Capability Interview Question Bank

This is an extract from the complete HR Interview Question Bank, which can be accessed by
contacting Client Services within HR. The questions provided in this document are examples only and
can be adapted to meet your recruiting need.

Key Behavioural Capabilities

Question What to look for

Think Strategically
Systems mindset • Sees big picture and
• Describe a time when you took a long term view to solving a understands how own
problem, even though the solution was not the best in the role contributes to the
short term. strategy
• Give an example of when you integrated seemingly unrelated • Helps others to
information in order to analyse a situation or anticipate a understand the vision
problem. and values, and how
• Describe a time when you had to consider the broader impact they apply to their
of your actions on the organisation as a whole. role
Converting strategy to operations • Translates strategic
• Please tell us about your experience in translating an thinking into a plan for
organisation’s strategy into meaningful work priorities in your the work area
work area. • Aligns operational
• Provide an example of when you have had to change team processes to support
processes and priorities so that they aligned with the strategic direction
organisation’s strategic vision and mission of the University
• Describe a time when you have to consider how your role
fitted into the overall direction of the organisation when
completing a project.
Strategic awareness • Takes an active
• How do you keep up to date on sector trends in your field? interest in the tertiary
• Please tell us about your experience in developing operational sector, keeping up to
plans for your unit or team that reflect the strategic direction date on new
of an organisation? developments &
• Can you describe a time when you’ve been involved in initiatives
planning long-term for your unit? • Considers internal and
• How have you applied or used the vision and values of the external context of
organisation in your current role? work environment

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Engage People to Build Positive Relationships
Collaboration • Working with others
• Please tell us about a time when you helped foster a sense of • Taking ownership for
teamwork and cooperation while working with others. task
• Describe a situation when it was critical that you establish an • Recognition that one
effective working relationship with either an individual or person can’t do
group, outside of your own department, to complete an everything
assignment or deliver a service. • Bringing people
• Sometimes we have problems dealing with people. Please tell together
us about a time that you had the greatest difficulty working • Addressing conflict
with a co-worker or supervisor. • Demonstrates
emotional intelligence
Communication • Effective listening
• Tell of a time when your active listening skills really paid off • Communicates clearly
for you? and concisely
• Please provide an example of a time when you effectively • Presents complex
described a complex or technical topic to someone who was ideas and concepts
unfamiliar with the topic? effectively
• How do you approach communicating with people from • Shows understanding
diverse cultural backgrounds? of cultural differences
• Please tell us about a time when you had to adapt your • Adjusts
communication style to suit your audience? communication style
to suit audience
Negotiation, persuasion and influencing • Anticipates people’s
reactions
• Please provide an example of a time when you were required
to persuade other people (over which you had no direct • Highlights benefits
control) to help you achieve a goal? • Negotiates win-win
• Can you tell us about a time when you’ve had to negotiate solutions
with more than one party to reach a positive outcome for all • Compromises when
involved? appropriate
• Describe a situation where you needed to use persuasion to • Influence rather than
convince someone to see things your way. What steps did power
you take? What were the results? • Perseverance
• Asks questions
Relationship building • Identifies key
stakeholders
• Tell us about a strategy you have used to successfully develop
productive working relationships or a network of contacts • Puts effort in to
maintain networks
• Provide an example of when you have had to build or
maintain the profile of a unit/division • Demonstrates
credibility with
• Provide an example of when you had to deal with external
stakeholders
stakeholders
• Demonstrates an
• Provide an example of when you have represented your
acceptance of others
organisation externally
• Presents well in
• Provide an example of when you had to work with someone
different settings
who was difficult to get along with
Teamwork • Supports team
activities
• Tell us about a major team accomplishment
• Works with others
• Shares views

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• Tell us about a time when you have made a positive • Acknowledges the
contribution to a group outside of your normal work team contribution of others
• Provide an example about a collaborative effort you have led • Creates a sense of
between an organisation and the community team spirit
• Please provide an example of how you have effectively • Demonstrates respect
managed conflict in a team to team members
• Tell us about the last time something significant did not go • Listens to others
according to plan in your team • Resolves conflict
• Provide an example of how you develop a team and provide • Live values
recognition within a team environment • Sets team values,
• How do you hold team members accountable for living the goals & standards
organisational values?

