These example answers are intended as concise, illustrative summaries to give you a starting point for competency-based interviews.
In practice, your responses should be expanded using the CBI (Circumstances, Behaviour, Impact) model, providing clear context, describing your specific actions, and highlighting the outcomes and impact of your behaviour.
This approach ensures your answers are detailed, structured, and demonstrate your skills and competencies effectively.
Competency: Interpersonal Sensitivity
What unpopular decision have you recently made? How did your subordinates respond?
"During a restructuring, I reassigned a senior BDM’s territory to balance workloads. Initially, there was resistance, but I explained the strategic benefit, and performance later improved."Tell me about when you joined your last organisation – how did you get to know the wider team?
"I scheduled informal one-to-ones with credit, sales, and operations to understand their challenges and build trust early."
Competency: Selling Skills
Tell me about your most difficult experience in selling something.
"Convincing a long-term client to adopt our new digital lease platform was tough, but I demonstrated time-saving and compliance benefits, leading to adoption."Tell me about an occasion where you promoted a new concept to a client.
"I introduced a structured finance option for energy-efficient equipment, which resulted in a new £2m portfolio."
Competency: Listening
What do you do to show someone you are paying attention?
"I maintain eye contact, paraphrase key points, and summarise next steps to confirm understanding."Describe a time you lost focus in a meeting – what was the consequence?
"I missed a rate-change detail on a vendor deal; since then, I’ve made notes during calls to stay engaged."
Competency: Persuasiveness
Describe your most satisfying experience in presenting to top management.
"I persuaded senior leadership to invest in CRM integration by showing data on lost leads and improved conversion forecasts."Tell me about a time you were unable to persuade someone.
"I failed to convince a broker to adopt new credit procedures; I later shared case studies showing reduced turnaround times, which changed their view."
Competency: Communication Skills
Describe a situation where you had to convey complex information.
"I explained IFRS16 leasing implications to non-financial clients using visual examples, which improved understanding."Tell me about a presentation you gave recently.
"I led a quarterly update on asset recovery performance, simplifying metrics to show actionable outcomes."
Competency: Relationship Building
When you last found yourself with a new group, how did you get to know them?
"I spent time shadowing departments to understand their workflows and identify shared goals."Tell me about a time you quickly developed a relationship with a new client.
"After taking over an account, I visited their site to understand operations, which built immediate trust and led to renewals."
Competency: Collaboration and Teamwork
Describe a situation where there was a disagreement among your team.
"I mediated between sales and credit over deal risk by proposing a trial limit—maintaining both control and client goodwill."What have you done to build good team relationships?
"I initiated monthly ‘deal review’ sessions, encouraging open discussion and recognition across departments."
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