UNAIDS rekrytointikäytäntöjä

1. COMPETENCY-BASED INTERVIEWING
A GUIDE FOR SELECTION PANEL MEMBERS

2. UNAIDS / JC2054 (English original, January 2011)
© Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) 2011. All rights reserved
The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNAIDS
concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.
UNAIDS does not warrant that the information published in this publication is complete and correct and shall not be liable for any damages incurred as a result of its use.

3. CONTENT
WHAT IS COMPETENCY-BASED INTERVIEWING? 4
AND HOW DOES IT WORK? 4
HOW DOES THE APPROACH WORK? 5
LOOKING FOR EVIDENCE 5
PREPARING FOR THE INTERVIEW 6
USING THE COMPETENCY FRAMEWORK 6
APPLYING THE COMPETENCY FRAMEWORK 7
DERIVING A QUESTION FROM THE FRAMEWORK 8
A STEP-BY-STEP APPROACH 9
BALANCE ACHIEVEMENTS AND ADVERSITY 10
SAMPLE QUESTION MIX 1 11
SAMPLE QUESTION MIX 2 12
TYPES OF QUESTIONS 13
QUESTIONS TO AVOID 14
CONDUCTING THE INTERVIEW 15
HOW TO PRESENT YOURSELF 15
STAYING ON TRACK 16
PROBLEM SOLVING 17
TAKING NOTES 18
RATING THE RESPONSES 19
EVALUATING CANDIDATE ANSWERS 19
RATING CANDIDATE RESPONSES 20
SCORING TEMPLATE 21
SAMPLE QUESTIONS 22-23

4. COMPETENCY-BASED INTERVIEWING A GUIDE FOR SELECTION PANEL MEMBERS
45
WHAT IS COMPETENCY-BASED INTERVIEWING?
AND HOW DOES IT WORK?
Why is it important?
Competency-based interviewing, also called behavioural interviewing, is based on a simple premise, which is that the best
predictor of what a person will do in the future is what that person did in the past in a comparable situation.
What is your main goal in conducting a competency-based interview?
Given this premise, as a selection panel member, you have a specific aim in mind when conducting a competency-based
interview - to understand and assess the candidate’s past behavior.
Past performance is the best predictor of future performance
UNDERSTAND
PAST BEHAVIOUR
How does competency-based interviewing differ from other forms?
In more traditional forms of interviewing, the interviewers ask questions that are relevant to what they are looking for, but
without any specific aim in mind other than getting an overall impression of the candidate. With this form of interviewing,
questions are meant to gather general information but do not seek evidence of any specific competencies or experience.
The candidate is assessed on the general impression he or she leaves and scoring is likely to be much more subjective.
What are the advantages of competency-based interviewing?
Competency-based interviews are significantly more objective and predictive, with numerous studies confirming that it is
at least 55% predictive, compared to 10% for traditional interviews.
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Traditional
Competency based
PREDICT
FUTURE BEHAVIOUR
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

5. 45
UNAIDS
Looking for evidence—the basic question structure and sequence
In any response from a candidate, you, as a selection panel member, are looking for evidence that the candidate
has demonstrated the required competency in the past, in a way and to a level of mastery that he or she will need to
demonstrate in the future.
The evidence you are looking for can best be assessed if a candidate provides a response that includes
three main components, as outlined below.
This approach provides a useful question structure to the selection panel members. It can be equally
helpful to candidates in terms of helping them to prepare for the interview.
HOW DOES THE APPROACH WORK?
LOOKING FOR EVIDENCE
QUESTION SEQUENCE
SITUATION
A specific instance
in which the candidate has
demonstrated the competency
ACTION
What the candidate did
to demonstrate the competency
OUTCOME
What results were achieved
WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR
Ask the candidate to provide an
example of a situation he or she
was in, or a task that needed to be
accomplished. What you are looking
for is a specific event or situation,
not a generalized description of
what a candidate did in the past.
This is the evidence you are looking
for—what the candidate did,
how he or she handled the situation.
To make sure you get adequate inputs,
you may need to use the probing
questions at the right.
Find out from the candidate what
results he or she achieved, what was
accomplished, and what the candidate
learned from the experience.
SAMPLE QUESTIONS
Describe a specific situation
when you…
Tell me about a time when you…
In the past, have you ever….
What did you do?
How did you approach it?
What was your role?
What was the outcome?
What did you learn?
Have you applied what you learned?

