Here’s a secret: crafting a compelling job interview answer is not complicated. The often-cited STAR method really is one of the most effective techniques. When answering a question, you should use specific examples from your previous work experience. Provide situational context, detail the task at hand, describe the actions you took, and share the result of your actions. This method ensures your answers will be well-structured and clear. It also ensures that your answers will sound very similar to those of the candidate the committee just spoke with.
The STAR method works. And because it works, it’s also ubiquitous—which means other candidates interviewing for the job are using it, too. When other candidates are all employing the same tactic, this gives you an opportunity to differentiate yourself.
In my three-and-a-half years in executive search, I’ve probably conducted hundreds of interviews and observed another hundred. I’ve listened to candidates explain how they implemented new accounting software or a new performance management process more times than I can count. These experiences are almost always very relevant to the position for which the candidate is interviewing. They are, in short, good interview answers!
But some candidates give great interview answers, even when discussing similar kinds of experiences. The difference is that the strongest candidates shared more than just what they did; they also shared their thought process. Take the example of implementing a new accounting software system. An average candidate will tell me about how the current system was technologically outdated or that their organization had outgrown it. They’ll share that they ran an RFP process, selected a system, and worked through the challenges of implementation. A stronger candidate might share how they worked cross-functionally or empowered a direct report to own an aspect of implementation. However, the best answers go even deeper.
When describing the situation, it’s not enough to use the absence of something as justification for developing or implementing your solution. Nearly every candidate has an example of needing to implement some necessary infrastructure not previously there. Instead, dig into the details of your thought process. Don’t just describe the situation as an absence. Share how your solution was tailored for this specific organization’s context. Anyone can discuss implementing a new system, but far fewer can clearly connect their solution to the unique environment of their organization.
Instead of only describing the situation narrowly, consider widening your answer’s aperture to capture relevant pieces of the organization’s strategy. Discuss how the situation is connected to the organization’s overall goals and objectives. This not only increases the importance of the problem you’re trying to solve, but it also increases the importance of your solution. Your answer becomes much more compelling when you increase the stakes.
Instead of only describing the task or the actions you took, consider describing your thought process as well. Strategic leadership is about more than just building. It’s about building thoughtfully, with consideration of the organization’s strategic goals. Try to drill down to the specifics of why you picked this particular solution. Was there something about the organization’s culture? Something unique that you needed to consider when it came time to implement your solution? Or maybe there was a specific sector practice that was important to retain. In the first part of your answer, you discussed the situation and strategy. Now, you need to describe how you thought about the problem by connecting the task and your actions to the overall strategy.
You can differentiate yourself by connecting task and strategy. No other candidate will solve a problem in the exact way that you will. When organizations ask for a strategic leader, this is what they mean. It’s not enough just to build new systems and processes; candidates must also be able to discuss how and why their new system or process was the exact right fit for the organization at this point in its lifecycle.
