Many interviewers will have been trained in using the STAR structure. Even if they have not, they will recognise its value when they see it. The information will be given to them in a structured manner and, as a result, they will become more receptive to the messages you are trying to communicate.

Step 1 – Situation or Task

Describe the situation that you were confronted with or the task that needed to be accomplished. With the STAR approach you need to set the context. Make it concise and informative, concentrating solely on what is useful to the story.

For example, if the question is asking you to describe a situation where you had to deal with a difficult person, explain how you came to meet that person and why they were being difficult. If the question is asking for an example of teamwork, explain the task that you had to undertake as a team.

Step 2 – Action

This is the most important section of the STAR approach as it is where you will need to demonstrate and highlight the skills and personal attributes that the question is testing. Now that you have set the context of your story, you need to explain what you did. In doing so, you will need to remember the following:

• Be personal, i.e. talk about you, not the rest of the team
• Go into some detail. Do not assume that they will guess what you mean
• Steer clear of technical information, unless it is crucial to your story
• Explain what you did, how you did it, and why you did it

What you did and how you did it

The interviewers will want to know how you reacted to the situation. This is where you can start selling some important skills. For example, you may want to describe how you used the team to achieve a particular objective and how you used your communication skills to keep everyone updated on progress etc.

Why you did it

For example; when discussing a situation where you had to deal with conflict, many candidates would simply say:

“I told my colleague to calm down and explained to him what the problem was”.

However, it would not provide a good idea of what drove you to act in this manner. How did you ask him to calm down? How did you explain the nature of the problem? By highlighting the reasons behind your action, you would make a greater impact.

 For example:

“I could sense that my colleague was irritated and I asked him gently to tell me what he felt the problem was. By allowing him to vent his feelings and his anger, I gave him the opportunity to calm down. I then explained to him my own point of view on the matter, emphasising how important it was that we found a solution that suited us both."

This revised answer helps the interviewers understand what drove your actions and reinforces the feeling that you are calculating the consequences of your actions, thus retaining full control of the situation.

Step 3 – Result

Explain what happened eventually – how it all ended. Also, use the opportunity to describe what you accomplished and what you learnt in that situation. This helps you make the answer personal and enables you to highlight further skills.

This is probably the most crucial part of your answer. Interviewers want to know that you are using a variety of generic skills in order to achieve your objectives. Therefore you must be able to demonstrate in your answer that you are taking specific actions because you are trying to achieve a specific objective and not simply by chance.

Example competencies you may be assessed on in interview

Competence followed by questions

Adaptability
Adjusts to changing environments whilst maintaining effectiveness

• Which change of job did you find the most difficult to make?
• Tell us about the biggest change that you have had to deal with. How did you cope with it?

Compliance
Conforms to company policies and procedures

• How do you ensure compliance with policies in your area of responsibility?
• Tell us about a time when you went against company policy? Why did you do it and what was the outcome?

Communication
Communicates effectively, listens sensitively, adapts communication to audience and fosters effective communication with others 

Verbal

Listening

• Give us an example where your listening skills proved crucial to an outcome.
• Tell us about a time when you were asked to summarise complex points.
• Tell us about a time when you had trouble remaining focussed on your audience. How did you handle this?
• Give an example where you needed to show empathy?
• Describe a situation where you had to deal with an angry customer.

Written

• What type of writing have you done? Give examples? 
• How do you feel writing a report differs from preparing an oral presentation?
• What positive and negative feedback have you received about your writing skills? Give an example where one of your reports was criticised.
• How do you plan the writing of a report? 

Conflict management

Encourages creative tension and differences of opinions. Anticipates and takes steps to prevent counter-productive confrontations. Manages and resolves conflicts and disagreements in a constructive manner.

• Tell us about a time when you felt that conflict or differences were a positive driving force in your organisation. How did handle the conflict to optimise its benefit?
• Tell us about a time when you had to deal with a conflict within your team.
• Tell us about a situation where conflict led to a negative outcome. How did you handle the situation and what did you learn from it?
• Give us an example where you were unable to deal with a difficult member of your team.

Creativity and Innovation

Develops new insights into situations; questions conventional approaches; encourages new ideas and innovations; designs and implements new or cutting edge programs/processes.

• Tell us about a project or situation where you felt that the conventional approach would not be suitable. How did you derive and manage a new approach? Which challenges did you face and how did you address them?
• Tell us about a situation where you trusted your team to derive a new approach to an old problem. How did you manage the process?
• Tell us about a time when you had to convince a senior colleague that change was necessary. What made you think that your new approach would be better suited?

Decisiveness 

Makes well-informed, effective, and timely decisions, even when data are limited or solutions produce unpleasant consequences; perceives the impact and implications of decisions.

• What big decision did you make recently? How did you go about it?
• How did you reach the decision that you wanted to change job?
• Give an example of a time when you had to delay a decision to reflect on the situation. What did you need to do this?
• What is the decision that you have put off the longest? Why?
• Give us an example of a situation where you had to make a decision without the input of key players, but knowing that these key players would judge you on that decision (e.g. superior unavailable at the time).
• Tell us about a time when you had to make a decision without knowledge of the full facts.
• Tell us about a decision that you made, which you knew would be unpopular with a group of people. How did you manage expectations?
• Tell us about a situation where you made a decision too quickly and got it wrong. Why made you take that decision?

Delegation

Able to make full and best use of subordinate, providing appropriate support

• What type of responsibilities do you delegate? Give examples of projects where you made best use of delegation.
• Give an example of a project or task that you felt compelled to complete on your own. What stopped you from delegating?
• Give an example where you delegated a task to the wrong person? Why did you do that? What happened and what did you learn from it?
• How do you cope with having to go away from the office for long periods of time (e.g. holidays)? Explain how you would delegate responsibilities based on your current situation.