6. COMPETENCY-BASED INTERVIEWING A GUIDE FOR SELECTION PANEL MEMBERS
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PREPARING FOR THE INTERVIEW
USING THE COMPETENCY FRAMEWORK
The role of the UNAIDS Secretariat Competency Framework
As the introduction to it states, ‘Competencies help us to get the right person for the job by focusing not only on
qualifications and experience, but on demonstrated skills and behaviours’.
In your role as a selection panel member, the Competency Framework is an important tool to focus on the values
and competencies you should be looking for.
How to use the Framework in competency-based interviewing
The Competency Framework is an essential source document for you in preparing for an interview. It provides:
■ A definition of the competency
■ An explanation of why it is important
■ A listing of concrete ways in which it can be demonstrated in the workplace.
VALUES
CORE COMPETENCIES
MANAGERIAL COMPETENCIES
Vision and
strategic
thinking
Leading
teams
Managing
performance
and resources
Developing
and empowering
others
Exercising
sound
judgement
Working
in teams
Communicating
with impact
Applying
expertise
Delivering
results
Driving change
and innovation
Being
accountable
Integrity Respect for diversityCommitment to the
AIDS response
Building
relationships
and networks

7. 67
UNAIDS
All three sections of the Competency Framework - Values, Core Competencies and Managerial Competencies -
should be reflected in the question structure the selection panel develops.
The demonstration of all three Values is a fundamental requirement for every staff member in all ways described
in the Competency Framework.
The selection panel should, as a matter of principle, assess the candidate’s Commitment to the AIDS response.
Because it is expected that all candidates will demonstrate this commitment, the panel should only consider
as noteworthy an inability of a candidate to demonstrate it.
The assessment of core competencies, as defined by the Job Profile, should always be part of an interview.
The panel will want to give particular attention to the following core competencies:
Applying expertise: this competency provides the basis for assessing the candidate’s technical/substantive expertise
Delivering results: this competency provides the basis for assessing significant past results achieved by the candidate
The selection of managerial competencies will depend upon the Job Profile. However, because of its special
link to managerial effectiveness, panels will want to give special consideration to including Leading teams
in the mix of questions to be addressed to a candidate.
PREPARING FOR THE INTERVIEW
APPLYING THE COMPETENCY FRAMEWORK
VALUES
Integrity Respect for diversityCommitment to the
AIDS response
CORE COMPETENCIES
Working
in teams
Communicating
with impact
Applying
expertise
Delivering
results
Driving change
and innovation
Being
accountable
MANAGERIAL COMPETENCIES
Vision and
strategic
thinking
Leading
teams
Managing
performance
and resources
Developing
and empowering
others
Exercising
sound
judgement
Building
relationships
and networks

8. COMPETENCY-BASED INTERVIEWING A GUIDE FOR SELECTION PANEL MEMBERS
89
PREPARING FOR THE INTERVIEW
DERIVING A QUESTION FROM THE FRAMEWORK
The Competency Framework provides the information
needed to develop effective interview questions.
The challenge is how to turn that information into questions.
Let’s take the example of Delivering results.
The selection panel has three options, as outlined below.
QUESTION
BASED ON
THE DEFINITION
QUESTION
BASED ON
A SINGLE
INDICATOR
QUESTION
BASED ON
SEVERAL
INDICATORS
Definition: This competency is about showing initiative and delivering high-quality results in
line with agreed objectives (….).
Competency-based question:
Please provide an example of when you have demonstrated initiative
and delivered a high-quality result.
Behavioural indicator: Set challenging performance goals, plan work carefully, and define
their work in terms of results
Competency-based question:
Could you tell us about a situation when you have set yourself a challenging goal?
Behavioural indicators:
■ Set challenging performance goals, plan work carefully,
and define their work in terms of results
■ Effectively manage time and deliver high quality work
while maintaining composure under pressure
■ Demonstrate good judgment regarding how far to push issues for best results
Competency-based question:
Describe a situation where you had to achieve a challenging goal with unclear guidance
but a great deal of pressure to deliver.

