Understand the question well to answer better: Few interview questions

During my own preparation for job interviews while I was studying management, I listed down various questions that are generally asked in interviews to assess an individual's competencies (skills, knowledge, attitude) for the desired position.

Then while working for corporates in Competency development area, I began to understand these questions better and you can only answer well if you know the question well..

The following are a few questions generally asked in the Interviews to understand the level of competency possessed by the individual in the respective area (sub-heads). Interviewees tend to misunderstand the question and end up with a irrelevant answer.

The following set of questions shall be of help to those who might know all the answers about their skills and abilities but might not be sure of which question to attribute them to during the interview. Please read them and make notes of your best answers to them..

CORE COMPETENCIES

Adaptability

• Tell me about a time when you changed your priorities to meet others' expectations?
• Describe a time when you altered your own behaviour to fit the situation?
• Tell me about a time when you had to change your point of view or your plans to take into account new information or changing priorities?

Client Focus

• Give an example of how you provided service to a client/stakeholder beyond their expectations. How did you identify the need? How did you respond?
• Tell me about a time when you had to deal with a client/stakeholder service issue?
• Describe a situation in which you acted as an advocate within your organization for your stakeholder’s needs, where there was some organizational resistance to be overcome?

Communication

• Describe a situation you were involved in that required a multi-dimensional communication strategy?
• Give an example of a difficult or sensitive situation that required extensive communication?
• Tell me about a time when you really had to pay attention to what someone else was saying, actively seeking to understand their message?

Organizational Awareness

• Describe the culture of your organization and give an example of how you work within this culture to achieve a goal?
• Describe the things you consider and the steps you take in assessing the viability of a new idea or initiative?
• Tell me about a time when you used your knowledge of the organization to get what you needed?

Problem Solving and Judgment

• Tell me about a time when you had to identify the underlying causes to a problem?
• Describe a time when you had to analyze a problem and generate a solution?
• Tell me about a situation where you had to solve a problem or make a decision that required careful thought. What did you do?

Results Orientation

• Tell me about a time when you set and achieved a goal?
• Tell me about a time when you improved the way things were typically done on the job?
• Describe something you have done to improve the performance of your work unit?
• Describe something you have done to maximize or improve the use of resources beyond your own work unit to achieve improved results?

Teamwork

• Tell me about a time when you worked successfully as a member of a team?
• Describe a situation where you were successful in getting people to work together effectively?
• Describe a situation in which you were a member (not a leader) of a team, and a conflict arose within the team. What did you do?

ROLE SPECIFIC COMPETENCIES

Developing Others

• Tell me about a time when you coached someone to help them improve their skills or job performance. What did you do?
• Describe a time when you provided feedback to someone about their performance?
• Give me an example of a time when you recognized that a member of your team had a performance difficulty/deficiency. What did you do?

Impact and Influence

• Describe a recent situation in which you convinced an individual or a group to do something?
• Describe a time when you went through a series of steps to influence an individual or a group on an important issue?
• Describe a situation in which you needed to influence different stakeholders with differing perspectives?

Innovation

• Describe something you have done that was new and different for your organization, that improved performance and/or productivity?
• Tell me about a time when you identified a new, unusual or different approach for addressing a problem or task?
• Tell me about a recent problem in which old solutions wouldn't work. How did you solve the problem?

Leadership

• Tell me about a time when you had to lead a group to achieve an objective?
• Describe a situation where you had to ensure that your "actions spoke louder than your words" to a team?
• Describe a situation where you inspired others to meet a common goal?

Relationship Building

• Describe a situation in which you developed an effective win/win relationship with a stakeholder or client. How did you go about building the relationship?
• Tell me about a time when you relied on a contact in your network to help you with a work-related task or problem?
• Give me an example of a time when you deliberately attempted to build rapport with a co-worker or customer?

Resource Management

• Describe a situation in which you took a creative approach to resourcing to achieve a goal?
• Tell me about a time when you had to deal with a particular resource management issue regarding either people, materials or assets?
• Describe the options you would consider to resource a project or goal if you did not have the available resources within your own span of control?
• Describe a situation in which you established a partnership with another organization or stakeholder to achieve a mutual goal. What steps did you take to ensure the partnership was effective?

Self-Management

• Describe the level of stress in your job and what you do to manage it?
• Describe a time when you were in a high pressure situation?
• Describe a time when things didn't turn out as you had planned and you had to analyze the situation to address the issue?

Strategic Thinking

• Describe a challenge or opportunity you identified based on your industry knowledge, and how you developed a strategy to respond to it?
• Describe a time you created a strategy to achieve a longer term business objective
• Describe a time when you used your business knowledge to understand a specific business situation?

The questions actually asked must be different from the above, however the intent shall be the same.