Compentancy Flashcards
Tell me a time where you’ve worked in a Team ?
At university I volunteered with other students to raise funds for a local charity that supported building water wells in Senegal. We did this by holding a raffle at the university open day.
As a group we decided to raise £400 for the cause which meant that we needed to sell 200 raffle tickets on the day. We agreed on the target of €400 because it meant that we would be able to provide 2 water wells for families which had no
access to clean drinking water.
I was responsible for managing the budget and the events on the day. Although it was important that the stand looked nice and the raffle price was something that someone would want to win It was more important that we raised as much money so I had an idea which I agreed with the team in which we underspent on the budget, we had a budget of £150, but only spent £100. So that we could donate the remaining £50 to the charity. I brought the team around the my way of thinking because I explained that no one was an artist we didn’t need to prioritize how well the stand looked to the main charitable goal.
On the day I was responsible for setting up the table at the event and the selling of any raffle tickets which was important task as it was important to make sure people knew what our charitable cause was for. So as someone with good interpersonal and communication skills I naturally volunteered for that task. On the day the raffle sales were good but unfortunately we fell just short of the fund raising target. We raised €340 however we still were able to donate almost £400 because of the £50 I saved us from the budget. On reflection I felt the sales were slightly down because we could have better marketed the events. We did post on social media how I believe this was not frequent’ enough.
Id say overall we handled the event well by breaking the tasks down effectively so that the event was much more manageable and it also meant people were free to attend any activities the had planned for the rest of the day.
Tell me a time where you’ve dealt with a difficult situation ?
As a retail assistant at sports direct It was common for customers to be customers to become argumentative over the stores no return policy. Me and a colleague were involved in a disagreement with a customer about the return of a pair of shoes she had already purchased. The customer also was not fluent in speaking English.
During our training it was shown to us on how to deescalate these types of situations to ensure our own personal safety but also as we represented the company it was important that we responded in a manner which matched the
companies values.
As the situation developed it escalated and led to both my colleague and the customer becoming very confrontational. I reacted in this situation by removing my colleague from the environment. I explained to him that although he may have been in the right due to the companies no returns policy, it wasn’t the right way to resolve the situation. I then proceeded to explain the no returns policy to the customer which I ensured I communicated clearly using language that she would be able to understand due to the language barrier. Because of my ability to communicate clearly, I brought to light that there was a simple lack of understanding of the policy.
For this situation as a whole I felt that it was important to act with integrity as it would have been the easier choice to side with my colleague and disregarding my responsibility to the customer for their well-being and for good customer service.
As a result of my actions, I was able to deescalate the situation by providing support to a colleague and also provide good service. On a personal note, it made me happy that this was recognised by my supervisor at the time as I was a new member of staff only 1 month into the position, it took the ability to have courage and being bold in order to do what was right over what was easy.
Tell me a time where you’ve been given working on a project and been given last minute data ?
During my employment as a lab analyst, I was chosen amongst 3 other members of staff to be held responsible in validating a new department method. This would allow for testing going forward to be efficient and cost effective.
As a group we needed to collaborate on our different data sets in the period of 3 weeks to ensure this new method worked. We agreed on 3 weeks as it allowed for Minimal disruption to our normal laboratory duties.
I was responsible for managing the workload of each member of the team whilst ensuring that whatever work that I did assign was completed on schedule. As a team we held open and clear communication well which made the project much more manageable. Furthermore, when it came to presenting the groups findings, I suggested to the team that since each member spent a significant amount of time on the project it would be great if when showcasing the findings that we were all present. I brought the team around to my way of thinking as although a few members of the team were nervous to present in front of senior management it would be unfair if one member of the team received credit for another person’s work.
As a result of our project, it meant we reduced company expenditure this held significance as it was during a period of company layoffs therefore nullified the need for further action. My personal contribution to the project was acknowledged by a company award.
Describe to me a time where you’ve used your analytical skills ?
Tell me a time where you’ve used your leadership skills ?
At university I volunteered with other students to raise funds for a local charity that supported building water wells in Senegal. We did this by holding a raffle at the university open day.
As a group we decided to raise £400 for the cause which meant that we needed to sell 200 raffle tickets on the day. We agreed on the target of €400 because it meant that we would be able to provide 2 water wells for families which had no
access to clean drinking water.