9. 89
UNAIDS
How to prepare for the interview
Pre-panel discussion
All questions should be prepared in advance and reviewed as part of a pre-panel discussion. At this time, the panel will also
make sure to agree to a single set of questions — the same questions that will be addressed to all candidates.
PREPARING FOR THE INTERVIEW
A STEP-BY-STEP APPROACH
STEP
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
WHAT TO DO
Check for
minimum essential requirements
Review
the Job Profile for the position
Consult
the Competency Framework
Select a mix of competencies
Draft technical/substantive
competency-based questions
Draft other competency-based
questions
DETAILED ACTION
Ensure that candidates meet the minimum requirements for
the position — education, experience and language required.
Review the entire profile, with particular attention to the
required UNAIDS Values, Core Competencies, and, as
required, Managerial Competencies.
Based on the Job Profile, identify the 4-6 competencies that
are most pertinent to the job responsibilities (see below).
For all jobs:
■ Include a question on
Commitment to the AIDS response
■ Select Applying expertise to assess
substantive/technical expertise
For jobs without management responsibilities:
■ Select 3-4 competencies from
the list of Core Competencies
For jobs with management responsibilities:
■ Select 6 competencies, of which 2 or 3 should be
from the Core Competencies and 3 or 4 should be
from the Managerial Competencies
To assess technical/substantive competence, managers draft
two or three questions, referring to Applying expertise
(one of the Core Competencies).
Human Resources take the lead in drafting suggested
questions and submitting them to managers for review.

10. COMPETENCY-BASED INTERVIEWING A GUIDE FOR SELECTION PANEL MEMBERS
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PREPARING FOR THE INTERVIEW
BALANCE ACHIEVEMENTS AND ADVERSITY
Balancing questions
In preparing your list of questions, aim to balance questions
that deliberately seek evidence about candidate achievements
— results, innovation, team leadership — with questions that
seek evidence about challenges or difficulties encountered.
It is important for you, as the selection panel member, to
provide the candidate with ample opportunity to provide
evidence of significant achievements and results, and how
these were achieved. Sometimes, of course, a candidate may
select to talk about a situation where, as a result of facing
adversity, he or she was able to achieve a significant result. In
case this does not happen, given the reality of organizational
life, you should also intentionally seek evidence on how the
candidate has faced adversity.
Note that any competency lends itself to either type of
question, as the table below illustrates.
COMPETENCY
COMMUNICATING
WITH IMPACT
WORKING
IN TEAMS
BEING
ACCOUNTABLE
ACHIEVEMENT ORIENTED QUESTION
Describe a situation in the past when you were
able to persuade someone who was difficult
to persuade to agree with your way of thinking
on a substantive issue.
Give us a specific example of when you were
able to proactively resolve conflict within a
team before it escalated.
Tell us about a time when you used the
resources assigned to you in the most cost
effective way.
ADVERSITY ORIENTED QUESTION
Describe a time when you were not able
to persuade someone who was difficult to
persuade to agree with your way of thinking
on a substantive issue.
Give us an example of a time when you were
not able to satisfactorily resolve conflict with a
member of your team.
Describe a situation where you felt it was
justifiable not to adhere to organizational rules
and regulations.

11. 1011
UNAIDS
DELIVERING
RESULTS
APPLYING
EXPERTISE
WORKING
IN TEAMS
DRIVING CHANGE
AND INNOVATION
In your current position, what is the most significant result you have achieved?
■ What made it significant?
■ What challenges did you face? How did you overcome them?
■ What was the outcome? What did you learn from it?
Give us an example of a time when you have applied a best practice
concept or principle in your work.
■ How did you become aware of its being considered best practice?
■ What was the benefit to UNAIDS of the application of this principle?
■ How do you stay informed of best practices in your area?
Tell us about a time when it was difficult for you to be supportive of a team member
based on differences in your work styles or work habits.
■ How did you handle the situation?
■ With the benefit of hindsight, would you handle the situation differently?
Provide us with an example of a time when it was difficult for you
to accept a change at work.
■ What made it difficult?
■ How did you deal with the situation?
■ How did you feel during the process?
Possible questions
PREPARING FOR THE INTERVIEW
S AMPLE QUESTION MIX 1
Title: Assistant, G5 level of responsibility
The required UNAIDS Values and Core Competencies as they appear in the Job Profile:
VALUES
1. Commitment to the AIDS response
2. Integrity
3. Respect for diversity
CORE COMPETENCIES
1. Working in teams 4. Delivering results
2. Communicating with impact 5. Driving change and innovation
3. Applying expertise 6. Being accountable

