Competency Dictionary
Results
This is one of the most common competencies and is used widely across a
whole range of positions and organisations. It is also referred to as Achieving
Excellence, Drive for Results, Results Orientation and Performance Drive and
is all about a job holders capacity to deliver against pre-set targets or goals.
It is demonstrated by someone who:
to a high standard
they can
achieve results
Interview Questions:
Q. Describe a situation where you had to take many different actions and
overcome a variety of obstacles in order to deliver a successful result.
Q. Tell me about a project you were involved with which delivered
successfully. What part did you play and what was the outcome?
Q. How do you set goals for yourself and how do you measure against them?
Adaptability and Flexibility
This relates to the ability and willingness to adjust ones behaviours, attitudes
and routines in order maintain efficient and effective working practices in light
of new information, changing situations and / or different environments. It is
shown by someone who:
g to meet the needs of
different or new situations
needed to deal with new or changing demands
tly amidst continuous change
Interview Questions:
Q. Describe a time when you were able to stay focussed to complete a task
despite obstacles being put in your way
Q. Outline a situation when you demonstrated flexibility as a team player.
What happened, what did you do and what was the outcome?
Analytical Thinking
This competency relates to ones ability to think logically, to gather
information, to analyse and interpret it effectively in order to understand
issues and reach a conclusion. It is demonstrated by someone who:
understand a problem or situation
implications of trends or events
eps ahead in deciding on the optimum course of action
results
Interview Questions:
Q. Describe for me a major decision you made recently referring especially to
the process you followed and the methodology you used to come to your
conclusions.
Q. Describe for me a situation where you were required to gather a large
amount of data, to analyse it objectively and to make a decision or a
recommendation based on the results.
Q. How importantly do you rate data and standard analysis tools such as a
cost/benefit analysis when making decisions?
Building Relationships
Also referred to as to Effective Networking, this competency relates to the
ability to develop a mutually beneficial relationship between an individual or
company and a client, supplier or customer as appropriate. It is demonstrated
by someone who:
ses professional and personal networks to generate and develop new and
mutually beneficial partnerships
relationships
thers needs
e use of regular contact and
personal meetings
effective relationship building
Interview Questions:
Q. Describe a time when you had to build a collaborative relationship either
within your department or outside in order to achieve a particular goal. What
steps did you take to ensure this was a success?
Q. Talk me through your ability to develop strong working relationships across
this sector and with government and other regulatory bodies.
Communication
Communication relates to the exchange of information from one person to
another or others either verbally, orally or via actions. There are four parts to
any communication exercise, originator, receiver, message and channel. It is
demonstrated by someone who:
to the receiver.
hecks understanding of the audience and adapts message and tone
accordingly
back, being attentive and acknowledging
ion
-way discussions
and where information is shared at all levels
Interview Questions:
Q. Talk me through a situation in a previous position where you used your
communication skills effectively.
Q. Tell me about a time when you successfully conveyed your ideas to an
individual or group so that they were able to understand and retain the
message.
(Healthcare) Q. Describe a situation in which your communication skills were
essential to the effective care of a patient. What did you do and what was the
outcome?
Coping with Pressure
This refers to the ability to successfully maintain effectiveness while dealing
with challenging situations. It is demonstrated by someone who:
functioning effectively during stressful situations
s and
develops effective coping mechanisms
used during
periods stress
stress outside of the workplace
Interview Questions:
Q. Describe a time when you had to work exceptionally hard to get your job
done. What did you do and what was the outcome?
Q. Can you describe a situation where you had to take charge?
(Healthcare) Q. Talk me through a time when you lost your temper or
became frustrated with a patient, perhaps wh
Decision Making
This is all about the ability to use available data and information, to consider
all options and to making effective and accurate decisions. It is demonstrated
by someone who:
external factors
-defined options
or contributions as appropriate
informed decision
Interview Questions:
Q. Tell me about a recent decision you made which required you to act
outside of standard procedure. What were the circumstances and what was
the result?
Q. Tell me about a mistake or something you did wrong in your previous job.
Q. Talk me through a complex decision you made, where the data was
ambiguous or the information led to two different conclusions.
Developing Others
This relates to the capacity to provide and foster an environment to further
the professional and personal development of others and includes feedback,
coaching and development opportunities. It is demonstrated by someone
who:
goals, allocates tasks to help develop skills
improvement
potential
provides coaching, counselling and mentoring to help
and initiatives
-term direction in terms of staff development and initiates and
implements process to help staff achieve this
Interview Questions:
Q. I see from your CV that you have managed large teams in the past. Tell
me how do you motivate your team to get the very best performance from
them?
Q. What is your view of mentoring as a concept? Have you used this before
and how successful was it?
