How to prepare for a competency-based interview at the UN

Competency-based interviews, also known as structured, behavioral, or situational interviews, are widely used throughout the United Nations system. According to Michael Emery, director of human resources at the International Organization for Migration, research shows that this interview format is the second-strongest predictor of job performance. The process focuses on “drilling down on the competencies that define success for that particular role and ascertaining if the candidate [can] demonstrate that they've done it in the past, and [at] what depth and complexity they can demonstrate that competency,” he explained. While the format may vary depending on the organization or role, these interviews generally involve a panel of at least three experts, including a human resources representative and the hiring manager — who may also be the candidate's future supervisor. Technical experts and regional or program directors from the field may be included to provide additional perspectives. Prior to these interviews, candidates typically complete a technical assessment. They will then be asked to allocate approximately 45 minutes for the interview, which often begins with a motivation question, followed by five to six competency-based questions. Devex spoke to recruitment experts from three U.N. agencies to find out how candidates can best prepare for competency-based interviews. Identify key competencies for the role Each U.N. agency emphasizes different competencies, which are listed on their respective websites. Generally, the hiring panel will not be looking to assess all of these competencies during the interview, so candidates should focus on those most relevant to the role. Keep a copy of the vacancy notice or job description handy as “that will list the competencies that define success in that job and that's your starting point,” said Emery. Candidates can then prepare examples of their previous work-related actions that demonstrate the competencies outlined in the job description. Christine Nylander, UNICEF associate director of people in humanitarian action, noted that the role's priorities and level of seniority can indicate which competencies the hiring panels will focus on. For instance, in a role that involves working in a humanitarian setting, there may be a question about driving results, while a position focused on managing people will require candidates to reflect on their experience in nurturing and leading teams. In preparing their examples, candidates should use the agency’s competency framework as a reference and ensure that their answers address the outlined indicators relevant to the level of the post, she added. Lykke Andersen, head of talent acquisition at the U.N. Development Programme, suggested that candidates should prepare not one but several examples for each of the most critical competencies. By demonstrating additional competencies within the same response, such as learning agility and innovation, a candidate can stand out, she said. Structure your responses The recruitment experts emphasized the value of providing clear, focused examples, and recommended several structured interview techniques — such as CAR (context, actions, results), STAR (situation, task, action, result), and BACK (background, action, challenge and knowledge) — to help candidates structure their responses effectively. Each technique revolves around the same basic steps: setting the scene, outlining the objective, describing specific actions to advance the objective, and explaining the results. Using the STAR method (situation, task, action, result), UNICEF’s Nylander talked through how a candidate could structure their response to a potential CBI question, such as: “Tell us about a time when you had to deliver an urgent result that involved multiple stakeholders?” Situation: Don’t spend too long providing the context, Nylander said, but provide details such as the job title and scope before briefly outlining the challenge. For example, a candidate could describe their experience working as the regional chief of human resources in the Middle East and North Africa during a period when an emergency response roster was lacking. Task: Next, the candidate should describe how they were tasked with expediting the process of deploying personnel to emergency locations, which involved developing and rolling out a streamlined system. Action: The candidate should then talk through the specific actions they took to advance the objective. This could include how they developed a plan and timeline, identified key people to be involved in the process, shortlisted critical profiles for the roster, and coordinated regional efforts to create a comprehensive emergency response list, among other things. Result: At this stage, candidates should explain how they overcame any obstacles, said Nylander. For example, frequent travel by regional management delayed the timeline of the initiative, and some country and regional managers were hesitant to nominate their top staff for the emergency roster, fearing they’d lose them during a crisis. Candidates should describe how they addressed these challenges — such as by highlighting the roster's benefits or offering their team’s support for the initial screening process. They should also emphasize what they have learned, such as the importance of involving stakeholders in setting realistic timelines. The experts recommended that a candidate’s responses to a question should total between five and eight minutes in length. Focus on your own actions A common mistake among candidates is discussing previous work situations from a team perspective. While teamwork skills are essential, candidates should be specific about their individual actions in achieving the results in the examples they share, said UNDP’s Andersen. According to IOM’s Emery, a panel’s post-interview deliberations often include questions about the individual’s actual contribution in the examples provided. Therefore, “it's important for candidates to really join the dots for the panel members,” he said. However, the experts advised candidates to avoid exaggerating their role in past work outcomes. At UNDP, candidates are often asked about their experience with partnerships, such as a time they helped establish a new collaboration or navigated a multi-organization effort to achieve a specific goal. With IOM, the hiring panel might be interested in a candidate’s experience in conflict navigation and ask them about a time when they were part of a dysfunctional team — how they addressed the dysfunction and what was the result of their action. Highlight what you learned from the experience Candidates shouldn't shy away from describing work scenarios where the desired outcomes weren't attained or obstacles were faced. “It’s okay to talk about the challenges — it doesn’t need to be a perfect success story,” said Andersen. In fact, challenges can provide valuable experiences to share, and the hiring panel will be interested in knowing “what you learned from the situation and whether you would approach it differently today based on those lessons,” she added. With some questions, the hiring panel will be looking for a candidate to demonstrate emotional intelligence and humility, said Emery, noting that IOM interviews can include a question on a candidate’s mistakes or learnings from working with different cultures. Or, where the panel is getting an “overwhelming positive view of a candidate,” contrary evidence questions — inviting a candidate to talk about a mistake or failure — might also be thrown in. “We're not interested in the failure [itself], we're interested in the candidate's ability to process that failure and then to change behavior accordingly,” said Emery.