This ‘just in time’ approach is, let’s be generous here, not the most effective or productive method and makes a difficult process even harder. I honesty will never understand this approach but hey, I’m not the one taking the interview!

Only when an interview is actually booked in do most candidates press the ‘start’ button and usually only then as they are in a state of panic. They then try to remember six or seven standout pieces of work that they have done over the years, that they think will match the competencies from the framework that are being assessed (this in itself is going about things in the wrong way and the fix for this is explained in Key Element 2 of our 5 Key Elements for a High Scoring Answer Model).

The problem here is that, at best, our memory of such past events is never really that clear or detailed in nature and, at worse, you can only recall the very basic information. Most candidates I speak with say this is a significant challenge to them and possibly the hardest part of the process. I know for myself I can’t remember what I was doing yesterday most of the time, never mind 2 years ago.

What tends to happen is it’s just really hard to remember exactly what you did, who was involved, what were the key obstacles in that situation and any great detail and depth of what actually happened – which is exactly what you need in your interview and is invariably left out. So, your example answers are consequently vague, light weight and not really an accurate representation of the facts. This lack of detail may even make your answers sound unbelievable (and not in the good way) to the assessors as you can’t supply any specifics and nuance to make them believe it was you that actually did the work.

“Where you really there? Was it really your colleague that drove this?” Hmmm, not sure… fail.

In our opinion and experience you need a much more planned and organised approach.

Painful and laborious though it may be, you need to start planning for success NOW, wherever you are currently in your career or job hunt. This planning should not just be for your next interview but for all future interviews in your career. You need to be prepared, ready to go at the drop of a hat, as you never truly know when an interview will be scheduled and how short the lead time may be. I have spoken to many candidates over the last few weeks who have had just a few days from application to interview – harsh but that’s reality sometimes.

So, the solution is to start to build a comprehensive portfolio of preprepared answers for all the competencies that are relevant for the roles that you are applying for that you can call on and use when the whenever you secure an interview. Start ASAP. Start today. Start now!

From now on, each time you complete a piece of appropriate work you should allocate time to reflect on it and then record your experience in fine detail. Do remember though, the more straightforward situations are, the better, as they are less complicated to explain to the assessors. In your write up include all the points that you will no doubt forget as time goes by. Don’t leave information out at this point – it’s always better to have more than less.

To help you identify which competency these situations are best suited to and to help you write them up in the most effective way you really need to then use the bselected 3 Pillars of Success Model: Content, Structure and Delivery, on which all of our interview coaching programmes is based. This will ensure that you focus on the relevant content that the assessors will expect from you (not just what you think is relevant or important), that you structure your evidence it in a way that is easy for you to verbalise and that is easy for the assessors to understand where you are trying to take them.

Using this approach, when the time comes and you have secured an interview, 90% of the hard work is already done. You can then select the best situations from your portfolio that evidence the required competencies for your interview without the ball ache of having to recall what you did way back when. Winner.

Once selected you can concentrate on learning your answers and improving the delivery of them – which in our expert opinion is arguably the most important pillar of success. Your aim here to be as authentic as possible and not slip into being an interview robot – ‘b more normal’ as we say here at bselected Towers.

Maintaining this portfolio of evidence should be the first stage of your interview preparation and be a core part of your ongoing continuous professional development. The examples in your portfolio should be continually updated and improved as you do more complex pieces of work and your experience of certain situations increases, ensuring that the examples are always role appropriate.

To find out more how we can help you ‘b’ the best you can be at interview, give us a call on 0161 327 2126. We are always happy to have a chat, or take a look at our coaching options here

The post Remembering What You Did – The Hardest Part of A Interview Process? appeared first on bselected.com.

Why This Balance Is So Challenging

1. The Authority Dilemma: Leaders are tasked with driving results and making tough decisions. However, this authority can sometimes alienate team members, leading to perceptions of being too controlling or distant.

2. Empathy Without Boundaries: Empathy is key to understanding your team’s needs, but overemphasis can blur professional boundaries. Without clear limits, leaders might struggle to enforce accountability.

3. Competing Demands: Balancing task-oriented goals with the human side of leadership becomes especially tricky when under tight deadlines or high-pressure situations.

4. Self-Doubt and Inexperience: For new managers, stepping into a leadership role may provoke feelings of insecurity, making it harder to project confidence or earn respect.

Strategies for New Managers to Mitigate This Challenge
To bridge the gap between authority and empathy, new managers can adopt practical strategies that nurture both team cohesion and performance.

1. Adopt a Servant Leadership Mindset
Servant leadership puts the needs of the team first, encouraging leaders to act as facilitators rather than dictators. By asking, “How can I support you?” and genuinely listening, managers build trust without undermining their authority.

2. Set Clear Expectations
Empathy shouldn’t come at the cost of accountability. Establish clear goals, deadlines, and expectations upfront, so there’s a shared understanding of responsibilities. When boundaries are defined, empathy complements structure rather than replacing it.

3. Develop Emotional Intelligence (EI)
Emotional intelligence (the ability to recognize, understand, and manage one’s own emotions while empathizing with others) is a cornerstone of balanced leadership. New managers can enhance EI by practicing active listening, remaining self-aware, and pausing before reacting to stressful situations.

4. Communicate Transparently
Transparency fosters trust. Sharing the “why” behind decisions, even tough ones, humanizes a leader’s authority. When employees understand the rationale, they’re more likely to feel respected and engaged.

