Competency Questions
♦ Tell me about a time when you had to coordinate other people and resources to
accomplish a complex project or task? What did you do? What was the result?
♦ We have all had times when we could not meet the time lines on our accountabilities.
Tell me about a time when this has happened to you? Why did this occur? What did
you do?
♦ Tell me about either a long or short-term plan you have implemented for your
department?

Key Action Questions

Quickly determines tasks and resources:

♦ Describe how you determine what tasks and resources are required to complete
complex tasks or projects? Provide specific example/s.

Schedules work:
♦ Describe how you schedule/organise your own and others work? Provide specific
example/s.

Develops time lines:

♦ Describe how you develop project time lines to complete complex tasks or projects?
Provide specific example/s.

Coordinates resources:
♦ Describe how you take advantage of available resources (individuals, processes,
departments, and tools) to complete work efficiently? Provide specific example/s.

Manages plan:
♦ Describe some recent plans you have had to manage/ implement? Were you able to
meet your proposed plan or project criteria (cost, time, quality etc)? How you did you
ensure the effective completion of work?

Ensures consistent outcomes:

♦ What processes and systems do you use to track and monitor the implementation of
projects or tasks? How effective are these? How do you know? Provide specific
example/s.

Interview Guide 2 07/04/11

 CHANGE MANAGEMENT KEY ACTIONS
Continuously seeking, and encouraging a) Handles a rapidly changing
others to seek, opportunities for innovative business environment
approaches to meet organisational b) Challenges assumptions
opportunities and problems; advocating the c) Recognises organisational
need for self and others to seek a better way
opportunities
d) Thinks expansively
to address work process issues; trying
e) Changes the game
different and novel ways to appropriately
f) Frees up business systems
deal with work issues.
g) Encourages new approaches

Competency Questions

♦ Can you describe the most creative idea that you have developed and applied to the work
place? How long ago was it? How did you arrive at it? What was the result of
implementing this in the work place?
♦ Tell me about a time you enabled others to create a new approach to a problem or
opportunity? What was the change? What did you do?

Key Action Questions

Challenges assumptions:
♦ We all strike situations where traditional approaches/assumptions don’t work. When
has this happened to you? How have you approached these situations? What has been
the result? Please provide specific examples.

Recognises organisational opportunities:

♦ Describe a time when you recognised an organisational problem as an opportunity for
process improvement?

Thinks expansively:
♦ Describe a time when you have thought about/approached a problem, opportunity or
issue from a different or unique perspective ie thinking outside the square? What
approach did you use? What was the result?

Frees up business systems:

♦ People often are resistant to change. What steps have you taken to overcome
resistance to change? Give me an example.
♦ What systems/process have you initiated, improved or eliminated to help promote
change in the organisation or your business unit? Provide examples.

Encourages new approaches:

♦ What strategies have you used to encourage others to challenge established business
assumptions/approaches or develop new ideas/strategies?

Interview Guide 3 07/04/11

 SELF DEVELOPMENT KEY ACTIONS
Actively identifying new areas for own a) Targets learning needs
learning; regularly creating and taking b) Maximises learning options
advantage of learning opportunities; using c) Creates opportunities to learn
newly gained knowledge and skill on the job d) Takes risks in learning
and learning through their application
e) Develops knowledge or skill

Competency Questions
♦ Because of all the changes in processes, procedures, and technology, it’s often
difficult to keep up with everything there is to know about our job/role. How do you
determine appropriate areas to target for learning?
♦ What was the most difficult task you have had to learn in your working life? How did
you go about learning it?
♦ In any new job, there are some things we pick up quickly and other things that take
more time to learn. In your last job, tell me about something you picked up quickly
and something that took more time to learn.

Key Action Questions

Targets learning needs:
♦ Describe a time when you have sort and used feedback and/or other sources of
information to identify appropriate areas for learning? How did you get this
information? What was your response to it? Provide specific example/s?

Maximises learning options:

♦ Describe a time when you have identified and participated in appropriate learning
activities (eg. courses, self-study, coaching, critically analysing information,
experiential learning) to help fulfil learning needs. What was the most important
thing that you learnt? How did you apply this learning?

