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Guía de Entrevista Por Competencias (Unicef)
Guía de Entrevista Por Competencias (Unicef)
Table of Contents
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Section 1: Introduction
THE PURPOSE OF THE GUIDE
THE ROLE OF THE INTERVIEW IN THE SELECTION PROCESS
KEY STEPS TO IMPROVING THE INTERVIEW
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INTRODUCTION
The Purpose of the Guide
The Guide has been designed to assist those responsible for conducting employment interviews and making decisions about the suitability of
applicants to UNICEF. It seeks to explain and clarify some of the best ways to enhance the quality of information gathered during interviews and
therefore increase the fairness and effectiveness of the selection process.
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Is this the candidates first or second interview? If it is the second interview, who conducted the previous one? (Ensure you have a copy of that
interviewers notes).
If a number of candidates are to be seen on one day, a timetable should be prepared in advance. It should allow a realistic amount of time for
each interview and provide the interviewer with ample time to write the post-interview notes.
Reception of Candidates
The interviewer needs to ensure there will be no disturbances in the interviewing room;
Prior to the interview the room should be checked to ensure that it is tidy, that there are sufficient chairs and the layout of the furniture is appropriate
for the interview.
Information for the Candidate
Make sure that information that will be presented to the candidate during the interview (e.g. information about the Organisation or department or the
job, details about benefits, conditions of employment, ) is prepared in advance.
Job Description and Selection Criteria/Competencies
A written job description should be available for any job that is being filled. Ideally this should be made available to the candidates prior to the
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interview;
Prior to the interview, the interviewers should meet to identify the functional competencies they will be focusing on. It is suggested that they isolate 3
functional competencies from the competency profiles which are most critical for the post. The decision should be made in collaboration with the
incumbents future manager, taking into consideration the positions critical incidents or commonly occurring situations that the incumbent will
confront and must be able to master to be considered a good performer. The job description, supplemented by the current and future needs of the
post should also be taking into account when selecting the critically important competencies;
Interviewers must be provided with the interview protocol of the post the candidates are applying for;
Interviewers should read the application forms or curriculum vitae prior to the interview;
Interviewers should ensure that all pertinent information has been provided by the candidate;
Taking into consideration the selection criteria and the critical competencies that were selected in the previous step, the interviewer should make a
note of any experiences which are particularly relevant to the job so that they may be probed further during the interview.
Other Interviewers
If a panel interview is scheduled, the interviewers should decide (before the interview) on a specific format and on who will cover which
competencies.
Questions
It is important to select questions that will explore various aspects of each competency being assessed;
The application form or interview protocol will suggest areas the interviewer should cover
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These are questions which require the interviewee to respond with a statement and to provide more information than a simple one word answer such
as yes or no. Open questions such as tell me about ... should be used to start off a new topic or subject.
Probing Questions
These sorts of questions are designed to search for information in greater depth. They are vital for detail and for focusing the candidate and
interview on particular areas. Usually they will be open in format, but aimed at eliciting specific information. Probing questions are designed to
explore areas of interest. Probing questions should be used to encourage the candidate to talk more about a specific aspect of their experience or
knowledge. These can be used to further explore information or situations described by the candidate or to clarify a particular issue
Comparative Questions
These encourage the interviewee to identify key differences in their experiences, duties, style of work, situations, etc. Examples of comparative
questions are:
- What would you say was the biggest difference between the jobs with X and Y?
- How do the responsibilities in your current job compare to those in your previous position?
Hypothetical Questions
These questions encourage a candidate to describe what they would do if faced with a particular situation. For example, a hypothetical question
might be: How would you manage a poor performing staff member? These types of questions explore the candidates knowledge but not their
past behaviour. Often a candidate will give you a superficial answer of what they know to be right. It is better to find out what they actually did; a
better question would be: How did you manage a poor performing staff member?
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A closed question is one that can be answered with very few words. Overall, questions that begin with who?, what?, which?, when? or
where? should be avoided. Other examples might be: Do you think it is very important to be firm with a team? or Did you complete your
degree? These types of questions should be used only when an interviewer needs to check a fact or confirm a detail.
Leading Questions
Leading questions give the candidate the answer to the question being asked. An example might be We think teamwork is very important. What
do you think about teamwork? Most candidates will simply agree with the interviewer.
Double Questions
These occur when the interviewer asks two questions in the same sentence. These questions can be confusing to the candidate. An example of
a double question is I am keen to hear about your experience in planning and about the last time you needed to empower a team member
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A distance of one to one and a half metres between the interviewer and the candidate is adequate. A distance of less than one metre may create
discomfort, while more than five feet becomes overly formal.
Posture:
The interviewers body should be orientated directly towards the candidate. The interviewer should sit up and slightly lean forward to show
interest in what the candidate is saying.
Eye Contact
Eye contact should demonstrate interest. Interviewers who do not look sufficiently at the candidate will find it harder to control and regulate the
interview.
Facial Expression:
Facial expression should indicate interest in what the candidate is saying. The interviewer should ensure her/his expression conveys interest and
should avoid expressing boredom, irritation or disbelief.
