Civil Service - Answering Strength Based Questions

Civil Service - Answering Strength Based Questions. Elizabeth Conley, Senior Interview Coach at Interview Skills Clinic helps you prepare for a Strength based Civil Service interview? You are likely to be asked Strength questions as part of the Civil Service blended recruitment assessment under Success Profiles. In this video I will tell you what a Strength is, the difference between Strength and Behaviour questions and the relationship between the two type of questions. I give you tips on how to prepare for Strength questions in your interview. In part two, you can listen to some typical Strength questions so that there familiar with them before the interview.

00:00 What are Civil Service Strength based questions
00:41 What are Civil Service Strength questions
01:02 How do I know what Civil Service Strengths I will be asked
02:36 Example of Civil Service Strength questions
04:59 Read full post and Book Free Consultation

[ElizabethConley-vx]

In most Civil Service interviews candidates will be told the Behaviour before being asked the question. If not, you can certainly ask if you are not clear what Behaviour the question refers to. For example: ‘Tell me about a time when you were working with stakeholders who had different agendas, how did you build consensus and influence the outcome? This could be a Working Together or Communicating and Influencing Behaviour. If you are being asked Strength questions you will not be told the Strengths before the question. Good luck with your interview.

[neilhunter]

I'm glad you pointed out the page in the success profiles where it matches each strength to a behaviour. Also how you gave insight how to answer a strength based question as I have been so used to answering behaviour based questions only.

[HG-bipu]

During the interview, do they tell you what behaviour they’re about to ask questions around, or are we to figure it out ourselves what behaviour the question aligns with? For example my interview will be assessing 5 behaviours, will they tell me “the next questions will be assessing you around behaviour…”

Thank you in advance to anyone able to respond

[James-ldqh]

Behaviour questions are nothing like 'tell me about a time when you...'. That's the old style of CS interview. You're meant to answer the scenario-based question, and then back up it up with an example as an add-on where possible.

[grm]

Would you still use a STAR example for a strength question? Thanks for your advice.

[Telugumusic-om]

Are behaviour based and strength based different and both needs to be answered in a star method?

[lifeofnoemidi]

Hi there : ) I am applying for a CS and in the application the behaviour I will be assessed on is 'Making Effective Decisions'. If I proceed to the interview stage, will they ask questions solely about this behaviour or will they also inquire about the other ones? Thank you in advance :) Do you have any additional resources to help me prepare my application?

[sbo]

Thanks for the video. I am struggling to understand the structure of Civil Service interviews now. I had quite a lot years ago before they switched to Success Profiles and I did really well. But I am understanding correctly that now when you go for an interview, say you have seven questions, ALL of your seven are the ones structured as strength based questions? Or is there a mix of behaviour based and strength based? I thought it was only strength based but with you saying at the start that it was now more of a combo I am not sure

[milesmimi]

When attending a CS interview, do we need to answer strength questions with the STAR method? Or just answering the question with our own examples is OK? thanks.

[qw]

Hi, I have a strength based interview for immigration enforcement officer role. Can you predict what type of questions they’ll ask 😬

[adam_meek]

The word 'one' is properly pronounced 'WUN' - but northerners seem insensibl. including Bank of England chief.
Very Strange.