Structure of an Irish Public Sector Interview

Navigating a competency-based or capability-based interview in the Irish Public Sector means stepping into a structured process designed around fairness and transparency. Whether your interview is online or in-person, you’ll be asked the same set of competency-based or capability-based questions as every other candidate and measured against a consistent scoring framework. Each competency or capability dimension / sub-dimension is scored separately.

Your interview board will usually be made up of a chairperson and two board members, although interview boards can have less or more board members. If you’re applying through publicjobs (formerly the Public Appointments Service), you can also expect a publicjobs representative to observe and take official notes. They won’t interview you or score your answers, but their presence ensures the process follows official guidelines and remains fair.

At the start, the chairperson will introduce themselves and their fellow interviewers, explain the timings and outline who’s responsible for which competencies or capabilities. 
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If your interview includes a presentation, it typically follows on immediately after the introductions. You will be given a set time for your presentation and the presentation will be timed. You will also be told in advance if questions about the presentation will be asked after you have concluded your presentation.

After the presentation (if included in your interview), the interview board will move into the competency or capability questions agreed in advance. Each interviewer will ask the questions of their assigned competency or capability, then probe further with follow-on questions.
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As you near the end of the interview, the panel will ask if you have anything to add or any questions of your own. The chairperson will then explain the next steps and thank you for your time.