Creates opportunities to learn:

♦ When, if ever, have you pro-actively set up or identified situations to further
your own learning? Provide example/s.

Takes risks in learning:

♦ Have you ever put yourself in unfamiliar/uncomfortable situation; or taken on
challenging or unfamiliar assignments in order to learn or develop specific skills or
knowledge. Provide a specific example.
♦ Have you ever moved for a job or a role? How did you decide whether or not to
make the move? How has it helped you?

Develops knowledge or skill:

♦ When have you been able to further develop new knowledge or skill by
putting them to practical use on the job? What was the situation? How did you
approach it? What was the result?

Interview Guide 4 07/04/11

 ♦ What other steps have you taken to further develop or reinforce newly acquired
knowledge or skills?

VALUING DIVERSITY KEY ACTIONS

Showing appreciation of the insights, ideas a) Takes actions that appreciate
and motivations of all individuals and diversity
supporting all others’ diverse styles and b) Treats others fairly
abilities. c) Listens and acts non-
judgementally
d) Seeks understanding
e) Confronts inappropriate behaviour

Competency Questions
♦ What types of ‘diversity’ issues have you had to deal with in your work
environment? What has been your role/s in relation to these issues? How have you
approached them? What has been the result? Provide some specific examples.
♦ What are some of the main ‘diversity’ challenges currently facing your business
unit? What steps have you taken to address these? Provide some specific
example/s.

Key Action Questions

Treats others fairly:

♦ Have you ever received feedback on how fairly you treat others? What have you been
told? Please be specific.
♦ In dealing with others in your team/business unit/organisation how do balance their
individual needs/requirements? What do you do? What has been the impact of this
approach? Examples

Seeks understanding:
♦ When working with people from different cultures or backgrounds, how did you
approach these situations? What steps/actions, if any, did you take to be more effective
in these situations? What was the result?

Confronts inappropriate behaviour:

♦ Can you tell me about the last time you saw some inappropriate behaviour in the
workplace? What happened? What did you do?

Interview Guide 5 07/04/11

 DECISION MAKING KEY ACTIONS
Securing operational information and a) Seeks information
identifying key issues and relationships
b) Evaluates information
c) Understands risk/opportunity
relevant to achieving medium term goals;
balance
developing alternative courses of action
d) Develops and considers
based on logic and the impact on people;
alternatives
after creatively considering the options while e) Makes decision
balancing the risks and opportunities, f) Implements continuous
committing to the best course of action. improvements

Competency Questions
♦ Please describe one of the most difficult/challenging work problems you have ever
had to solve? Explain how you approached the problem and reached a decision.
♦ Describe a situation in which you had to determine the best course of action to
address a work issue/opportunity. Explain what you did and why.
♦ Think about a recent ‘good’ decision you made and a recent decision that wasn’t as
‘good’. Describe the process you used to make both decisions.

Key Action Questions

Seeks information:
♦ Describe a time you recognised the need for additional information to better
understand an issue, problem, or opportunity. How did you determine what
information you needed? What did you do to get it? What was the result?

Understands risk/opportunity balance:

♦ Describe a time when you have had to make a decision based on balancing the
opportunities and risks associated with the situation? What were the ‘opportunity’
and ‘risk’ factors? How did you select your ultimate option?

Makes decision:
♦ Describe a course of action you selected to achieve a medium term goal or vision?
How did you select this action? What was the result?

Implements continuous improvements:

What types of decisions do you review? How do you determine whether the decision has
been effective or not? How have you responded to these reviews? Provide specific
examples.

Interview Guide 6 07/04/11

 PROFESSIONAL KEY ACTIONS
RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENTa) Establishes approach
Developing and maintaining collaborative b) Seeks opportunity
c) Clarifies the current situation
relationships with all potential business
d) Develops ideas collaboratively
partners and stakeholders to facilitate the
e) Shows respect
accomplishment of business goals; working
f) Facilitates agreement
within the business environment to facilitate
g) Follows through
sales.