5. Embrace Continuous Feedback
Leadership is a journey of learning. Regularly seek feedback from your team, peers, or mentors to identify blind spots and improve your approach. Demonstrating humility shows that you value growth, which inspires the same mindset in your team.

6. Invest in Development
Whether it’s through books, workshops, or coaching, new managers should prioritize leadership development. Gaining insights from seasoned leaders or experts can provide valuable tools for addressing challenges with confidence. Of course, to be promoted you need to be able to verbalise your leadership capability in the board – that’s were bselected’s expert coaching can make a huge difference to you at your interview or assessment centre – click here to see our coaching options.

Wrapping Up: Growth Through Balance
The most effective leaders are those who balance decisiveness with compassion, driving performance while cultivating trust. For new managers, this balance requires practice and intentionality but is ultimately achievable. By adopting the right mindset and leveraging strategies like clear communication, continuous feedback, and emotional intelligence, new leaders can transform challenges into opportunities for growth.

Leadership, after all, is not about perfection – it’s about progress. What steps will you take to embrace this journey?

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If you’re currently stepping into or navigating leadership roles, I’d love to hear your thoughts. What challenges have you faced, and how have you worked through them? Let’s spark a conversation that can help both seasoned and aspiring leaders alike.

The post The Hardest Part of Leadership and How New Managers Can Overcome It appeared first on bselected.com.

In 1979 there was a Harvard Business School MBA study on goal setting. The following question was put to a class involved in the study:

Have you set written goals and created a plan for their attainment?

Prior to their graduation, it was determined that:

• 84% of the entire class had set no goals at all,
• 13% of the class had set written goals but had no concrete plans,
• and 3% of the class had both written goals and concrete plans.

10 years later, the 13% of the class that had set written goals but had not created plans, were making twice as much money as the 84% of the class that had set no goals at all. The 3% of the class that had both written goals and a plan, were making ten times as much as the rest of the 97% of the class. Nice!

The Importance of Goal Setting

Whether or not the numbers around the study on goal setting are exact (and there is evidence that they may not be), it does highlight that to achieve your goals, you need to write them down and then plan to hit them. Without a plan, chances for success are minimal.

Another study by Statistic Brain, which analysed New Year’s goals, claims that just 8% of people achieve their New Year’s goals. In other words, 92% fail. Digging a little deeper into the study also reveals how quickly people actually give up.

• 75% of people make it through their first week
• 71% of people make it past two weeks
• 64% of people make it past one month
• 46% of people make it past six months

We can all probably relate to this – giving up on a gym membership before January is out or succumbing to a cheeky beer or two and so fail with ‘Dry January’.

So, the simple message here is that if you want to succeed, you need to write your goals down, make them SMART, create a plan and take action.

Setting SMART Goals

SMART goals are highly specific and exact about what you want to achieve. SMART stands for;

S pecific – You need to define your goal as much as possible with no unclear or ambiguous language. You need to detail who is involved, what you want to do in order to accomplish your goal, where it will be done and why you are doing it.
M easurable – You need to be able to track the progress and measure the outcome. How will you know when your goal has been achieved?
A chievable – Your goal needs to be reasonable/realistic enough to be actually accomplished. Your goal should not be out of reach.
R elevant – Ask yourself is the goal worthwhile and will it meet your needs? Is it meaningful to you? Why are you bothering doing it?
T ime framed – You need to put a time limit on your objective. This will establish a sense of urgency and force you to have better time management.

So, a poor example of goal setting would be to;

“I want to get promoted.”

If we made this goal SMART it would be more akin to;

“I will earn a promotion to Account Manager within the next 12 months by gathering the appropriate evidence of my competence that will enable me to build a comprehensive work based portfolio and discussing my on-going performance with my line manager at monthly 1:1’s, before preparing a draft application form ready for submission for the next promotion process. The increased salary that the new role will bring will help me provide security for my family ”

Specific: The goal setter has clearly set the objective to be promoted to the role of account manager.
Measurable: Success can be measured by gathering evidence, having regular 1:1s, filing the draft application form and ultimately earning the promotion.
Achievable: The goal is achievable as there are no reasons why the promotion application cannot be progressed (e.g. lack of qualifications).
Relevant: The goal is aligned to longer term career and personal ambition of providing security to the family.
Time-based: The goal setter has set a deadline to achieve their objective within 12 months.

Develop a Thorough Plan
Once you have set your SMART goals, you’ll need to create a plan. Without a plan, you’re unlikely to succeed.
Create a plan that’s detailed enough so that your goals have direction. How are you going to achieve those goals? You need to create a roadmap that will take you from Point A to Point B.

Take Action
Procrastination is the silent killer of implementation. It’s largely responsible for the 92% of people that don’t follow through with their New Year’s resolutions. It’s the “I’ll start it next week” mindset. Clearly, it’s no good having a plan if you don’t start to work on it.

You need to ensure that your goals are meaningful enough to you. If they are, you will get on and start. You’ll do what it takes so that you can become like the 3% group in the Harvard study, and not like the other 97%. If your goals are not meaningful and you are not really that bothered about achieving them, you probably won’t be bothered.

Manage, Track and Adjust
Daily goal setting and management of your goals is key. This helps you to achieve milestones along the way to those bigger long-term goals. Daily goals are great also because it allows you to track your results along the way. So, track your results by setting daily goals. Then, if you see that something isn’t working out the right way, you can adjust your approach appropriately.

