Manukau City Council uses a competency-based approach to interview all candidates.

All interviews are conducted by a panel of two or three people. Our interviewing style is interactive and behaviourally based. Prior to your interview, you will be taken through the process.

The questions are designed to help us determine how well you have demonstrated the required competencies of the job in your past and current employment.

To prepare for the interview you should refer to the competencies set out in the job advertisement / description.  This will assist you in referring to actual examples and / or other relevant situations.  There will be questions on each of the competencies.  Don’t be afraid to prepare notes and bring them along with you to the interview.

In order for the interview panel to obtain the required information, you will be asked to structure your answers into a ‘story’. The structure of your answers should be as follows :

STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Results):

• Briefly describe the Situation you were in or Task you had to perform and what you were thinking at the time
• What you did (Action) and why
• What the outcome was (Results)

You will also be questioned about your skills and previous experience.