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Strive for Performance Excellence
Achievement • Monitors own
performance
• Tell us about a time when you delivered more than was
expected and the impact that had • Continually stretches
self
• What was your most significant accomplishment in your
previous role? • Thinks goals through
• Tell us about the most challenging situation you’ve faced, and • Evidence of
what actions you took to be overcome the challenges continuous growth /
improvement
• Tell us about a time when you had to focus on results for your
organisation • Always concerned to
improve own
• What are the standards / measure of success in your job?
performance
What have you done to meet these standards?
Judgement • Thinks independently
• Weighs pros and cons
• Describe the most productive team you’ve been part of. How
did you contribute to the team? What were the results?
• Tell us about a time when you successfully juggled several
projects at the same time.
• Recall a time when your manager or supervisor was
unavailable when a problem arose, how did you proceed?
Service • Understands
importance of
• Tell us about a time when you went the extra mile to achieve
customer service
something for a customer or client?
• Collaborates to ensure
• Please provide an example of a time when you have
seamless service
successfully managed a range of customer’s competing needs
simultaneously? • Responds effectively
to customer and client
• Tell us about a time when you effectively dealt with a
needs
customer complaint or difficult customer?
Managing self • Sets and meets goals
and targets
• Tell us about the your most significant career achievement
• Takes responsibility
• Please describe a time when you successfully dealt with
conflicting demand/priorities on your time • Anticipates problems
• Tell us about a time when you’ve had to set goals and targets • Prioritises and actions
for yourself and / or a workgroup. tasks based on
urgency and
• Tell us about a time when you have had to adjust quickly to a
importance
change in organisational/department/team priorities?
• Manages time and
• We all find making decisions difficult at time. Tell us about a
work situation where you found it hard to decide what should • Systematic,
have been done. methodical and logical
• Adapts to change
Managing team • Involves others in
decisions
• Please tell us about a time when you had to manage
conflicting demands or priorities as the manager of a team • Employs a variety of
management styles
• Describe how you manage resources (budget, people, and
systems) to ensure a team delivers results • Empowers others
• Tell us about a time when you empowered someone else to • Recognises
lead a project even though you were accountable for the achievement and
outcome rewards appropriately

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• Describe a recent time when your tem or a team member • Generates motivation
performed above expectations and commitment to
• Tell us about a time when you’ve managed a staff member organisational goals
who was not performing to expectations. • Deals with conflict or
• Tell us about a time when you had to lead a team of people performance issues in
from different work areas (cross-functional) as part of a a positive way
project

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Show Courage, Resilience, and Adaptability
Diversity • Listens
• What has been the most difficult challenge you’ve faced in • Open to other persons
working cooperatively with another person who did not share perspective
your values, beliefs or ideas? • Accountable for own
• Tell us about a time when you’ve had to adapt to a wide beliefs, ideas and
variety of people attitudes
• Provide an example when you had to adapt your style in order • Self-awareness
to work effectively with those who were different from you.
Change • Participates in change
• Tell us about an innovation or continuous improvement • Identifies need for
strategy that you have successfully initiated improvements
• Please provide an example of when you have successfully • Communicates
regularly
implemented an organisational change even if you did not
agree with the change • Highlights the benefits
• How do you maintain flexible and resilient during times of and risks
change? • Uses appropriate
• Tell us about a time you were able to implement a significant change methodology
organisational change despite wide spread resistance • Support change when
• Describe a time when you anticipated a change coming and decision is made
you adjusted your behaviour to ease the transition
Developing self • Models self-
improvement
• When was the last occasion you asked for feedback from a
supervisor? • Proactively manages
career
• Describe a time when you volunteered to expand your
knowledge at work, as opposed to being directed to do so • Self-awareness
• Describe an instance when you had to think on your feet to • Is flexible and resilient
extricate yourself from a difficult situation • Seeks and incorporates
• Describe your strategies for maintain a healthy and resilient performance feedback
mindset in the face of a demanding and constantly changing • Proactively attends
work environment learning events
• Tell us about a time when you took steps to improve your
personal capability
• Tell us about a time when you most regretted not keeping you
own skills current
Developing others • Encourages others to
develop
• Please provide an example of time when you helped a fellow
co-worker or subordinate to develop? • Discusses
development regularly
• Tell us about a time when you identified and implemented a
development plan for a team? • Provides resources,
time & opportunities
• Tell us about a time when you had a staff member who wasn’t
for others to develop
performing to expectations or meeting their objectives. What
did you do? • Provides meaningful &
timely feedback
• Describe how you manage the people in your team?
• Fosters an open,
• Please provide an example of how you value diversity and
trusting environment
inclusion in your team and the associated risks and benefits
that this had