Key Competency Questions

♦ Working with business partners/stakeholders usually involves some give and take.
Describe a time when you worked out an agreement with a business
partner/stakeholder or got them to support a particular project or activity? What did
you do? What was the result?
♦ Sometimes it can be difficult and frustrating to get necessary information from
business partners/ stakeholders so that you can solve a problem or accomplish your
goals. Please describe a situation you’ve had like this. What did you do?
♦ Describe a situation when you needed to resolve conflicting ideas/needs with business
partners/stakeholders in order to facilitate the accomplishment of work goals.

Key Action Questions

Establishes approach:
♦ Describe a time when you have consciously developed an approach to win support of
key decision-makers for a solution or project you wanted/needed to implement? What
did you do? What was the result?

Clarifies the current situation:

♦ Describe a time you recognised the need to collect information to better understand a
business partners’ or stakeholders’ situation or requirements. How did you determine
what information you needed? How did you get it? What was the result?

Develops ideas collaboratively:

♦ In dealing with business partners or stakeholders they often have their own ideas as to
what a solution should look like or how it will be implemented. Sometimes these will
be different to your proposed approach. Provide an example of when this has
happened to you. How did you deal with this? What did the final solution look like?

Follows through
♦ Often it is difficult to cover all requirements in one meeting. Can you think of a
situation where you were required to follow-up some information or action for a
business partner/key stakeholder. What was the situation? What did you do? What
was the result? Any other examples?

Interview Guide 7 07/04/11

 TEAMWORK KEY ACTIONS
Using appropriate methods and a flexible a) Treats others with respect
interpersonal style to actively contribute to a b) Communicates fully, openly and
cohesive team; facilitating the completion of honestly
team goals. c) Balances all needs
d) Facilitates goal accomplishment
e) Clarifies structure
f) Actively collaborates
g) Accepts the final decision

Competency Questions
♦ What has been your most satisfying team experience? What was the situation?
What was your role? What did you do to contribute to team success?
♦ We have all had less than perfect results working as part of a team? Can you
describe a situation when this happened to you? What was the problem? What was
your role and how did you approach it?

Key Action Questions

Treats others with respect:
♦ What feedback have you had about the way you encourage others to
contribute their opinions and/or experience. Please provide examples.
♦ Provide example/s of how you have maintained and/or not maintained others
perception of self worth? What did you say/do? How did they respond/react?

Communicates fully openly and honestly:

Describe a time when you had information that would benefit the team or group that no
one else on the team had. What did you do? What was the result?
♦ Describe a time/s when you have shared your views with other team members; even
when you thought they would be unpopular. What did you say? What was the
outcome?

Balances all needs:

♦ How do you prioritise the different and sometimes conflicting goals of the organisation,
team, and self? What criteria do you uses? What has been the result of this approach?

Facilitates goal accomplishment:

♦ Tell me about a time when a team you were on got stalled and was not functioning
effectively. What was the problem? What did you do?

Actively collaborates:
♦ Tell me about a time when you encouraged the less active team members to get more
involved? What did you do? What was the result?
♦ Teams are comprised of a variety of people with diverse perspectives. Tell me about
a time when you encouraged others to share their ideas?

Interview Guide 8 07/04/11

 SELF CONDUCT KEY ACTIONS
Displaying loyalty to the organisation and a) Is loyal to the organisation
others; acting professionally even when b) Demonstrates honesty
events cause anger and frustration; behaving c) Behaves ethically
in line with organisational values. d) Handles frustration
e) Maintains a ‘whole life balance’

Competency Questions
♦ How would you describe your general self-conduct? What would you see as you’re
main strengths and possible development needs in this area? Can you be specific?
Give me some examples?
♦ Often situations at work can cause us a great deal of anger and frustration. Describe
the last time this happened to you. What was the situation? How did you respond?
What was the result?