Download our  SMART Goal Template to help write down and record your goals for this year and get your promotion preparation off to a more focussed start.

The post The Importance of New Year Goal Setting appeared first on bselected.com.

Understanding the Past, Present, and Future Model
The Past, Present, and Future model is a simple yet powerful framework that helps you organise your responses by dividing them into three key timeframes:

• Past: What have you accomplished or experienced?
• Present: What are you currently doing?
• Future: What are your goals or plans moving forward?

This structure not only helps you cover all relevant aspects of your experience but also ensures that your responses are clear and focused, making it easier for interviewers to understand your journey and potential. Unstructured interviews often lack the predictability of standard questions, requiring you to think on your feet and provide comprehensive answers without much guidance. The Past, Present, and Future model serves as a mental roadmap, guiding you through your response by giving you a clear structure to follow, no matter how open-ended the question.

How to Apply the Past, Present, and Future Model to Unstructured Interview Questions
Here’s how you can effectively use this model to answer different types of unstructured interview questions:

1. Broad Questions About Your Experience
Unstructured interviews often include broad questions like, “Tell me about yourself” or “Walk me through your career.” These questions can feel overwhelming because they give you so much freedom in how you answer.

Using the Model:

• Past: Start by briefly summarising your relevant past experiences, focusing on key roles or accomplishments that have shaped your career.

E.g: “I started my career in marketing, where I developed a strong foundation in branding and customer engagement. My most significant experience was leading a rebranding project that increased our market share by 15%.

• Present: Transition to what you are currently doing, emphasising how your present role builds on your past experiences.

E.g: “Currently, I’m working as a marketing manager at a tech startup, where I’m responsible for overseeing digital marketing campaigns and driving customer acquisition strategies.”

• Future: Conclude with your future aspirations and how the position you’re interviewing for aligns with your career goals.

E.g: “Looking ahead, I’m excited to continue advancing in a leadership role where I can drive innovative marketing strategies that contribute to business growth.”

2. Questions About Your Problem-Solving Approach
Unstructured interviews may include open-ended questions about how you handle challenges, such as, “How do you approach problem-solving?”

Using the Model:

• Past: Begin with an example of a problem you faced in the past and how you approached it.

E.g: “In my previous job, we encountered a significant drop in customer satisfaction due to a product issue. I led a cross-functional team to investigate the root cause and implemented a solution that improved our ratings within a quarter.”

• Present: Discuss how you apply those problem-solving skills in your current role.

E.g: “Currently, I use a similar approach to problem-solving by first gathering data, then collaborating with key stakeholders to develop and implement solutions.”

• Future: Explain how you plan to continue refining your problem-solving abilities and how they would benefit the company.

E.g: “In the future, I’m eager to tackle more complex challenges and explore innovative problem-solving techniques, such as leveraging data analytics for predictive insights.”

3. Questions About Career Goals and Aspirations
Unstructured interviews often probe into your long-term career plans with questions like, “Where do you see yourself in the future?” or “What are your career aspirations?”

Using the Model:

• Past: Reflect on how your previous experiences have shaped your career trajectory.

E.g: “My past roles in project management have given me a strong foundation in leading teams and managing complex initiatives, which has fuelled my passion for strategic leadership.”

• Present: Talk about what you are currently doing to progress toward your goals.

E.g: “At present, I’m honing my leadership skills by taking on larger projects and mentoring junior team members, which is preparing me for a more senior role.”

• Future: Describe your long-term career goals and how they align with the position you’re applying for.

E.g: “In the future, I aim to step into a director-level position where I can shape the strategic direction of the company and drive impactful business outcomes.”

4. Responding to Unexpected or Curveball Questions
Unstructured interviews often include unexpected, or “curveball” questions designed to assess your creativity or how you think on your feet, such as, “If you could be any animal, which one would you be and why?” Although these make me cringe (and are absolutely not evidence based selection), you may be unfortunate enough to be asked such questions.

Using the Model:

• Past: Link your choice to a past experience or trait that is relevant.

E.g: “In my past experiences, I’ve always admired the resilience and teamwork of wolves, which is why I would choose to be one.”

• Present: Relate it to your current situation or working style.

E.g: “Right now, I approach my work with a collaborative mindset, much like a wolf in a pack, always striving to achieve goals as a team.”

• Future: Connect it to your future aspirations.

E.g: “Looking ahead, I aim to continue leading by example, much like the alpha of a wolf pack, fostering collaboration and guiding teams toward success.”

Summary

The Past Present Future model provides structure in ambiguity. The model gives you a clear framework to follow, helping you stay focused even when the questions are open-ended. It ensures comprehensive answers by covering your past experiences, current activities, and future goals, you can deliver well-rounded responses that touch on all the interviewer’s potential interests. It helps highlight growth, allowing you to showcase your development over time, emphasising how your past has shaped your present and how both will influence your future and finally it enhances storytelling – helps you craft a narrative that is both engaging and informative, making your answers more memorable.

Unstructured interviews can be unpredictable, but with the Past, Present, and Future model, you can navigate them with confidence. This simple yet effective framework helps you organise your thoughts, provide comprehensive answers, and showcase your growth and potential. Whether you’re responding to broad questions about your experience, explaining your problem-solving approach, or sharing your career aspirations, the Past, Present, and Future model ensures that you present a clear and compelling story every time.