Empathy and Sensitivity
Empathy can be defined as the identification with and understanding of
another's situation, feelings, and motives and relates to the ability to imagine
yourself in their place. To show empathy is to identify with another's feelings
and it is demonstrated by someone who:
perspectives and to treat with understanding
them
le to interpret non-verbal cues such as facial expressions and other
subtle expressions of body language
-judgemental and supportive manner
Interview Questions:
Q. Define Empathy and describe a situation when you were able to empathise
with someone.
(Healthcare) Q. Describe a recent situation which shows your ability to
communicate with a patient or their families at a level appropriate to them so
that they had complete understanding.
Initiative
In simple terms, initiative can be described as the ability to identify what
needs to be done and then doing it before being asked or before the situation
requires it. It is all about being proactive and seizing opportunities that arise
and it is demonstrated by someone who:
supervision
asked
and experience with similar situations
impact
drawing on personal experience.
Interview Questions:
Q. Tell me about a time when you showed initiative at work.
Q. Describe a time when you identified a problem and then created a
solution. What was involved and what was the outcome?
Q. Imagine you were given a problematic and underperforming unit. What
steps would you take to improve performance in this unit?
Interpersonal
This can be referred to as a measure of a person's ability to relate and
interact with others and includes the capacity to communicate wants and
needs, feelings and thoughts and to learn how to interpret other's in turn. It
is demonstrated by someone who:
management and staff
others timescales, priorities and workload
in others
completing tasks
sks for feedback to identify own areas for improvement
Interview Questions:
Q. What types of people do you get along with best and worse?
Q. Describe for me a time when you felt strongly about a particular point and
your manager had an opposing view. How did you react and what was the
outcome?
Q. Tell me about a time when you felt frustrated with the progress you were
making at work, maybe a time when you lost your temper.
Leadership and Supervision
Leadership relates to one's ability to inspire confidence, excitement and
commitment in individuals and teams so as to achieve a common end goal. It
is demonstrated by someone who:
that all individuals understand what is required and the part they play in
achieving it
commitment and promotes belief in the organisation
ount the differences among team
members and the strengths each member brings
achieve the teams overall objectives
ibutions
successes and achievements
Interview Questions:
Q. Managing a large team such as this will inevitably bring challenges. Can
you describe a situation where you had to reprimand or dismiss a member of
staff.
Q. How would you describe your leadership philosophy and describe a time
when you have been able to use it effectively to develop a team so that they
could deliver great results.
Negotiation
Negotiation relates to the process of reaching agreement and the essential
components are the existence of two parties who share an important
objective but also have differences. The purpose of the negotiating process is
to seek to compromise on these differences. It is demonstrated by someone
who:
likely position
assessing others strengths and weaknesses
-understandings
outcome
reached
Interview Questions:
Q. Describe a time when you had to use your negotiating skills to bring about
a resolution that proved acceptable to all involved.
Q. Talk through a situation where you realised that you had to be more
persuasive in order to overcome objections to your proposals. What did you
learn from this experience?
Organisational Awareness
Organisational Awareness relates to the understanding of the internal
workings, structure, processes and products of a company as well as external
factors which can impact on performance including political, economic, and
environmental issues. It is demonstrated by someone who:
fits within this structure
sion-makers and management and can effectively use
channels and networks to acquire information, assistance and accomplish
goals
when carrying out duties
fidentiality and data protection
and practices by reading newsletters, company web sites and bulletins as
appropriate
social, political and
cultural environments and understands where the organisation fits within
these.
Interview Questions:
Q. Describe a time when you were able to respond and react to external
circumstances in order to complete your duties effectively.
Q. Tell me about a situation which clearly demonstrates your ability to
anticipate and deal with obstacles.
Persuading and Influencing
This competency can be described as the process of guiding people toward
the adoption and use of an idea, attitude, process or action by rational and
logical means in order to benefit one or other or both parties. It is
demonstrated by someone who:
ideas
ions on others and outlines the
benefits for all involved
and sensitivities of others
pproaches to win support and adapts discussions and
presentations to appeal to the needs or interests of others
arguments in order to support a position.
ps to maximise support
Interview Questions:
Q. Tell me about how would you go about persuading others in this type of
environment?
Q. Now tell me about a time when you had to influence a group of people in
order to deliver one of your goals or to deliver a particular result.
Planning and Organising
This is the capacity to organise and formalise information, time and goals in a
well planned manner in order to achieve defined objectives. Can be as simple
as making a list, right through to detailed specifications of entire business
processes. It is demonstrated by someone who:
lable resources to meet them
in the most efficient manner
resources
ted events or
setbacks
people and prioritises the activities of the team to achieve results more
effectively
plans and long term strategic plans is key
Interview Questions:
Q. What techniques do you use to ensure that you complete your daily tasks
on time?
Q. Talk us through an example which shows your ability to organise your
workload so that you achieve a proper work-life balance. What do you do and
what do you use to support you?