Key Action Questions

Is loyal to the organisation:
♦ Often organisations make decisions that don’t support our view or personal/business
unit objectives. Have you ever been in this situation? What did you do/say? What
was the result
♦ Have you ever had to take the role of organisation champion ie promoted the
organisation’s position/strategy to others? Why did this occur? What did you do/
how did you approach this? What was the outcome?
♦ What do you think of the organisations current image in the community? Is it
positive or negative? Have you ever discussed this image with others? What was
your view? Please be specific.

Behaves ethically:
♦ How would others describe the way you conduct yourself with regards to the
organisation expectations and values? Can you give me some specific examples?

Handles frustration:
♦ Walk me through a particularly frustrating situation you faced recently. How do
you react to this situation? Is this reaction typical? Have you ever had any feedback
about your reaction? Please be specific.

Maintains a “whole life balance”:

♦ How do you attempt to balance out the demands of work with “home” life.
What strategies have you adopted to achieve this? How successful (or otherwise) has
that been? What tells you that? Please provide examples.

Interview Guide 9 07/04/11

 CUSTOMER FOCUS KEY ACTIONS
Discerning customer needs and concerns; a) Seeks to understand customers
addressing customer issues and helping b) Educates customers
others to meet customer needs. c) Develops ideas
d) Takes action to meet customer
needs
e) Maintains customer trust
f) Manages customer expectations
g) Sets up customer feedback
systems

Competency Questions
♦ Tell me about a time when you had to work with a customer to understand and meet
their needs. What was the situation? What did you do? What was the result?
♦ In your current role/position how do you ensure that internal/external customer needs
are being met? Please provide specific examples of what you have done.
♦ What skills or qualities have you found to be effective in building productive
relationships with internal/external customers? Please provide examples of when you
have used those skills or qualities.

Key Action Questions

Seeks to understand customers:
♦ Describe how you determine the needs/circumstances/expectations of your customers.
What do you specifically do? How do you determine if the customer understands
their requirements/needs? Please provide specific example/s.

Takes action to meet customer needs:

♦ Can you describe a time when you were able to effectively meet a customer’s
needs/concerns or resolve a customer’s problems? What was the situation? What did
you do? What was the result? Any feedback from the customer?

Maintains customer trust:

♦ What steps have you taken to build trust with your customers? Describe a specific
situation. What did you do? What was the result? Any feedback (word or action) from
the customer.

Manages customer expectations:

♦ Sometimes customers can be very demanding or have unrealistic expectations of the
product or service provided by the organisation? Can you describe a time when this
happened to you? What was the situation? What did you do? What was the result?
Any feedback from the customer?

Sets up customer feedback systems:

♦ What method/s do you use to monitor and evaluate customer concerns, issues and/or
satisfaction? How effective is/are this/these method/s? How do you know? Provide
specific example/s.

Interview Guide 10 07/04/11

 ACHIEVEMENT FOCUS KEY ACTIONS
Setting high standards of performance for a) Creates standards of excellence
self and others; assuming accountability for for others
successfully completing assignments or b) Goes above and beyond
tasks; self-imposing standards of excellence c) Is driven to achieve excellent
rather than having standards imposed.
outcomes
d) Is persistent
e) Encourages others to take
responsibility

Competency Questions
♦ We’re not always satisfied with our performance. Tell me about a time that you
weren’t pleased with your performance. What did you do? What was the result?
♦ Are you satisfied with your business unit’s (team’s) performance? Why or why not?
What have you done to get them to improve it?

Key Action Questions

Goes above and beyond:
♦ What actions have you taken that go beyond normal job requirements in order to
achieve objectives/ deliver on a specific business goal? Provide specific example/s.

Is driven to achieve excellent outcomes:

♦ How would you describe the general standard of your own work? What feedback
have you received from others? Provide examples – situation, your approach, results
♦ Describe one or more of your projects/tasks/strategies that was not up to standard?
What was your role? What did you do or not do?

Is persistent:
♦ Describe a time when you had to work to overcome obstacles to complete a specific
task or project?
♦ Describe a time/s when you either; tried a new approach due to a changed
work situation/task requirement or dropped an established approach that was not
working? What was the situation or task? What did you do? What was the result?

Interview Guide 11 07/04/11