So, the next time you face an unstructured interview, remember this model – it could be your key to success.

The post Mastering Unstructured Interview Questions with the Past, Present, and Future Model appeared first on bselected.com.

Leadership Potential: The Defining Factor
Organisations looking to fill senior leadership positions aren’t simply looking for someone who can manage people or processes. They want someone who can lead with vision, inspire teams, and navigate change.

Companies are looking for evidence that you have the strategic thinking, decisiveness, and ability to foster collaboration that are essential at the top levels. Simply put, they want proof that you’re not just a manager, but a leader.

The interview is your opportunity to demonstrate this. However, many candidates stumble by relying too heavily on discussing past achievements without connecting them to future leadership potential. To succeed, you need to tell compelling stories that highlight your leadership style, decision-making under pressure, and ability to inspire others.

But don’t wait until you’re sitting in front of the hiring panel to think about these examples. Start now by gathering specific, measurable instances where you’ve led others effectively, particularly in complex or challenging situations. The more concrete examples you can provide, the stronger your case for leadership potential.

Training to Build Your Leadership Profile
While experience is critical, targeted development through training can also give you the tools you need to both demonstrate and enhance your leadership potential. Investing in relevant courses will not only build your skill set but also give you more substance to discuss in an interview. Consider focusing on these types of training:

1. Executive Leadership Programs
These programs are designed to help senior leaders sharpen their ability to think strategically, make high-level decisions, and lead organisational change. Programs from institutions like Harvard Business School focus on leadership, communication, and strategic thinking.

2. Emotional Intelligence (EQ) Training
Emotional intelligence is one of the most sought-after skills in senior leaders. A course in EQ, can give you the ability to manage relationships effectively, improve team dynamics, and lead with empathy – skills that are essential at the senior level.

3. Decision-Making and Problem-Solving Courses.Leadership involves making tough decisions quickly and efficiently. These courses focus on refining these skills, which you can directly apply in high-pressure leadership situations.

4. Advanced Communication and Negotiation Skills
Senior leaders are often responsible for navigating high-stakes negotiations and influencing stakeholders. Programs on negotiation and communication can be invaluable in improving your ability to articulate ideas persuasively.

5. Leadership Coaching Certification
A certification in leadership coaching can not only help you develop the ability to coach and mentor others, but also reinforce your own leadership journey.

Build Your Leadership Narrative
As you engage in these trainings and reflect on your experiences, think about how to weave them into a powerful leadership narrative. Every anecdote, every project you’ve spearheaded, and every decision you’ve made needs to show your readiness to lead in a senior capacity. Be prepared to answer questions like:

• How have you inspired and developed others?
• What strategic challenges have you navigated, and how did you approach them?
• How do you handle conflict and build consensus in a team?
• Can you demonstrate your ability to lead through ambiguity and change?

Remember, the goal is to go beyond past successes, you must prove that your leadership potential is aligned with the organisation’s future. That proof comes not just from telling stories but also from continuous self-improvement and upskilling.

The Time to Act is Now
If you’re targeting a senior leadership role, don’t wait until the interview to start thinking about how to demonstrate your leadership potential. Start gathering evidence today and invest in training programs that will give you the skills, confidence, and edge you need.

Senior leadership is not about resting on past laurels; it’s about continuously growing and showing that you are ready for the challenges of tomorrow.

The next time you walk into an interview for a senior position, make sure you’re prepared to show that you’re not just a candidate with experience – you’re a leader ready to shape the future.

The post Why Demonstrating Leadership Potential is Crucial for Interview Success appeared first on bselected.com.

Here are some tailored tips to help introverts succeed in the interview process.

1. Leverage Your Strengths
Introverts are often great listeners, deep thinkers, and detail-oriented. Use these traits to your advantage. In an interview, listening carefully to the questions and responding thoughtfully will demonstrate your ability to engage deeply with the conversation. Employers appreciate candidates who are attentive and can provide well-considered answers rather than those who simply speak for the sake of speaking.

2. Prepare Thoroughly
One of the best ways to boost your confidence as an introvert is to prepare thoroughly. Research the organisation (if required), understand the job description, and anticipate the questions you might be asked. The more prepared you are, the less likely you’ll be caught off guard, and the more confident you’ll feel.

3. Practice Self-Promotion
Self-promotion doesn’t come naturally to many introverts, but it’s a crucial part of the interview process. Practice talking about your achievements and strengths in a way that feels authentic to you. Focus on factual statements and let your work speak for itself. If you struggle with this, try framing your experiences in terms of the value you bring to the team or company, rather than just talking about yourself. You really do need to ‘sell’ the benefits of your experience to the interviewer.

4. Control the Pace
Introverts tend to prefer processing information internally before responding. If you need a moment to think before answering a question, it’s okay to pause. You can buy yourself some time by saying, “That’s a great question, let me think about that for a moment.” This will allow you to collect your thoughts and respond more effectively, rather than feeling pressured to answer immediately. bselectedpolice’s coaching provides a model to help you control tricky parts of any interview.

5. Prepare Questions
Asking questions during an interview shows that you’re engaged and interested in the role. Introverts often excel at asking thoughtful, insightful questions. Prepare a few questions in advance about the company culture, the team you’ll be working with, or the challenges of the role. This will not only help you gather important information but also demonstrate your genuine interest in the position.

