40 common competency questions, and what they're really asking

Competency questions look endless, but they aren't. Almost all of them test the same dozen or so skills, just worded differently. If you prepare one strong example for each skill, you can answer most questions you'll ever be asked.

Below are 40 of the most common, grouped by the skill they're testing. Each group says what the employer is looking for, so you know what your answer needs to show. For how to structure the answer itself, see the STAR method.

Teamwork

• Tell us about a time you worked as part of a team to achieve a goal.
• Describe a time you had to work with someone you found difficult.
• Give an example of when you helped a team member who was struggling.
• Tell us about a group project and the role you played in it.

What they want to see: that you contribute, listen and help the group succeed, not just that you were in a team. Say what you personally did. Our teamwork guide has example answers.

Leadership

• Describe a time you showed leadership.
• Tell us about a time you motivated others.
• Give an example of when you took charge of a situation.
• Tell us about a time you had to delegate.

What they want to see: that you can get people moving in the same direction. You don't need a job title; organising a society event or stepping up when a manager was away counts. See our leadership guide.

Problem-solving

• Tell us about a complex problem you solved.
• Describe a time you found a better way of doing something.
• Give an example of when you used data or evidence to make a decision.
• Tell us about a time something went wrong and you had to fix it quickly.

What they want to see: a logical approach. Explain how you worked out what the problem was, the options you considered and why you chose the one you did.

Resilience and dealing with setbacks

• Tell us about a time you failed.
• Describe a time you received difficult feedback.
• Give an example of when you worked under pressure.
• Tell us about a time you had to keep going when things were hard.

What they want to see: that setbacks don't knock you over, and that you learn from them. Be honest about what went wrong and spend most of your answer on what you did next. Our guide to answering failure questions walks through it.

Communication

• Tell us about a time you explained something complex to someone without your knowledge.
• Describe a time you had to deliver bad news.
• Give an example of a presentation you gave and how you prepared.
• Tell us about a time you had to adapt how you communicated for a different audience.

What they want to see: that you think about your audience. Say who you were talking to, what they needed, and how you changed your approach to suit them.

Influencing and persuading

• Describe a time you persuaded someone to change their mind.
• Tell us about a time you had to win support for an idea.
• Give an example of when you negotiated a result.

What they want to see: that you understand other people's point of view and use evidence, not pressure. Show what the other person cared about and how you addressed it.

Conflict

• Tell us about a time you disagreed with a colleague or manager.
• Describe a time you dealt with an unhappy customer.
• Give an example of when you had to resolve a disagreement in a group.

What they want to see: that you stay calm and focus on fixing the problem rather than winning the argument. Avoid examples where you come across as blaming someone else.

Initiative

• Tell us about a time you went beyond what was expected of you.
• Describe something you started or improved without being asked.
• Give an example of when you spotted an opportunity and acted on it.

What they want to see: that you notice things and act without waiting to be told. Small improvements count, as long as you can show the difference they made.

Organisation and planning

• Tell us about a time you managed several deadlines at once.
• Describe how you planned a project or event.
• Give an example of when you had to prioritise competing demands.

What they want to see: a method. Explain how you decided what came first, how you kept track and what you did when plans changed.

Customer focus

• Tell us about a time you delivered excellent customer service.
• Describe a time you put a customer's needs first.
• Give an example of when you turned around a customer's bad experience.

What they want to see: that you understand what the customer actually needed, not just what they asked for. Retail and hospitality jobs are full of good examples.

Adaptability

• Tell us about a time you had to adapt to a big change.
• Describe a time you had to learn something new quickly.
• Give an example of when your plans changed at the last minute.

What they want to see: that you cope well with the unexpected. Show how you got up to speed and what you did to keep things on track.

Motivation

• Why do you want to work for us?
• Why are you applying for this role?
• Where do you see yourself in five years?

What they want to see: that you've done your research and that this job makes sense for you. These aren't STAR questions; they need a different approach, covered in our guide to "why do you want to work here?".

Prepare once, answer many times

Notice how similar the questions within each group are. A good example of handling an unhappy customer answers three or four of these with small changes. The smart way to prepare is to write one strong example per skill, save it, and adapt it each time a new form asks.