Head Movements:
The interviewer should come across as calm and confident but excessive gesturing can undermine the latter. Hands can be used to give a
greater emphasis to interviewers questions and to control or encourage the flow of information from the candidate; but clenched hands and
entwined legs can communicate nervousness.
Voice Production:
Nervousness and under-confidence in the interviewer can be conveyed by talking too quickly or too slowly. The interviewer should project
calmness by speaking in a steady but energetic pace. Monotonous speech should be avoided as it may convey disinterest.
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Simple responses such as mm, yes, fine, I see, can be especially useful when the interviewee is recounting a lengthy experience
Restating or summarising indicates that the interviewer is intent on getting an accurate picture of what the candidate is saying
Perceptive probing and the use of follow-up questions tend to reinforce the interviewers interest.
Commitment
Drive for Results
Embracing Diversity
Integrity
Self-awareness and Self-regulation
Teamwork
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Flexibility
Strategic and Global Thinking
Group Facilitation
Tact
Influence
Team Leadership
Judgment Knowledge/ Leadership (
Technical (please see below, 3. TECHNICAL COMPETENCIES.)
3. TECHNICAL COMPETENCIES (Technical knowledge/ Technical leadership; divided into two groups)
Technical Competencies are:
What is a Competency profile and what is its function in the interview process?
A competency profile identifies and describes the competencies critical for successful performance in a job, within a specific functional area and at a
specific level. Each competency in the profile is defined and accompanied by statements of behaviour which describe standards of performance to
which the incumbent should aspire.
In the recruitment, selection and placement process, the competency profile along with the job description are used to identify the selection criteria
for the post. The interviewer(s) should (typically) assess the foundational competencies and additional 3 to 5 competencies that are deemed most
critical for success in the post under recruitment and that best reflect the key aspects of the role. The choice of competencies should stem from the
interviewers knowledge of the position and from the critical incident and commonly occurring situations the future incumbent will face. A
competency typically takes around 15 minutes to explore fully; therefore the exploration of four competencies will take approximately one hour.
During the course of a structured interview, candidates should be assessed against these competencies. The comparative assessment of
candidates against competencies enables the organisation to determine the strengths and weaknesses of various candidates and their potential to
develop.
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SECTION 4
OPEN refers to the need to open up the discussion in order to understand the breadth of experience a candidate has had in relation to a
competency area.
BACK refers to the gathering of specific evidence of the individual behaviour in those situations. Remember that it is an understanding of
an individuals past behaviour that helps us to predict their future behaviour and therefore their likely performance within UNICEF.
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OPportunities
ExperieNce
- identifying specific experiences an individual has had which necessitated the use of a
particular competency
Behavioural description
- seeking specific evidence of how an individual has behaved in past, relevant situations
Appraisal
- highlighting any feedback a candidate has had on their performance in a competency area
Comparison
Knowledge
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The interviewer should pursue questioning the candidate until a competency is properly assessed
Candidates will often skim over an important area. The interviewer should be prepared to ask probing questions that clarify ambiguous information.
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The interviewer must take notes during and immediately after the interview. It is important to take notes on everything the candidate says and
does. The interviewer should record as much verbatim information as possible. Interviewers should avoid writing down their judgements as the
interview is intended to be a data collection exercise. The evaluation and decision making should take place after the interview.
Notes on certain aspects of behaviour such as verbal fluency or hesitancy, excessive nervousness, etc. should also be written down
Some interviewers may find it helpful to mention that they will be taking notes at the beginning of the interview. Note taking should be done
openly but not in such a way that the candidate can see what is being recorded.
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First, decide which competency the behaviour illustrates. It may be the case that some behaviours can be assigned to more than one
competency; discretion should used as it is better to allocate the behaviour to one competency rather than to two or more.
Second, identify whether the behaviour documented in your interview notes positively or negatively illustrates that competency by assigning a
+ or - sign next to your comments.
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When using the rating scale remember that the following factors can distort assessments:
Halo effect this is the tendency to rate candidates highly on one criterion because they have impressed on other criteria;
Central tendency - tendency to give candidates a middle rating rather than using the E or D rating which clearly indicate that the candidate
strongly demonstrated the competency or did not demonstrate it at all;
Response bias - a tendency to under or over rate;
Logical error - not making a clear distinction between two competencies;
Contrast effect - rating one candidate against another instead of against the competency.
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PLANNING, STANDARD
SETTING AND MONITORING
WORK
Definition
9 Positives Indicators
x Negative indicators
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Definition
9 Positive Indicators
X Negative Indicators
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9 Positives Indicators
X Negative Indicators
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Can you describe a time when you have been able to use your
contacts to further the efforts of your organisation?
How was this possible?
What did you need to do in return?
What do you do to build your networks?
Can you describe an occasion when you have not been able to
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Effectively presenting
thoughts and ideas in a clear,
concise, and readily
understood manner. Listen to
and acknowledges others
perspectives and views.
9 Positive Indicators
X Negative Indicators
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9 Positive Indicators
X Negative Indicators
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Please tell me about a time when you have gone out of your
way to assist a member of your team:
What prompted you to take action and what did you do?