6. Manage Energy Levels
Interviews can be draining for introverts, especially if you have multiple interviews in a short period. Be mindful of your energy levels and schedule breaks when (and if) possible. If you can, try to schedule interviews during the time of day when you feel most alert and focused. After the interview, give yourself time to recharge and reflect.

7. Embrace Your Authenticity
Finally, remember that authenticity is key. Don’t try to be someone you’re not just because you think that’s what the interviewer wants to see. Be yourself, and let your natural strengths shine through. Employers value authenticity and will appreciate your genuine personality – but you also MUST prepare well. You can’t just rely on your amazing personality to get you through.

bselected provides gold standard interview coaching designed to dramatically improve your interview technique, boost your confidence & secure the job or promotion you deserve. We tailor our masterclasses and personal consultations to individuals to help all personality types.

Click here to see our coaching options or call 0161 327 2126 for a free 15 minute consultation about how coaching can help you.

The post 7 Interview Tips for Introverts: How to Shine with Your Unique Strengths appeared first on bselected.com.

This challenge encompasses several critical areas that you will need to address effectively at interview. So how can you optimise your answers?

1. Articulating a Strategic Vision

The Challenge: Senior leaders are expected to have a clear and actionable vision for the future of the organisation. Interviewers scrutinise candidates for their ability to articulate long-term goals and strategies that align with the company’s mission and values. This requires not only a deep understanding of sector trends and competitive landscapes but also the ability to communicate a compelling vision that inspires and guides the organisation.

Feedback Insights:

• Complexity of Vision: Candidates often struggle to balance between being too vague and being overly detailed. Interviewers look for a vision that is both ambitious and practical, which can be challenging to convey succinctly.
• Integration with Current Objectives: Demonstrating how your vision fits with the company’s existing strategies and addresses current challenges is a frequent area of difficulty.

Proactive Actions:

• Research Industry Trends and Competitor Strategies: Stay updated on your sectors’ key trends, emerging challenges, and competitors’ strategies. This knowledge will allow you to ground your vision in real-world contexts, making it more credible and actionable.
• Map Vision to Company Goals: Before the interview, analyse the organisation’s mission, values, and current strategic objectives. Use this analysis to create a vision that addresses these points while reflecting your own strategic thinking.
• Practice Communicating the Vision: Write down your strategic vision and practice delivering it both succinctly and in greater detail, depending on the interviewer’s preference. This helps strike the balance between ambition and feasibility.
• Prepare for Follow-up Questions: Anticipate questions that may dive deeper into how your vision integrates with the organisation’s current strategies, and have specific examples ready that support your thinking.

2. Proving Leadership Effectiveness

Challenge: Senior executives are assessed on their ability to lead effectively, which includes demonstrating past successes in leadership roles, managing large teams, and handling complex organisational dynamics. This can be difficult because it involves showcasing not only personal achievements but also how those achievements translate into leadership qualities that can benefit the new organisation.

Feedback & Survey Insights:

• Depth of Experience: Interviewers often seek detailed examples of leadership in action, including specific outcomes, challenges overcome, and team dynamics managed. Candidates may find it challenging to provide comprehensive and relevant examples.
• Leadership Style Fit: Aligning your leadership style with the company’s culture and strategic needs can be complex, particularly when addressing different stakeholder expectations.

Proactive Actions:

• Prepare Leadership Case Studies: Develop 3-4 detailed case studies that demonstrate your leadership in action, focusing on challenges you overcame, the outcomes achieved, and how your leadership style adapted to meet different needs.
• Align Leadership Style with Company Culture: Research the organisation’s leadership culture and values. Reflect on how your own leadership approach aligns with or complements this style, and be prepared to communicate this alignment clearly.
• Use the STAR+ Method: When discussing past leadership experiences, structure your responses using the Situation, Task, Action, and Result (STAR) method. This helps provide clear and concise examples that highlight your effectiveness. bselected show you how to use the STAR+ model effectively and simply.
• Seek Feedback on Your Leadership Examples: Get feedback from mentors or peers on how well your examples demonstrate leadership effectiveness. Refine these examples based on their insights to ensure clarity and impact.

3. Handling Behavioural and Situational Questions

Challenge: Senior leader interviews frequently include behavioural and situational questions designed to evaluate how candidates handle real-world scenarios. These questions assess problem-solving skills, decision-making processes, and the ability to lead under pressure. Crafting responses that effectively demonstrate these competencies while aligning with the company’s needs is often a major hurdle.

Feedback & Survey Insights:

• Complexity of Situations: Senior leaders are expected to provide insights into complex situations involving multiple stakeholders and significant impact. Developing concise, relevant responses that highlight strategic thinking and leadership under pressure can be demanding.
• Real-World Applications: Candidates must connect their answers to how they will handle similar challenges in the new role, requiring a deep understanding of both their past experiences and the future role’s requirements.

Proactive Actions:

• Review Common Situational Scenarios: Anticipate potential behavioral and situational questions related to leadership challenges, decision-making under pressure, and conflict resolution. Create structured answers based on real experiences. Use bselected’s STAR+ and REDSTaR models to help you.
• Connect Past Experiences to Future Scenarios: Reflect on specific examples from your career that demonstrate your strategic thinking and leadership in complex situations. Be ready to explain how these experiences equip you to handle future challenges in the role.
• Prepare for Multi-Stakeholder Scenarios: Develop examples of how you’ve handled situations with conflicting priorities or multiple stakeholders. Highlight how you balanced different interests and achieved positive outcomes.
• Practice Decision-Making Frameworks: Familiarise yourself with decision-making models (e.g., NDM, SWOT analysis, risk management) and practice applying them to past or hypothetical scenarios to demonstrate a structured, thoughtful approach.

