Situational Interviews

Sample question

Customer Focus - showing your customer focus

''One of our longest standing, medium sized customers wants a substantial discount on our service to renew their contract. Their business will not be profitable at this rate - especially compared to most of our new business which is highly profitable. You will be meeting this customer to discuss the situation. What would be your approach?''

Answer: negotiate to find a win-win outcome, beginning with a concerted effort to better understand the customer's needs. Stress partnership so you can both meet your needs. Less effective answers would be to drop the business without making this effort first or taking a hard line, win-lose stance.

How to approach situational questions

• Think about how your answers reflect the competencies.
• Try to balance several competencies in one answer. For example, results orientation could conflict with customer focus, so how can you demonstrate both?
• Avoid reactive, hasty or ill-considered responses.
• Think about wider implications of each issue.
• Be decisive and to the point rather than rambling or uncertain.
• Indicate one or two qualifications if necessary but don't prevaricate to the point where your answer is too vague.
• Use point form rather than long-winded sentences.