The Ultimate Guide to Handling the New Competency-Based Interview Style
[...]... traditional interview questions, your options as a candidate are unlimited, giving you full control over how you answer each question On the other hand, competency-based interview questions are specific They require you to provide examples in response to questions that are essential for the company and the position for which you are interviewing An example of a competency-based interview question is:... 160) 173 Tell me about a time when you worked with someone who had a delicate ego (p 160) Customer Service Interview Questions 174 Describe the steps you take to ensure a high level of customer satisfaction (p 163) 175 Describe a time when existing policies did not solve a customer’s problem and the customer took his or her business elsewhere (p 163) 176 As much as we may try to keep customers satisfied,... career By answering interview questions that focus on your actions in particular workplace situations, you allow interviewers to compare your experience to the requirements of their open positions This works to your advantage since the likelihood increases that their hiring decisions will be based on your know-how rather than on the interviewer’s personal impressions Competency-Based vs Traditional Interview. .. stressful situation.” In this case, there is no flexibility for you The interviewer has laid out exactly what he wants to know Because of this specificity, competency-based questions are more difficult to answer and they require more thoughtful responses Competency-style interview questions begin with phrases such as the following: “Tell me about a time when you ,” “Give an example of a situation when ,”... other times when it is prudent to consider all angles before making a decision Give an example of a situation when you took your time in making a final decision.” Beginning a question with a scenario or an affirmation is a conversation tool that interviewers use to ease your anxiety and get you to open up And that “opening up” allows you to present yourself as an asset to the company American Management... (WBS) Customer Service account analysis and retention account management claims processing client relations collection of delinquent accounts complaint resolution customer compliant handling customer contact customer liaison customer needs assessment customer retention customer satisfaction customer service delivery data collection and survey data entry deliverance of world-class service e-mail customer... know-how rather than on the interviewer’s personal impressions Competency-Based vs Traditional Interview Questions Traditional interview questions are broad, allowing the candidate to select an example of a work situation that fits the question asked These traditional types of interview questions are easy to detect because each typically begins with: “How would ,” “How can ,” “What would ,” “What... traditional question, “How would you describe yourself?” opens the door for you to answer in very general terms You can choose to provide a short response, such as “I describe myself as hardworking.” Or you can go into detail by saying, “Since my employment with ABC Company, I have never missed a day of work I take pride in providing customers with a top-notch experience.” You also could choose to mention... Tell me about a time when you consulted a client to ensure that a project went smoothly (p 121) 103 Describe a time when you worked as part of an integrated team to come up with a plan of action (p 121) Competency #3: Personal Motivation Ambition Interview Questions 104 Tell me about a time when you set and achieved a goal (p 124) 105 Recall a situation when you took a self-starter approach to a project... Skills Problem-Solving Interview Questions 132 Tell me about a time when you disagreed with management’s decision What did you do about it? (p 139) 133 Recall a time when you discovered a way to improve upon an existing process (p 140) 134 Describe a time when you figured out a problem that others had tried to solve but failed (p 140) 135 Give me an example about a time when a routine procedure presented