4. Balancing Vision with Practical Execution

Challenge: It’s not enough to have a strategic vision; candidates must also demonstrate how they will practically implement their vision. This involves outlining clear steps, resource allocation, and risk management strategies. Balancing visionary thinking with realistic, actionable plans is a nuanced aspect of the interview process.

Feedback & Survey Insights:

• Implementation Details: Providing a detailed plan for executing your vision, including how to overcome potential obstacles, is often challenging. Interviewers want to see a balance between strategic ambition and practical feasibility.
• Resource Management: Demonstrating how you will utilise available resources effectively to achieve your strategic goals is a key concern for interviewers.

Proactive Actions:

• Develop Execution Plans for Your Vision: Create a detailed outline that breaks down your strategic vision into actionable steps. Include timelines, resource requirements, and key milestones. This will help demonstrate your ability to translate vision into execution.
• Identify Potential Obstacles and Solutions: For each step in your vision execution plan, identify potential risks or barriers and propose mitigation strategies. This shows that you are not only visionary but also pragmatic in anticipating challenges.
• Use Metrics to Demonstrate Feasibility: Be prepared to discuss how you would measure the success of your vision. Demonstrating your ability to establish performance metrics adds credibility and shows you can manage execution effectively.
• Practice Communicating the Plan: During interviews, practice sharing both the high-level vision and the actionable steps clearly and concisely. Being able to switch between the two fluidly will show your ability to think strategically and execute practically.

Additional Tips:

• Engage in Reflective Practice: Regularly assess your leadership experiences and the strategic decisions you’ve made. This reflection will help you build a library of insights and examples to draw from during interviews.
• Leverage Mentorship or Coaching: Seek mentorship or executive coaching to refine your strategic thinking, leadership approach, and communication style, helping you be more polished during interviews – bselected’s personal consultations can help you massive boost your communication style.

Conclusion

Often, the most challenging aspect of a senior leader position interview is demonstrating a strategic vision and leadership capability that aligns with the company’s goals and culture. This includes articulating a compelling and practical vision, proving effective leadership with concrete examples, handling complex behavioral and situational questions, and balancing visionary ideas with actionable plans. Preparing for these challenges involves a deep understanding of both the company and oneself, along with the ability to communicate effectively and strategically.

The post Top Tips for Demonstrating Strategic Vision and Leadership at Interview appeared first on bselected.com.

In a recent poll we ran, it’s clear that these questions are a considerable concern for candidates going through a selection process. So, here’s how to craft a response that will impress your interviewer and help you stand out from the competition.

1. Understand the Purpose of the Question
Interviewers ask “Tell me about yourself” to get a quick sense of who you are, your background, and how you might fit into the team. They’re looking for a concise, focused summary that highlights your relevant experience, skills, and accomplishments. Your answer should give them a glimpse of your professional story and set the stage for a deeper discussion about your qualifications and competence.

2. Structure Your Response: The Past-Present-Future Formula
A clear and logical structure will help you deliver a strong answer. One of the most effective ways to organise your response is by using the Past-Present-Future formula:

Past: Start with a brief overview of your professional background. Focus on the experiences that are most relevant to the job you’re applying for. Mention your education, key roles, and any significant achievements that demonstrate your qualifications.

Present: Next, talk about your current role or most recent position. Highlight what you’re responsible for, the skills you’ve developed, and any notable successes. This part of your answer should connect your past experiences to what you’re doing now.

Future: Conclude by explaining why you’re excited about this opportunity and how it aligns with your career goals. This is your chance to show enthusiasm for the role, and to emphasise how your background makes you a great fit for the job.

3. Tailor Your Answer to the Job
One of the biggest mistakes candidates make is giving a generic answer that could apply to any job. To make a strong impression, tailor your response to the specific role and company you’re interviewing for. Think about the key skills and experiences the employer is looking for, and focus on those areas in your answer. This shows that you’ve done your homework and are genuinely interested in the position.

4. Be Concise and Relevant
While it’s important to provide enough detail to showcase your qualifications, you don’t want to overwhelm the interviewer with too much information. Aim to keep your answer between one and two minutes long. Focus on the highlights of your career that are most relevant to the job, and avoid going off on tangents or delving into personal details that aren’t related to your professional life.

5. Practice, But Don’t Memorise
It’s a good idea to practice your answer so that you feel confident delivering it, but avoid memorising it word-for-word. A rehearsed answer can sound robotic and insincere. Instead, practice until you’re comfortable with the main points you want to cover, and then deliver your response in a natural, conversational manner.

6. Show Enthusiasm
Your answer to “Tell me about yourself” is your first chance to show enthusiasm for the role. Employers want to hire candidates who are excited about the job and the company. Make sure your tone and body language convey your interest and passion. When discussing why you’re interested in the role, be specific about what excites you and how you see yourself contributing to the company’s success.