12. COMPETENCY-BASED INTERVIEWING A GUIDE FOR SELECTION PANEL MEMBERS
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PREPARING FOR THE INTERVIEW
S AMPLE QUESTION MIX 2
Title: UNAIDS Country Coordinator, P5 level of responsibility
The required UNAIDS Values, Core Competencies and Managerial Competencies as they appear in the Job Profile:
VALUES
1. Commitment to the AIDS response 2. Integrity 3. Respect for diversity
CORE COMPETENCIES
1. Working in teams 2. Communicating with impact 3. Applying expertise
4. Delivering results 5. Driving change and innovation 6. Being accountable
MANAGERIAL COMPETENCIES
1. Vision and strategic thinking 2. Leading teams 3. Managing performance and resources
4. Developing and empowering others 5. Exercising sound judgement 6. Building relationships and networks
COMMUNICATING
WITH IMPACT
DRIVING CHANGE
AND INNOVATION
BUILDING
RELATIONSHIPS
AND NETWORKS
LEADING TEAMS
EXERCISING
SOUND JUDGMENT
Describe a time when it was crucial for you to hold the interest
of an audience and to be persuasive.
■ How did you know that you were holding the interest of the audience?
■ What indicators did you have that you were persuasive?
■ Towhatextentwasthissituationtypicalofyourabilitytocommunicatewithimpact?
Describe a key innovation you introduced in your current
or past position despite some risks.
■ What challenges did you face? How did you overcome them?
■ What was the contribution of the innovation to the organization?
■ How do you drive innovation and change with your team?
Identify an important partnership that you have developed
and describe its importance to the organization.
■ To what extent did this initiative call upon your ability to negotiate?
■ What is the importance of the partnership to the work of UNAIDS?
Describe a time you had to champion the team you were leading even though
it was receiving criticism from other parts of the organization.
■ What was the reason your team was receiving criticism?
■ What did you do to address the criticism and to champion your team?
■ How did you feel during the process?
Describe a difficult decision you took when it would have been easier to avoid it.
■ What prompted you to take the decision?
■ What risks did you face?
■ In retrospect, do you feel you took the right decision?
Possible questions

13. 1213
UNAIDS
In a competency-based interview, the great majority of questions should be open-ended or ‘open’ questions,
with only a few ‘closed’ questions, as needed to clarify points of fact.
OPEN
QUESTIONS
The most valuable
type of question for
a competency-based
interview
CLOSED
QUESTIONS
This type of question
should only be used
when it is essential to
clarify a point of fact.
This type of question is the one that you will use most frequently in a competency-based
interview. It cannot be answered with a simple “yes” or “no”, or with a specific piece of
information. This type of question gives the candidate scope to respond as he or she
feels is appropriate.
Your lead (or first) question for any competency will generally be an open-ended
question phrased as a statement which requires a response.
■ Describe a situation when you faced a major ethical dilemma.
■ Give us a specific example that would best illustrate your team leadership skills.
Follow-up or probing questions will generally be open-ended questions phrased
as actual questions.
■ How did your actions help the team or its members in overcoming any challenges?
■ What did you personally contribute to this outcome?
■ How were you feeling at the time?
■ Why did you decide to take this action?
A closed question can normally be answered using a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’,
or a specific simple piece of information.
■ Was this the result you set out to achieve?
■ Did you complete this project within the allowable budget?
■ Were you able to complete the assignment within the deadline?
PREPARING FOR THE INTERVIEW
TYPES OF QUESTIONS

14. COMPETENCY-BASED INTERVIEWING A GUIDE FOR SELECTION PANEL MEMBERS
1415
PREPARING FOR THE INTERVIEW
QUESTIONS TO AVOID
LEADING
QUESTIONS
HYPOTHETICAL
QUESTIONS
COMPARATIVE
QUESTIONS
QUESTIONS THAT
INVADE PRIVACY
This type of question should not be used because it suggests a response,
either positive or negative, to a candidate.
■ You consulted your supervisor prior to taking this course of action, didn’t you?
■ Weren’t you aware that this was in direct contravention of organizational policy?
■ You do believe in respect for diversity, don’t you?
These questions encourage a candidate to describe what he/she would do if faced with a
particular situation. They should be avoided because they do not ask the candidate about
past behaviour.
■ How would you manage an under-performing staff member?
■ How would you handle a conflict between two staff members reporting to you?
■ What do you think would be the most significant challenge in the job you are applying for?
This type of question should be avoided because it encourages the candidate
to compare differences in past experiences, rather than to describe past behaviour.
■ Which would you say was the most stressful experience you have had?
■ How do the responsibilities in your current job compare to those you have had in the past?
Avoid any question that invades the privacy of a candidate or any staff member
of the organization. For further information, please consult Human Resources.
The following types of questions should not be used
during a competency-based interview.

