Behaviour competency questions are still the most used at interview. Interviewees who make time to familiarise themselves with the detail set out within a job description will be able to identify and list the key competencies required of the role, for example, demonstrating strong communication skills, or being highly organised. This preparation enables them to develop strong examples or stories which can be used to answer behaviour competency questions at interview. The STAR (Situation, Task, Action, and Result) format is widely recognised as the most effective way to set out a clear answer to demonstrate a behaviour. This sounds easy, but most interviewees either find it difficult to work through ‘How’ they did something, or miss it altogether, focusing on the ‘Why’ and ‘What’ instead.
A strong and comprehensive STAR answer generally take up to 5 minutes and the bulk of that time should be spent on explaining ‘How’ the task was completed. Being concise when explaining the Situation is important so that the panel can quickly visualise where the interviewee was, what they were doing, and why this is a relevant story. When moving on to discuss the Task, the interviewee must try to be succinct about the specific nature of the task that they had identified or needed to undertake. So far, this should not represent too great a challenge to the interviewee, providing they avoid disappearing into unnecessary details such as ‘Why’ this was happening. In scoring a STAR answer, the most marks are awarded for the Actions, i.e., not ‘What’ the interviewee did or ‘Why’ they did it, but ‘How’.
It’s important to be clear on the definition of ‘How’, and what the interviewee should consider when crafting their answers. What follows is a very simple (even stupidly simple) explanation which candidates have found useful in thinking about ‘How’. The example relates to an action we all complete daily, perhaps many times a day. We do it automatically, so it’s not something we consciously think about, which is why this particular demonstration of ‘How’ is so useful. Let’s think about crossing the road.
We cross the road because we need to get to the other side, so the ‘Why’ is to get to the other side, either to complete our journey, to meet somebody, or to avoid something. ‘What’ we do is cross the road. ‘How’ we do this is more detailed and needs careful explanation so that anyone who does not know how to cross a road can follow our instructions and repeat the behaviour safely. So, we choose a place where there is good visibility in both directions and stand beside the curb looking left and right for traffic or any other approaching danger. We examine the road in front of us to check that there are no obstacles, we compute how long it will take us to get across the road, and make a decision based on the proximity of any traffic if we can make it. We then put one foot in front of the other, looking and listening as we cross the road until we successfully make it to the other side. This is ‘How’ we cross the road, which in itself is not that interesting, but it does demonstrate our Actions, and hopefully anyone we give these instructions will understand how we do it. In the same way, examples prepared for interview need to give the interview panel a high level of detail when explaining ‘How’ because it demonstrates your approach to a situation and thinking.
Let’s apply this approach to a particular work situation; for example, let’s say that it’s necessary to form a team from scratch. The ‘Why’ is to complete the task; ‘What’ is to form a team of experts; ‘How’ it’s done is by assessing the skills and the knowledge that are needed in the team, identify, and approach the available people who might join the team, consider the geography of where each is based, then decide on the communication approach and consider the time available to complete the task. The individuals chosen for the team are approached either face-to-face, by phone, or by email. The team is convened either in a meeting room or online, where a clear agenda is set, and the various actions discussed along with who would best placed to undertake each. The work plan and story, with its probable challenges, twists and turns, will unfold and lead to a successful outcome that satisfies the question of ‘What’ was required in the first instance.
Focusing on ‘How’ something was done is the most important factor in answering a competency-based question, even if this might appear obvious or over simplistic; but if the panel aren’t given these basic details, they won’t know ‘HOW’ the interviewee operates, and without that strong example of a relevant behaviour or competency, they won’t feel confident of the interviewee’s ability to do the job. There is one further thing to consider, candidates must identify an example or story that happened recently, and which is relevant to the role.