7. End with a Strong Closing Statement
Finish your response with a statement that reinforces your fit for the role. This could be a summary of your key qualifications or a brief mention of how you’re excited to bring your skills to the company. A strong closing statement leaves a lasting impression and sets you up for the rest of the interview.

Example Answer

Here’s an example of how you might structure your answer using the tips above:

Past: “I have a degree in Marketing and over five years of experience working in digital marketing. I started my career at XYZ Agency, where I managed social media campaigns for several high-profile clients. My work there helped increase our clients’ online engagement by 30%.”

Present: “Currently, I’m working as a Digital Marketing Manager at ABC Corporation. In this role, I lead a team of five and am responsible for our overall digital strategy. Recently, I spearheaded a content marketing initiative that increased our organic search traffic by 40% in just six months.”

Future: “I’m really excited about this opportunity at your company because I’m passionate about driving growth through innovative marketing strategies. I’m particularly drawn to this role because it would allow me to leverage my experience in digital marketing while also exploring new challenges in a dynamic industry.”

bselected provides gold standard interview coaching designed to dramatically improve your interview technique, boost your confidence & secure the job or promotion you deserve. Click here to see our coaching options or call 0161 327 2126 for a free 15 minute consultation about how coaching can help you.

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The Past, Present, and Future model offers a practical way to navigate these interviews with confidence and clarity.

Understanding the Past, Present, and Future Model
The Past, Present, and Future model is a simple yet powerful framework that helps you organise your responses by dividing them into three key timeframes:

• Past: What have you accomplished or experienced?
• Present: What are you currently doing?
• Future: What are your goals or plans moving forward?

This structure not only helps you cover all relevant aspects of your experience but also ensures that your responses are clear and focused, making it easier for interviewers to understand your journey and potential.

Why Use the Past, Present, and Future Model in Unstructured Interviews?
Unstructured interviews often lack the predictability of standard questions, requiring you to think on your feet and provide comprehensive answers without much guidance. The Past, Present, and Future model serves as a mental roadmap, guiding you through your response by giving you a clear structure to follow, no matter how open-ended the question.

How to Apply the Past, Present, and Future Model to Unstructured Interview Questions
Here’s how you can effectively use this model to answer different types of unstructured interview questions:

1. Broad Questions About Your Experience
Unstructured interviews often include broad questions like, “Tell me about yourself” or “Walk me through your career.” These questions can feel overwhelming because they give you so much freedom in how you answer.

• Past: Start by briefly summarising your relevant past experiences, focusing on key roles or accomplishments that have shaped your career.
• “I started my career in marketing, where I developed a strong foundation in branding and customer engagement. My most significant experience was leading a rebranding project that increased our market share by 15%.
• Present: Transition to what you are currently doing, emphasising how your present role builds on your past experiences.
• “Currently, I’m working as a marketing manager at a tech startup, where I’m responsible for overseeing digital marketing campaigns and driving customer acquisition strategies.”
• Future: Conclude with your future aspirations and how the position you’re interviewing for aligns with your career goals.
• “Looking ahead, I’m excited to continue advancing in a leadership role where I can drive innovative marketing strategies that contribute to business growth.”

2. Questions About Your Problem-Solving Approach
Unstructured interviews may include open-ended questions about how you handle challenges, such as, “How do you approach problem-solving?”

• Past: Begin with an example of a problem you faced in the past and how you approached it.
• “In my previous job, we encountered a significant drop in customer satisfaction due to a product issue. I led a cross-functional team to investigate the root cause and implemented a solution that improved our ratings within a quarter.”
• Present: Discuss how you apply those problem-solving skills in your current role.
• “Currently, I use a similar approach to problem-solving by first gathering data, then collaborating with key stakeholders to develop and implement solutions.”
• Future: Explain how you plan to continue refining your problem-solving abilities and how they would benefit the company.
• “In the future, I’m eager to tackle more complex challenges and explore innovative problem-solving techniques, such as leveraging data analytics for predictive insights.”

3. Questions About Career Goals and Aspirations
Unstructured interviews often probe into your long-term career plans with questions like, “Where do you see yourself in the future?” or “What are your career aspirations?”

• Past: Reflect on how your previous experiences have shaped your career trajectory.
• “My past roles in project management have given me a strong foundation in leading teams and managing complex initiatives, which has fuelled my passion for strategic leadership.”
• Present: Talk about what you are currently doing to progress toward your goals.
• “At present, I’m honing my leadership skills by taking on larger projects and mentoring junior team members, which is preparing me for a more senior role.”
• Future: Describe your long-term career goals and how they align with the position you’re applying for.
• “In the future, I aim to step into a director-level position where I can shape the strategic direction of the company and drive impactful business outcomes.”

4. Responding to Unexpected or Curveball Questions
Unstructured interviews often include unexpected, or “curveball” questions designed to assess your creativity or how you think on your feet, such as, “If you could be any animal, which one would you be and why?” Although these make me cringe (and are absolutely not evidence based selection), you may be unfortunate enough to be asked such questions.

• Past: Link your choice to a past experience or trait that is relevant.
• “In my past experiences, I’ve always admired the resilience and teamwork of wolves, which is why I would choose to be one.”
• Present: Relate it to your current situation or working style.
• “Right now, I approach my work with a collaborative mindset, much like a wolf in a pack, always striving to achieve goals as a team.”
• Future: Connect it to your future aspirations.
• “Looking ahead, I aim to continue leading by example, much like the alpha of a wolf pack, fostering collaboration and guiding teams toward success.”