15. 1415
UNAIDS
How you, as the selection panel member, present yourself has an important impact on the outcome
of the interview. This is especially important in UNAIDS as the majority of interviews are done by video
conference. The following are some suggestions to help you be at your best.
Be prepared
Make sure that you come to the interview well prepared. This means that you:
■ Have ensured that the candidate meets the minimum requirements for the position
■ Are familiar with the candidate’s curriculum vitae and current job
■ Have participated in a pre-panel discussion to finalize a list of questions
■ Have reviewed the Job Profile for the position in question
■ Have ensured a good mix of questions
■ Are aware of which question(s) you will be expected to ask
■ Have ensured that the questions are appropriate to the responsibility level of the position.
Put the candidate at ease
Even candidates who have had many interviews find the thought of a job interview stressful—it is their career that is at
stake, after all. Perhaps just as important for many is the feeling that their self worth is at stake. Every candidate would like
to do well in the interview. So what can you do to create a comfortable environment?
■ Greet the candidate warmly
■ Make sure that he or she feels welcome and is comfortably seated
■ Make sure to introduce yourself (and other panelists) to the candidate
■ Explain the goal of the interview and the process that you will be using
■ Indicate to the candidate the likely length of the interview
■ Explain that you will be taking notes in order to have a record of what was said
■ Explain what the candidate should do if a question is unclear, or if the candidate would like to have it repeated.
Body language
Maintain neutral, professional body language at all times during the interview.
Do not in any way indicate whether you thought a response was ‘good’ or ‘bad’. Simply record what the candidate says and
move on to the next question.
CONDUCTING THE INTERVIEW
HOW TO PRESENT YOURSELF

16. COMPETENCY-BASED INTERVIEWING A GUIDE FOR SELECTION PANEL MEMBERS
1617
CONDUCTING THE INTERVIEW
STAYING ON TRACK
Focus on what seems significant
After you have asked your lead question, the one that asks
the candidate to describe a particular situation, follow up
on specific aspects of it. Ask questions like:
■ Tell me more about how you were involved
■ You mentioned…tell me more about that
■ What was your role in…?
■ What part of the project did you lead?
Keep the candidate focused on actual past events
Keep your follow-up questions brief, specific, and in the past tense.
■ What did you do then?
■ What were you thinking when that happened?
■ What did you say?
■ What led up to that decision?
Keep the candidate focused on his or her role in those situations
If the candidate talks about ‘we’, ask ‘What was your role’?
If the candidate is talking about generalities, or going into too much detail, redirect the candidate to specifics by
saying something like, ‘What did you do in this situation?’
Probe for thoughts and feelings behind actions
Questions about thoughts, feelings and reactions can provide information about what a candidate values or
how he or she is motivated, and will assist you in evaluating behaviours expected in connection with specific
competencies.
■ How did you reach that conclusion?
■ How did you know what to do in that situation?
■ What was your reaction to that?
■ What were you thinking at the time?
■ How did you feel during the process?
■ What did you find satisfying/frustrating about that?
The most important challenge you are likely to face during the
interview itself is to keep the candidate on track, allowing you to
collect as much evidence as possible of how the candidate has
demonstrated the required competencies in the past.

