OPM's Structured Interview assesses applicants' job-related competencies using targeted questions and benchmarks to evaluate responses. Competency-based benchmarks provide specific behavioral examples of what constitutes high, medium, and low levels of proficiency on a given competency. Structured Interview materials are available for a wide range of competencies in the following occupational families: Clerical & Technical, Professional & Administrative, Leadership & Managerial, Information Technology, Trades & Labor, Science & Engineering, and Law Enforcement. Sample competencies include:
- Interpersonal Skills
- Self-Management
- Teamwork
- Decision-Making
- Oral Communication
- Vision
- Strategic Thinking
- Partnering
- Political Savvy
- Accountability
- Decisiveness
- Entrepreneurship
- Financial Management
- Resilience
Each Structured Interview is designed to measure five to eight critical competencies. Agencies select the most critical competencies for a given position from the wide variety of competencies available for each occupational family. Competencies for each occupational family were identified on the basis of governmentwide job analysis studies conducted by OPM. Our psychologists are available to assist agencies in selecting critical target competencies to assess in a Structured Interview process based on their specific hiring needs. Benchmarks and questions also can be tailored to meet an agency's specific hiring needs. Structured Interview pricing includes interview questions, rating benchmarks, an interview guide, and a one-day training session for interviewers (assessors) that includes experiential learning exercises.