Summary
The Past Present Future model provides Structure in Ambiguity. The model gives you a clear framework to follow, helping you stay focused even when the questions are open-ended. It ensures comprehensive answers by covering your past experiences, current activities, and future goals, you can deliver well-rounded responses that touch on all the interviewer’s potential interests. It helps highlight growth, allowing you to showcase your development over time, emphasising how your past has shaped your present and how both will influence your future and finally it enhances storytelling – helps you craft a narrative that is both engaging and informative, making your answers more memorable.

Unstructured interviews can be unpredictable, but with the Past, Present, and Future model, you can navigate them with confidence. This simple yet effective framework helps you organise your thoughts, provide comprehensive answers, and showcase your growth and potential. Whether you’re responding to broad questions about your experience, explaining your problem-solving approach, or sharing your career aspirations, the Past, Present, and Future model ensures that you present a clear and compelling story every time.

So, the next time you face an unstructured interview, remember this model – it could be your key to success.

bselected provides gold standard interview coaching designed to dramatically improve your interview technique, boost your confidence & secure the job or promotion you deserve. Click here to see our coaching options https://bselected.com/shop or call 0161 327 2126 for a free 15 minute consultation about how coaching can help you.

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What are the differences and advantages of each?

Competency-Based Interviews focus on assessing specific skills, abilities, and behaviours required for the job, with questions designed to gauge how candidates have demonstrated these competencies in the past. The premise of past behaviour predicting future behaviour is key here. Strength-Based Interviews focus on identifying what candidates are naturally good at and enjoy doing, with questions aiming to uncover the candidate’s strengths, passions, and motivations.

In a Competency-Based Interview questions are often situational or behavioral, starting with phrases like “Give me an example of a time when…” or “Describe a situation where you…”, and candidates are asked to provide specific examples of past experiences that demonstrate particular competencies. In a Strength-Based Interview, questions are more open-ended, such as “What do you enjoy doing?” or “What activities energise you?”. The interviewer may also explore various aspects of the candidate’s personality and preferences to identify their strengths.

The candidate’s answers are assessed against predefined competencies relevant to the role in Competency-Based Interviews. Scoring is typically based on how well the candidate’s responses match the required competencies. While in a Strength-Based Interview the assessment is based on how well the candidate’s strengths align with the role and the organisation’s culture – the focus is on finding a natural fit rather than matching specific competencies.

So what’s the purpose of the two different approaches?

Competency-Based Interviews are used to ensure candidates possess the necessary skills and experience to perform the job effectively. They are particularly useful for roles requiring specific technical or behavioural competencies. Strength-Based Interviews however aims to identify candidates whose strengths will thrive in the role and contribute positively to the organisation. They are often used to find candidates who will be more engaged, productive, and satisfied in their work.

Candidates might Competency-Based Interview more formal and challenging, as they require recalling specific past experiences. They can sometimes feel like a test of past achievements. Strength-Based Interviews can feel more personal and conversational, allowing candidates to speak about what they enjoy and are naturally good at. It often results in a more positive and engaging experience for candidates.

What is the best method for recruitment and selection?

Both types of interviews are valuable, but they serve different purposes. Competency-based interviews are more focused on verifying past performance and skills, while strength-based interviews aim to identify candidates whose natural talents and interests align with the job and the organisation.

Competency Based Interviews

Competency-Based Interviews are generally considered more evidence-based than strength-based interviews. This is because competency-based interviews have been extensively researched and are often linked to job performance through well-established psychological principles. They have a high predictive validity i.e. they have a strong track record in predicting job performance. Studies have shown that when interview questions are directly related to key job competencies, the likelihood of selecting candidates who perform well on the job increases. These interviews are based on the premise that past behavior is the best predictor of future performance, a principle supported by a large body of research in industrial-organisational psychology.

Competency-based interviews are structured, meaning that all candidates are asked the same set of questions, which reduces interviewer bias and increases reliability. The structured nature of these interviews ensures consistency and allows for more objective assessment, making the results more reliable and valid.

The development of competency-based interview questions often involves a thorough job analysis to identify the specific skills, knowledge, and abilities required for the role. This alignment with the actual job requirements makes the interview process more relevant and evidence-based.

Because competency-based interviews are based on job-related criteria and are standardized, they are often more legally defensible in cases of discrimination claims. This is an important factor in why many organisations adopt competency-based interviews, particularly in regulated industries.

Strength-Based Interviews

Strength-based interviews are a relatively newer approach with limited evidence, and while they are gaining popularity, especially in organisations that prioritise employee engagement and well-being, the empirical evidence supporting their predictive validity is not as robust as that for competency-based interviews. Some studies suggest that when employees work in roles that align with their strengths, they are more engaged and productive, but these findings are less established in the context of selection processes.

Strength-based interviews focus more on finding a fit between the candidate’s strengths and the role, rather than directly predicting job performance based on past behaviour. This approach can be beneficial in creating a motivated and satisfied workforce, but it may not be as precise in predicting job performance as competency-based interviews.

Conclusion

While strength-based interviews offer valuable insights into a candidate’s fit and potential job satisfaction, competency-based interviews are more evidence-based when it comes to predicting job performance and ensuring a structured, fair, and legally defensible selection process. The robustness of the evidence supporting competency-based interviews makes them the more reliable choice for organisations where accurate selection is critical.

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