What was the outcome?
How has that changed things between you?
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JUDGEMENT
Definition
9 Positive Indicators
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Can you think of a time when you were rushed into a quick
decision that you later regretted?
What lead to the need to make a hasty decision?
How has this influenced your subsequent behaviour?
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Systematically investigating,
studying, or otherwise
breaking down a problem
using logical reasoning and
drawing accurate and
appropriate conclusion.
9 Positive Indicators
X Negative Indicators
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Integrity
Definition
9 Positive Indicators
X Negative indicators
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Tell me about the last time that you were faced with a
professional or ethical dilemma at work.
What was the specific situation?
How did you feel?
How did you resolve the dilemma?
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Definition
9 Positive Indicators
X Negative Indicators
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Could you describe a situation where you were very open with
your feelings?
Why did you adopt this approach?
What effect did it have?
If similar circumstances arose, what, if anything, would you do
differently?
pressure?
To what extent were your colleagues and team aware of the
stress you were under?
How did they know?
What did you do?
What was the outcome?
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Building Trust
Definition
9 Positive Indicators
X Negative Indicators
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Please tell me about a time when you have tried hard to be very
frank and open.
Why was frankness important?
How did you approach the situation?
What did you say?
What did you do?
How was your message received?
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Decisiveness
Definition
9 Positive Indicators
X Negative Indicators
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INTERVIEW PROTOCOL:
Education
POST TITLE:____Senior Programme Officer____
INTERVIEW DETAILS
Name of Candidate
External/Internal
External
Nationality
Kenya
Date of Birth
10/10/1965
Gender
Female
Interviewer(s)
or
Telephone D
Ms. AAAA
Ms. BBBB
Mr. CCCC
If several candidates are to be interviewed on the same day, a timetable should be prepared. It
should allow sufficient time for each interview and provide the interviewer with ample time to
complete the interview protocol. Normally a competency based interview last for approximately
an hour or more, and 20 minutes are required for completing the assessment, ranking the
candidates. Please remember to suspend judgement during the interview, just observe and
record.
g) The interviewers must have the Job description and/or terms of reference together with all
relevant background information/CV of each candidate.
h) The panel may wish to recommend learning / developmental support for the candidate.
i)
The panel should arrange for all interviewed candidates to receive feedback (please refer to the
developmental coaching guidelines in the P2D portal
Comments
Technical Knowledge:
A. Academic Qualifications:
Mid
Two years of
relevant
professional
work
experience.
Five to eight
years of
relevant
professional
work
experience.
Developing
Developing
country work
country work
experience (for experience (for
NO).
NO).
Background/
Background/
Familiarity with Familiarity with
emergency and emergency and
security.
security.
C. Specialized Expertise:
Senior
Ten to thirteen
years of
relevant
professional
work
experience.
Developing
country work
experience (for
NO).
Background/
Familiarity with
emergency and
security.
D
Worked briefly in NGO.
D
D
Extensive experience as engineer in water
purification.
D
D
Fluency in English
Fluency in French
Fluency in Spanish
D Mother tongue
D
D
D
Junior-Level: applies to posts categorized as NO-A, NO-B, L-1, L-2, P-1, and P-2.
Mid-Level: applies to posts categorized as NO-C, NO-D, L-3, L-4, P-3, and P-4.
Senior level: applies to posts categorized as P-5 and above as well as Section Chief /
Office Head (National and International Officers).
Competencies Required
Assessment
O N
W
D
D E
D
Comments
Foundational Competencies:
Commitment
Passionately and enthusiastically demonstrates
responsibility and dedication to UNICEF and its
mission and mandate. Aligns ones conduct with
UNICEFs goals, ideals and guiding principles.
Commits to building a culture that embodies these
ideals.
Drive for Results
Effectively translates ideas into actions. Has a drive
to implement goals and objectives, to accomplish
tasks, ensuring the end-results or services are
delivered to the clients by deadlines. Makes things
happen through perseverance and tenacity.
Achieves quantifiable and measurable results.
Identifies areas for improvement and takes
necessary steps to implement those changes.
Embracing Diversity
Values differences in gender, culture, opinions,
values, perspectives, ideas, skills, and experiences.
Managing and leveraging this diversity to maximize
UNICEF's effectiveness.
Integrity
Acts with uncompromising ethics and honesty at all
times, in all situations, both professionally and
personally.
Self-Awareness and Self-Regulation
Knowing and managing ones own emotions,
strengths, weaknesses, passions, interests, and
values.
Teamwork
Cooperates and works effectively with others in the
pursuit of common goals.
D
D
Competencies Required
Assessment
W
O N
D
D
D E
Comments
D
D
D
Junior-Level: applies to posts categorized as NO-A, NO-B, L-1, L-2, P-1, and P-2.
Mid-Level: applies to posts categorized as NO-C, NO-D, L-3, L-4, P-3, and P-4.
Senior level: applies to posts categorized as P-5 and above as well as Section Chief /
Office Head (National and International Officers).
AAAA BBBB