To extend preparation for the interview, we’re now going to look at some example questions. Remember the STAR approach from Issue 5 and use the following tips:
| Avoid saying | Do say |
| ‘We said…’
‘It was decided…’ ‘Usually we spoke to…’ ‘I would write…’ ‘We solved the problem by…’ |
‘I spoke to…’
‘I wrote…’ ‘My contribution was to…’ ‘I volunteered to…’ ‘I took the lead by…’ |
Practice questions
The following are example questions only, but they will give you a good idea of the types of questions we may ask and how they align with the NFCC Leadership Framework.
Personal impact
- Tell me about a time when you have challenged behaviour that you did not think was appropriate.
- Give me an example of how you have encouraged the involvement of others and valued their contribution.
- Tell me about a time when you have acted with sensitivity to someone’s feelings or well-being.
Outstanding leadership
- Give me an example of a time when you had to take accountability for the quality of your work.
- Tell me about a time when you encouraged and supported others to achieve high standards in their work or with their actions.
- Tell me about a time when you have been a role model, coaching or mentoring others.
Service delivery
- Describe a time when you solved a problem to ensure you were able to achieve a goal.
- Tell me about a situation where you overcame obstacles to ensure a task was completed.
- Please give an example of how you have had to improve a task or process at work.
Organisational effectiveness
- Please give an example of when you have offered ideas and feedback to make improvements to a task or process.
- Please give an example of a health & safety issue you have had to consider in the past and how you dealt with this.
- Tell me about a time when you have been trusted with a task or information that was sensitive.
We recommend that you think of examples you could provide in advance and also practise answering questions with someone.
What you can expect on the day
We know how nerve-wracking interviews can be, and we want to empower you to perform your very best on the day. When we invite you for interview, we’ll ask you if there is anything you need to help or support you. As a general guide:
- You will be able to bring one side of A4 notes into the interview with you to act as a prompt to help you – however, please don’t overly rely on these and read from them.
- We ensure that all our interviewers have completed unconscious bias training.
- We provide printed copies of the questions for you to read as they are being asked.
- We provide you with a pen and paper so that you can briefly jot down some thoughts before answering the questions.
We recognise that you are unique and everyone has different needs. If there’s anything else you’d like us to consider, please let us know.
This is the end of your sixth and final recruitment guide. We hope you’ve found them useful. Good luck!
Please note that this guide was provided during the 2024/2025 recruitment process. This may not be exactly the same going forward, but it gives you an idea of what a future process may look like.