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CBI : Interpersonal competencies

example interview questions

Competency: Interpersonal sensitivity​
    • What unpopular decision have you recently made? How did your subordinates respond? How did that make you feel?

    • No-one can retain popularity at all times. Can you tell me the last time you upset someone? What happened?

    • Tell about when you joined your last organisation - how did you get to know the wider team? ​

Competency: Selling skills​
    • Tell me about your most difficult experience in selling something.

    • Tell me about an occasion where you promoted a new concept to a client.

    • Describe a situation where you had difficulty influencing someone to adopt your point of view.

    • Tell me about a time you had to sell an idea to a group of people in a formal presentation.

    • Tell me about your most satisfying selling experience.​

Competency: Listening​
    • What do you do to show someone else that you are paying attention to them?

    • Describe a time when you found your attention wandering, and you lost the thread of a conversation. What was the consequence?

    • Have you ever been told you are a good listener? (If yes) when? By whom?​

Competency: Persuasiveness​
    • Describe your most satisfying (or disappointing) experience in presenting to, and gaining the support of, top management for an idea or proposal.

    • Tell me about a time when you needed to persuade others to commit to a course of action.

    • Give me an example of a time when you were unable to persuade someone to your point of view.​

Competency: Communication skills​
    • Tell me about a talk or presentation which you gave recently.

    • Describe a situation where you had to convey complex information to someone.

    • What is the worst communication problem you have experienced?

    • What differing approaches do you employ in talking with different types of people? How do you evaluate the effectiveness of these approaches?

    • Give an example of when you had the choice of either writing a report or giving an oral report. Which option did you take and why? What was the impact of this decision?

​Competency: Relationship building​
    • When you last found yourself with a new group of people to work with, how did you get to know them?

    • Tell me about a time when you quickly developed a relationship with a new colleague or client.

    • What do you know about the personal interests of some of your subordinates? How did you find out?​

Competency: Collaboration and teamwork​
    • Describe a situation where there was a disagreement among members of your team.

    • Describe the skills and personal qualities you believe are valuable, and those you have personally contributed, to a group task or project.

    • Tell me about a time when you have consciously participated as a group member rather than a group leader? What did you actually do?

    • What have you done to build good working relationships within a team? Give an example?

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