Most interviews for government posts, and many in the private sector, are competency-based. Instead of asking what you would do, the panel asks what you have done, on the principle that past behaviour is the best predictor of future performance. Every candidate is asked the same questions and scored against the same criteria.
What a competency is
A competency is a combination of knowledge, skills and behaviour needed to do a job well. Public service adverts often list them under headings such as "Competencies" or "Knowledge and skills": for example communication, planning and organising, problem solving, client orientation, teamwork, financial management or knowledge of a specific act or policy.
That list is your best preparation tool. The interview questions will be built around it.
How a panel interview works
- A panel of three to five people, usually including the manager of the post and a human resources representative.
- A fixed set of questions, sometimes divided among panel members.
- Each answer is scored against a guide that describes what a good answer contains.
- Some posts include a practical test, a presentation or a written exercise.
- At the end you can usually ask questions.
The STAR method
STAR is a simple way to structure an answer to "Tell us about a time when…" questions so that it contains everything the panel needs to score:
- S — Situation: where you were and what was happening. One or two sentences.
- T — Task: what you needed to achieve or what problem you faced.
- A — Action: what you did, step by step. This is the most important part. Say "I", not "we".
- R — Result: what happened, ideally with a number, and what you learned.
A worked example
Question: "Tell us about a time you had to deal with a difficult client."
Answer: "(Situation) At the municipal customer care desk where I worked, a resident came in angry because his water had been cut off for non-payment, although he had proof he had paid. (Task) I needed to calm the situation and find out what had gone wrong. (Action) I took him to a quieter desk, listened without interrupting, and checked his account while he waited. I found that his payment had been allocated to the wrong account number. I logged the correction, phoned the technical team to request reconnection the same day, and gave him a reference number and my direct extension. (Result) His water was reconnected that afternoon, and he later sent a compliment to my supervisor. I also reported the allocation error so that the finance team could check for similar cases."
How to prepare
- List the competencies in the advert.
- Prepare one or two STAR stories for each. Use recent, real examples from work, studies, volunteering or community life.
- Learn the relevant legislation and policies. Technical questions often test knowledge of acts, regulations or prescripts named in the advert.
- Practise out loud. Aim for two to three minutes per answer.
- Prepare two questions to ask the panel, about the role or the team.
On the day
- Arrive early with your ID and any documents the invitation asks for.
- It is fine to take a moment to think, or to ask for a question to be repeated.
- If a question has several parts, answer each one. Panels score each part.
- Do not memorise answers word for word — know your examples and tell them naturally.
Next, read common interview questions and how to answer them.