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Leverage Emerging Technologies
• How do you use new and emerging technologies in your day • Uses technology that is
to day work? fit for purpose
• Please provide an example of when and how you introduced a • Acts in a safe,
new technology into your work area respectful, and
• Tell us about a time when you had to manage a difficult responsible way when
situation where someone in your team was misusing digital interacting online
and/or online technology • Uses appropriate
• What is your experience in working with people that are technology to connect
geographically dispersed? What technology did you use to over long distances
facilitate communication and connection? • Business results drives
• Tell us about a time when you did not keep appropriate the technology, and
records. What did you learn from that experience? technology does not
• Please provide an example about a time when you developed drive the business
a business case for the implementation of a new technology • Critically assess
• How do you stay up to date on technological advancements in business cases
your field? proposing technology
• Please provide an example of how you have incorporate change
technology to facilitate learning in a team or organisation • Seeks advice from
• Explain a time when you have used emerging technology to appropriate experts
assist in achieving work results

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Shape the Future
Analysis • Looks at problems
from different
• Please describe an example of when you had to analyse or
perspectives,
interpret financial or numerical information
• Breaks down
• Tell us about a time when you conducted formal research into
problems logically
a topic or issue
• Identifies trends
• Describe a problem you had to solve that involved considering
within information
alternative solutions
• Checks quality, validity
• What strategies, tools, and resources do you use to analyse
& relevance of
complex problems?
information sought
• Tell us about a time when you had to collect, analyse, and use
• Researches issues
a wide range of data and information to make an evidence-
thoroughly
based decision
Continuous improvement and innovation • Challenges the way
things are done
• Please tell us about a time when you adapted your regular
workload in order to be more efficient • Looks for new ways of
doing things
• Describe a time when you have been confronted with a
problem that you had not come up against before and you • Responds to the
successfully found a solution complexity of the
situation
• Please give us an example of a time when you implemented
an improvement suggested by a customer, client, or colleague • Allows others to bring
forward ides
• Describe a time when you needed to adapt your approach to
get the results you wanted • Uses a range of
techniques to develop
• Describe an example of when you created a safe team culture
innovative solutions
for the creation and implementation of new ideas
• Provide an example of a time when you determined that an
existing process was better replaced by a new process
Problem solving • Involves others in
finding solutions
• One of our major objectives for this position is [describe].
How would you go about addressing this? • Looks for alternate
approaches
• Often in a work environment problems arise where initially no
solution is apparent. Describe for us an occasion where you • Identifies underlying
had to think outside of the square to solve a problem causes
• Tell us about a time when you were able to anticipate a • Generates new
problem and proactively pout solutions into place insights and a range of
workable solutions
• Describe a problem you had to solve that involved considering
alternative solutions • Weighs up risks, pros
and cons and
• Tell us about a time when gaining different perspectives on an
considers impacts of
issue enabled you to find the right solution, and not just the
alternatives
most obvious one
Risk • Identifies, considers,
and mitigates risk
• Please tell us about a time when you had to make a decision
that involved risk to the business • Makes decisions that
need to be made,
• Tell us about a time where you have proactively considered
including the “hard”
and managed risk associated with a piece of work
decisions that involve
• What tools and methodologies do you use to analyse risk in
risk
your work?

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