Problem Solving
This relates to ones ability to develop and implement solutions having
considered a variety of alternatives and options. It is demonstrated by
someone who:
-set procedures
rules
s and compares the risks and
benefits of each and the impacts on others
prevents recurrence
projects and in complex commercial and non-commercial situations
factors in order to implement them most effectively
Interview Questions:
Q. Describe a situation you encountered recently where you had to gather
data from various sources in order to resolve a problem. What steps did you
take and what was the outcome?
Q. Describe for me a situation when you had to reach a conclusion by
analysing a large amount of complex technical data.
Q. Tell me about an occasion when you went out of your way or spent a
significant amount of time analysing the cause of a particularly complicated
problem, how did you proceed and what was the result?
Professional integrity
This relates to ones willingness and capacity to adhere to accepted or
recommended rules of conduct. These are relevant for all jobs but more so in
Medicine, Nursing, Legal and Financial environments. It is demonstrated by
someone who:
riate to
ones profession and as published by the relevant governing body
breaches occur
clients, patients and relevant to the profession
takes steps to address the situation
and staff on how to maintain ethical standards
mistakes and to take steps to minimise risks
Interview Questions:
Q. You suspect that one of your senior colleagues has an alcohol problem
however you have not noticed any deterioration in their level of work. What
do you do?
Q. Describe a time when you successfully challenged someone whose views
you knew were incorrect. Tell me what happened and how you convinced
them to accept your opinion.
Project and Change Management
This relates to ones ability to initiate, manage and enable the process of
change, using resources effectively and ensuring that benefits are delivered.
This also refers to the management of the effects of change on the people
involved. It is demonstrated by someone who:
and explains the process, implications and rationale to those affected by it
address resistance
change and implements approaches that
set objectives
necessary
e planning and manages resources, risks and issues
efficiently
Interview Questions:
Q. Describe for me a scenario where you had a short time to complete a
project and your team were not in agreement with your ideas. What did you
do to overcome this obstacle?
Q. What governance procedures do you follow when managing change?
Q. Give me a recent example of your ability to facilitate and deliver
progressive change within your organisation.
Strategic and Operational Management
The process of determining an organisation's objectives, developing policies
and plans to achieve these objectives and allocating and directing resources
to do so competently. It is demonstrated by someone who:
rategic and operational plans and policies in line with the
organisations vision
overall organisational objectives
maximise
effectiveness
to achieve the vision and goals
assets and takes corrective action where inefficiencies are seen
Interview Questions:
Q. How do you measure performance in your department and what initiatives
have you implemented recently which were particularly successful?
Q. How do you rate the concept of 'Total Quality Management' and is this
important for you?
Q. As you develop a strategic vision for this organisation what key criteria
would you focus on?
Strategic Thinking
This relates to the ability to develop a long term vision, to formulate effective
strategies and to inspire commitment at all levels and while this competency
is required at senior management level, all employees have a responsibility to
work towards the delivery of this vision. It is demonstrated by someone who:
ignment with
overall strategic vision
everyone understand sthe part they play in its achievement
confidence in doing so
new products, processes or procedures
ensure universal understanding and to encourage commitment among staff
and stakeholders alike
Interview Questions:
Q. Tell me about a time when you developed a truly effective strategy and
what approach did you take to ensure that your team bought into your vision.
Q. We are looking for a skilled manager to develop our people strategy. Tell
me about your success in this area and in particular your ability to create and
implement effective succession plans.
Systems and IT
This relates to having an appropriate level of IT literacy and to be willing to
participate in further training as required. It is demonstrated by someone
who:
responsibilities as required
via training programs such as European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL)
with space and time to further skills
development and to reward exceptional results
Interview Questions:
Q. What systems and programs are you proficient in and to what level?
Q. Which software have you found most efficient to complete ________ task?
Team Working
Team Working relates to successfully working with others, valuing and
utilising the different skills and expertise of colleagues and building interdependence to achieve common goals. It is demonstrated by someone who:
showing respect
rather than competitively
-prioritise and respond to challenges as
required to meet team goals
discuss problems and issues
n barriers and resolve
conflict within teams and to encourage the sharing of expertise across other
teams within the organisation
Interview Questions:
Q. Are you a team player and what role do you generally play in group
situations.
Q. Tell me about a time when you successfully built and led a diverse team of
qualified and non-qualified individuals to deliver a significant project or task
Vigilance and Situational Awareness
This relates to the ability to be aware of potentially dangerous situations and
to take actions to prevent them occurring or worsening. Can also be referred
to as Risk Management and it is demonstrated by someone who:
issues, potential problems and risks
capacity to identify developing situations and has confidence to initiate
procedures to limit impact or outcomes
-effect relationships and develops solutions
through training and development initiatives
enarios regarding outcomes of various options for
action
in order to minimise risk
Interview Questions:
Q. Describe for us a recent situation which clearly demonstrates your ability
to anticipate problems and deal with them effectively
(Healthcare) Q. Describe for us a recent Emergency situation you managed
which clearly shows your competence as a Medical Professional. What did you
do and what was the outcome?