17. 1617
UNAIDS
CONDUCTING THE INTERVIEW
PROBLEM SOLVING
In addition to needing to keep the candidate on track, you are likely to encounter a number of other challenges
during a competency-based interview. You may find it helpful to use the following approaches.
IF THE CANDIDATE…
Appears uncomfortable
Selects what appears to be
an insignificant situation
Selects an ‘old’
(more than 5 years ago)
example
Does not select any
examples from his
or her current job
Does not mention
any result/outcome
of the situation
Responds with a confusing
answer, without a clear line
of thought
Appears very ‘rehearsed’,
very familiar with
the methodology
YOU MIGHT WANT TO TRY THESE APPROACHES…
■ Start the interview with a warm-up question to help the candidate feel
comfortable with the panel members
■ Politely interject to direct the candidate to a more pertinent example
■ When he or she has finished, request an additional example that would illustrate
the point
■ If the situation is about a team/interpersonal conflict, do not intervene, as these
may only have occurred infrequently. At the end, make sure to ask, ‘What did you
learn from this?’
■ If the situation is about a significant result, achievement or innovation, ask right
away whether the candidate could identify a more recent example
■ If the candidate has been in the job for less than a year, is very new to the UN/
UNAIDS, or has had an unclear assignment/job description for some time, do
not intervene
■ If the candidate has been in the job for more than a year, and you are getting
close to the end of your questions, when a candidate finishes describing a
situation, ask if he or she could also identify a more recent example
■ Simply ask what the result was
■ If it is not clear what the candidate’s role was in achieving the result, make sure to
ask, ‘What was your role in achieving this result?’
■ Consider asking, ‘What did you learn from this?’
■ Ensure you ask all planned questions—those that would prompt a candidate to
describe the SITUATION-ACTION-OUTCOME at what appears to be the most
appropriate moment
■ DO NOT, however, go so far as to attempt to help the candidate to provide a
more coherent response
■ This offers an excellent opportunity for you to make full use of probing questions,
exploring in detail not only what the candidate did—the action he or she took—
but also what he or she was thinking at the time, and how he or she felt about it

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1819
Question: Describe a key innovation you introduced in your current position despite some risks.
By recording, as possible, both what the candidate said and your observations in the moment, you create a solid base
for rating the response. Referring to the sample above (which is, in reality, just an extract of actual notes taken),
you would probably give a low rating to the candidate on this particular question. By recording both what was said
and your in-the-moment reactions, you would easily be able to justify this low rating. The observation about
‘no mention of risk’ is very important to have made in the moment, as it is the kind of observation that you might
otherwise forget when it comes to rating.
CONDUCTING THE INTERVIEW
TAKING NOTES
WHAT WAS SAID
■ the way I lead a team
■ team was dispirited
■ I got to know everybody, then had a retreat
■ developed a vision of what to do differently
■ made a contract with them-things we agreed to
■ achievement was a harmonious
and productive work environment-we’re all happy
OBSERVATIONS
Not sure this qualifies
as ‘innovation’…?
Nothing innovative here
No mention of risk
Would have been better to hear about
the results that the team achieved
In general, the more notes you take, the better off
you are in terms of being able to evaluate
and rate the candidate responses.
Set up a side-by-side format for yourself or use
the Scoring Template on p.21. A format that allows
for one side for notes, the other for observations,
works well when you are trying to record
as much as possible with very limited time.

19. 1819
UNAIDS
No ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ answers
In competency-based interviewing, there are no right or wrong answers, only strong or weak ones in terms of the evidence
a candidate has provided that he or she has demonstrated the competency in question in the past.
Evaluating the evidence provided by the candidate
The following considerations will assist you in evaluating the evidence provided.
Excellent evidence
Good evidence
Adequate evidence
Little evidence
■ The candidate identified a meaningful situation that allowed for a full demonstration
of the competency in question
■ The actions that the candidate took in the situation demonstrated many facets
of the competency/a wide range of behaviours associated with the competency
■ The outcome or results achieved were meaningful to the organization
■ The candidate identified a situation that allowed for a demonstration
of the competency in question
■ The actions that the candidate took in the situation demonstrated most of
the facets of the competency/most behaviours associated with the competency
■ The outcome or results achieved were valuable to the organization
■ The candidate identified a situation that allowed for a demonstration
of the competency in question
■ The actions that the candidate took in the situation demonstrated a few facets
of the competency/a few behaviours associated with the competency
■ The outcome or results achieved were valuable to the organization
■ The candidate identified a situation that did not clearly allow for a demonstration
of the competency in question
■ The actions that the candidate took in the situation demonstrated very few facets
of the competency/very few behaviours associated with the competency
■ The outcome or results achieved were not clear or did not seem significant
See overleaf for the rating scale associated with the above levels of evidence.
RATING THE RESPONSES
EVALUATING CANDIDATE ANSWERS

20. COMPETENCY-BASED INTERVIEWING A GUIDE FOR SELECTION PANEL MEMBERS
2021
The rating scale
Candidates are rated on every individual competency, on a standardised scale, as indicated below.
5 excellentevidence,demonstratedmasterofcompetency
4 goodevidence,demonstratedexpertofcompetency
3 adequateevidencefortheposition,demonstrateduserofcompetency
2 littleevidence,demonstratedbeginneruserofcompetency
1
almostnoevidence,basicawarenessofcompetency,
butnodemonstrateduse
0 noawarenessordemonstrateduseofcompetency
RATING THE RESPONSES
RATING CANDIDATE RESPONSES

