Group of businesspeople sitting in meeting room and listening to the speaker / leader.

CBI : People & organisational competencies

example interview questions

Competency: Delegation
    • When you last went on holiday, what did you do before you went away to organise your work?

    • Give an example of how you decided what to delegate and to whom.

    • Give an example in your own experience when you faced the requirement of having to delegate authority outside of your remit. How did it work?​

Competency: Leadership​
    • Provide an example of a time you implemented a plan with your team.

    • Describe a time when you promoted a clear sense of purpose amongst your team.

    • Tell me about a time you motivated others to reach team goals.

    • Have you ever had a problem in getting your subordinates to accept your ideas or departmental goals? What approach did you use? How effective was it?

    • Provide an example of a time when you successfully led a team to overcome a problem.

    • Describe a situation where you inspired a positive attitude amongst others within your team.​

Competency: Management control​
    • What methods do you usually use to keep informed of what is going on in your area of responsibility? What reports do you use? What controls do you have?

    • What do you do when you find that your techniques for regulating activities are loosely adhered to by your subordinates?

    • Have you experienced a situation that seemed to be slipping out of control? (If so) what have you done to correct it? ​

Competency: Strategic focus​
    • Describe a situation where you approached a task from a broad perspective.

    • Tell me about a task or project that required long term planning to meet your objectives.

    • Describe an occasion when you had to analyse data to interpret market conditions or trends.

    • Provide an example of a time you had to make a strategic decision based on ambiguous information provided to you.​

Competency: Development and coaching​
    • Give me an example of a time when you made a significant investment in professional self-development?

    • Provide an example when you considered the development priorities of someone in your team.

    • If you were to be promoted tomorrow, would you have a replacement in mind? If so, why and what did you do to develop this individual?

    • Tell me about a time you helped plan the professional development of someone in your team.

    • Tell me about some of the people who have become successful as a result of your management. ​

Competency: Organisation and planning​
    • Describe the last important deadline you had to meet.

    • Describe an occasion when you had to organise work in an unstructured setting? What were your priorities? How did you establish that?

    • Describe an occasion where you had multiple competing deadlines.

    • Tell me about a complex project you worked on that required significant planning.

    • Tell me about a (strategic) planning activity in which you were involved that went well. What was your direct involvement?

    • Provide an example when the accuracy of your planning was critical.

    • Provide an example of a time when you managed a project under significant constraints or setbacks.

Back: Competency-based interviews
Up Arrow