Competency-based interviews

A competency-based interview asks you to describe specific times you have shown the skills or behaviours the job needs, and scores each answer against set criteria. Questions usually start “Tell us about a time when…” or “Give an example of…”. It is the most common interview format across councils, the NHS and much of the Civil Service, and the panel asks every candidate the same core questions.

Where the questions come from

The questions come from the person specification or framework for the job. In a council, that is the person specification attached to the advert, often split into essential and desirable criteria. In the Civil Service, it is the behaviours named in the advert under Success Profiles. In the NHS, it is the person specification plus the trust’s values.

So most of the questions can be predicted. Go through the person specification line by line and mark everything that says “ability to”, “experience of” or “skills in”, or names a behaviour. Each is a likely question. Our guide on reading a job description and person specification shows how to break one down.

How the panel scores answers

Public sector panels usually have two or three people, often including the line manager, someone from another team and sometimes an HR adviser. Each member scores each answer on a numbered scale using a marking guide with positive and negative indicators. A positive indicator for teamwork might be “seeks views of others and shares information”, and a negative one “takes credit for team outcomes”.

Scores are usually agreed after the interview, and the highest total gets the offer, subject to minimum scores on each question. One weak answer can therefore sink an otherwise good interview, and evidence the panel can write down is worth more than charm.

Follow-up questions are normal. Panels use them to get detail (“What exactly did you say to the manager?”) or to test whether the example is really yours. They do not mean you are doing badly.

Structuring answers

Most candidates use the STAR method: Situation, Task, Action, Result. Keep the situation short and spend most of your time on the action. Say “I”, explain why you did what you did, and finish with an outcome.

A good answer usually runs two to three minutes. Much shorter and you have probably skipped detail, and much longer can lose the panel. Watch them: if they are writing, keep going, and if they look ready to move on, wrap up with the result.

Preparing

1. List the likely competencies from the person specification.
2. For each one, choose a main example and a backup.
3. Write the examples out in STAR form as bullet points, not a script.
4. Practise aloud, ideally to someone who will ask “What did you do?” when you drift into “we”.
5. Prepare short answers to the common openers: why this job, why this organisation, what you know about the service.

Examples can come from paid work, volunteering, study, caring or community roles. Recent ones are easier to tell in detail. Avoid using the same story for more than two answers.

Common competency questions in the public sector

• Tell us about a time you dealt with a difficult customer or member of the public.
• Give an example of when you worked to a tight deadline.
• Describe a time you worked as part of a team to achieve something.
• Tell us about a time you had to adapt to change.
• Give an example of when you identified a problem and improved a process.
• Tell us about a mistake you made and what you learned.
• Describe a time you had to communicate complicated information to someone.

Councils often add questions on equality and diversity and on customer care. Civil Service versions are worded around the named behaviours, such as Working Together or Delivering at Pace, and our Civil Service behaviours guide covers those.

Openers and closers

Most panels start with a warm-up such as “Tell us about yourself” or “Why have you applied for this role?” These are often scored too. Keep your answer to a minute or two, link your background to the job, and mention one or two things from the person specification you are strongest on.

At the end you will be asked if you have any questions. One or two thoughtful ones about the team, training or the service’s priorities are enough, and our list of questions to ask at the end of an interview has ideas. Ask when you can expect to hear as well, since public sector decisions often take longer than candidates expect.

Combined formats

Many interviews mix competency questions with other formats. Civil Service interviews often add strengths questions, NHS interviews add values and clinical scenario questions, and senior posts may add a presentation or a technical exercise. The invitation should name the format, and if it does not, ask HR. If you are disabled you can also ask for reasonable adjustments, such as extra time, questions in writing or a different room set-up.

If you are unsuccessful, ask for feedback. Public sector panels hold written scores for every answer, so feedback can be specific. See asking for feedback after a rejection.