External awareness

Understands and keeps up-to-date on local, national, and international policies and trends that affect the organisation and shape stakeholders' views; is aware of the organisation's impact on the external environment.

• Describe through examples drawn from your experience how you measure and take account of the impact of your decisions on external parties.
• Give an example where you underestimated the impact of your decisions on stakeholders external to your organisation.

Flexibility

Modifies his or her approach to achieve a goal. Is open to change and new information; rapidly adapts to new information, changing conditions, or unexpected obstacles.

• Describe a situation where you had to change your approach half-way through a project or task following new input into the project.
• Describe a situation where one of your projects suffered a setback due to an unexpected change in circumstances.
• Describe a situation where you were asked to do something that you had never attempted previously.
• Describe your strongest and your weakest colleagues. How do you cope with such diversity of personalities?
• If we gave you a new project to manage, how would you decide how to approach it?

Independence

Acts based on his/her convictions and not systematically the accepted wisdom

• When did you depart from the "party line" to accomplish your goal?
• Which decisions do you feel able to make on your own and which do you require senior support to make?
• Describe a situation where you had a disagreement or an argument with a superior. How did you handle it?
• When do you feel that it is justified for you to go against accepted principles or policy?
• Which constraints are imposed on you in your current job and how do you deal with these?
• Describe a project or situation where you took a project to completion despite important opposition.
• When have you gone beyond the limits of your authority in making a decision?

Influencing

Ability to convince others to own expressed point of view, gain agreement and acceptance of plans, activities or products.

• Describe a situation where you were able to influence others on an important issue. What approaches or strategies did you use?
• What is your worst selling experience?
• Describe the project or idea that you were most satisfied to sell to your management.
• Describe a time where you failed to sell an idea that you knew was the right one.

Integrity

Ability to maintain job related, social, organisational and ethical norms.

• When have you had to lie to achieve your aims? Why did you do so? How do you feel you could have achieved the same aim in a different way?
• Tell me about a time when you showed integrity and professionalism.
• Tell us about a time when someone asked you something that you objected to. How did you handle the situation?
• Have you ever been asked to do something illegal, immoral or against your principles? What did you do?
• What would you do if your boss asked you to do something illegal?

Leadership

Acts as a role model. Anticipates and plans for change. Communicates a vision to a team.

• Tell us about a situation where you had to get a team to improve its performance. What were the problems and how did you address them?
• Describe a change where you had to drive a team through change. How did you achieve this?
• Describe a situation where you needed to inspire a team. What challenges did you meet and how did you achieve your objectives?
• Tell us about a situation where you faced reluctance from your team to accept the direction that you were setting.
• Describe a project or situation where you had to use different leadership styles to reach your goal.

Leveraging diversity

Fosters an inclusive workplace where diversity and individual differences are valued and leveraged to achieve the vision and mission of the organisation.

• Give an example of a situation or project where a positive outcome depended on the work of people from a wide range of backgrounds and ideas
• Tell us about a time when you included someone in your team or a project because you felt they would bring something different to the team.

Organisational awareness

Demonstrates an understanding of underlying organisational issues

• Describe a project where you needed to involve input from other departments. How did you identify that need and how did you ensure buy-in from the appropriate leaders and managers?
• Describe a time when you failed to engage at the right level in your organisation. How did you handle the situation?

Resilience and tenacity

Deals effectively with pressure; remains optimistic and persistent, even under adversity. Recovers quickly from setbacks. Stays with a problem/line of thinking until a solution is reached or no longer reasonably attainable.

• Tell us about a situation where things deteriorated quickly. How did you react to recover from that situation?
• Tell us about a project where you achieved success despite the odds being stacked against you. How did you ensure that you pulled through?
• Tell us about your biggest failure. How did you recover and what have you learnt from that incident?
• How do you deal with stress?
• Give us an example of a situation where you worked under pressure.
• Which recent project or situation has caused you the most stress? How did you deal with it?
• What makes you frustrated or impatient at work?
• What is the biggest challenge that you have faced in your career. How did you overcome it?
• Which learning course or topics have you found most difficult? How did you address the challenge? 

Risk taking

Takes calculated risks, weighing up pros and cons appropriately

• Tell us about risks that you have taken in your professional or personal life? How did you go about making your decision?
• What is the biggest risk that you have taken? How did you handle the process?
• What risks do you see in moving to this new post?

Sensitivity to others

Aware of other people and environment and own impact on these. Takes into account other people's feelings and /needs. 

• What problems have one of your staff or colleagues brought to you recently? How did you assist them?
• Tell us about an unpopular decision that you made recently? What thought process did you follow before making it? How did your colleagues/clients react and how did you deal with their reaction?
• How do you deal with "time wasters"? Give a recent example.
• What steps do you take to understand your colleagues' personalities? Give an example where you found it hard to adjust to one particular colleague.

Teamwork

Contributes fully to the team effort and plays an integral part in the smooth running of teams without necessarily taking the lead 

• Describe a situation in which you were a member of team. What did you do to positively contribute to it?
• Tell us about a situation where you played an important role in a project as a member of the team (not as a leader)
• How do you ensure that every member of the team is allowed to participate?
• Give us an example where you worked in a dysfunctional team. Why was it dysfunctional and how did you attempt to change things?
• Give an example of a time when you had to deal with a conflict within your team? What did you do to help resolve the situation?
• How do you build relationships with other members of your team?
• How do you bring difficult colleagues on board? Give us an example where you had to do this.

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