I was responsible for managing the budget and the events on the day. Although it was important that the stand looked nice and the raffle price was something that someone would want to win It was more important that we raised as much money so I had an idea which I agreed with the team in which we underspent on the budget, we had a budget of £150, but only spent £100. So that we could donate the remaining £50 to the charity. I brought the team around the my way of thinking because I explained that no one was an artist we didn’t need to prioritize how well the stand looked to the main charitable goal.
On the day I was responsible for setting up the table at the event and the selling of any raffle tickets which was important task as it was important to make sure people knew what our charitable cause was for. So as someone with good interpersonal and communication skills I naturally volunteered for that task. On the day the raffle sales were good but unfortunately we fell just short of the fund raising target. We raised €340 however we still were able to donate almost £400 because of the £50 I saved us from the budget. On reflection I felt the sales were slightly down because we could have better marketed the events. We did post on social media how I believe this was not frequent’ enough.
Id say overall we handled the event well by breaking the tasks down effectively so that the event was much more manageable and it also meant people were free to attend any activities the had planned for the rest of the day.
Tell me a time where you’ve had a disagreement with a colleague ?
As a retail assistant at sports direct It was common for customers to be customers to become argumentative over the stores no return policy. Me and a colleague were involved in a disagreement with a customer about the return of a pair of shoes she had already purchased. The customer also was not fluent in speaking English.
During our training it was shown to us on how to deescalate these types of situations to ensure our own personal safety but also as we represented the company it was important that we responded in a manner which matched the
companies values.
As the situation developed it escalated and led to both my colleague and the customer becoming very confrontational. I reacted in this situation by removing my colleague from the environment. I explained to him that although he may have been in the right due to the companies no returns policy, it wasn’t the right way to resolve the situation. I then proceeded to explain the no returns policy to the customer which I ensured I communicated clearly using language that she would be able to understand due to the language barrier. Because of my ability to communicate clearly, I brought to light that there was a simple lack of understanding of the policy.
For this situation as a whole I felt that it was important to act with integrity as it would have been the easier choice to side with my colleague and disregarding my responsibility to the customer for their well-being and for good customer service.
As a result of my actions, I was able to deescalate the situation by providing support to a colleague and also provide good service. On a personal note, it made me happy that this was recognised by my supervisor at the time as I was a new member of staff only 1 month into the position, it took the ability to have courage and being bold in order to do what was right over what was easy.
Tell me a time where you’ve received bad feedback and what was your response ?
What is a strength of yours ?
During my A levels I would volunteer through my Local Mosque to provide care for the elderly over the winter months. These were often people who were nonverbal or spoke very little English.
The initiative meant I would be partnered with a care worker so that I could support them in their day-to-day duties.
I was responsible for following the care plan that had been assigned to each patient. So, on a normal day this would often mean preparing meals, helping them in and out of their clothes and carrying out their hygiene routine. Although there was a care plan to follow, I understood that I was not as qualified to carry out these roles as much the care assistant however still was determined to help as much as possible as this also meant I would have still been able to learn and develop. With the majority of patients, I was able to implement clear communication which was important when completing task such as changing their clothes as I was in their personal space. Establishing a rapport with the patient before made it a lot easier as I foundation of trust had been developed.
One interaction particular still stands out to me today which was when I was helping a non-verbal patient. It was difficult as I’d have to reassess my approach and use cues such as eye contact, body language and gestures in order to make him feel comfortable.
As result of my ability to communicate effectively with the non-verbal patient I was offered a position at the care home. On a personal note, it was nice that a lot of the patients I interacted with gave positive feedback to the care staff.
I’d say the ability to tailor your communication approach depending on who you interact with is a key skill. Here at BDO the ability to communicate information in a clear and concise manner and tailoring that depending on the audience is a major element to success as an Audit Graduate trainee.
What is a weakness of yours ?
Tell me a time where you have supported a colleague ?
Tell me a time where you performed to a high level under pressure ?
Describe a problem that you have encountered in your studies or work experience and how you managed to overcome it ?
Can you describe a time where you worked under pressure ?
Tell me a time where you went out of your comfort zone and how did you overcome this ?
Tell me a time where you failed at something and what was your response