21. 2021
UNAIDS
RATING THE RESPONSES
SCORING TEMPLATE
SITUATION
ACTIONS TAKEN
OUTCOME/RESULTS
ACHIEVED
Name of candidate
Competency
Question asked
OBSERVATIONS/COMMENTS
0
No awareness
1
Almost no evidence
2
Little evidence
3
Adequate evidence
4
Good evidence
5
Excellent evidence

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2223
CONDUCTING THE INTERVIEW
S AMPLE QUESTIONS
Commitment to
the AIDS response
Integrity
Respect for diversity
■ Can you describe a time when you were faced with an issue of stigma or discrimination
towards people living with HIV?
■ Tell us about a time when you have demonstrated your personal commitment
to the AIDS response through a decision you made or an action you took.
■ Can you tell us about a time that you have faced an ethical dilemma?
■ Please provide an example of when you have taken prompt action
against unprofessional or unethical behaviour.
■ Describe a situation at work that was related to a cultural misunderstanding
and how you handled it.
■ Tell us about a time when you became aware of a personal bias you had
and the steps you took to address it.
VALUES
Working in teams
Communicating
with impact
Applying expertise
Delivering results
■ Please provide us with an example of time when you found it difficult to work
in a team because of differences you had with other team members and
how you dealt with the situation.
■ Tell us about a time when your commitment to a team allowed the team
to achieve a significant result.
■ Describe a situation where you have had to explain a complex procedure
to a new staff member.
■ Can you give an example of how you have had to persuade
a difficult party/person to your way of thinking on a substantive issue?
■ Tell us about a time when you have demonstrated knowledge and
expertise in (insert applicable technical or substantive expertise in question).
■ Please provide an example of a time when you have taken the initiative to update
your knowledge and skills.regulations and what the outcome of that situation was.
■ Can you give an example of when you have acknowledged
your own shortcomings and those of the team?
■ Describe the most significant result you have achieved.
■ Given an example of when you have set and achieved a challenging performance goal.
CORE COMPETENCIES

23. 2223
UNAIDS
CONDUCTING THE INTERVIEW
S AMPLE QUESTIONS
Driving change
and innovation
Being accountable
■ Describe a key innovation you introduced in your current or
past position despite some risks.
■ Tell us about a time when you have shown a willingness
to adapt to a changing environment.
■ Describe a time when you considered not adhering to organizational rules and
regulations and what the outcome of that situation was.
■ Can you give an example of when you have acknowledged
your own shortcomings and those of the team?
Vision and
strategic thinking
Leading teams
Managing performance
and resources
Developing and
empowering others
Exercising sound
judgment
Building relationships
and networks
■ Describe a process that you have used to define a new vision
and direction for an organizational unit (unit, section, division).
■ Give an example of when you have had to deal with resistance to
organizational vision and direction and how you have handled that situation.
■ Tell us about a time when you have inspired a team to go beyond
what they believe they can do.
■ Describe a time when you had to manage a demotivated,
dispirited team and what you did to turn the situation around.
■ Provide an example of when you have dealt with poor performance
or poor compliance to rules and how you handled that situation.
■ Can you tell us about a time that you became aware that work load
was unevenly distributed and what action you took to make it more equitable?
■ Can you tell us about a time when you have developed
and empowered staff that you supervise?
■ Describe a situation where you became aware of a lack of trust
in a unit you were leading and how you handled the situation.
■ Describe a time when you felt you showed poor judgment
and how you addressed the situation.
■ Please tell us about a time when you had to make a difficult decision
and how you went about it.
■ Describe a challenging situation involving your stakeholders and how you,
by anticipating their needs, took proactive steps to resolve the situation.
■ Please provide an example of when your formal and informal networks allowed you to
achieve an important result and why this was possible.
MANAGERIAL COMPETENCIES

24. NOTES

25. NOTES

26. NOTES

27. ZERO NEW HIV INFECTIONS.
ZERO DISCRIMINATION.
ZERO AIDS-RELATED DEATHS.
For more information, please see the Human Resources Intranet

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Switzerland
T (+41) 22 791 36 66
F (+41) 22 791 48 35
www.unaids.org