The competency questions that come up every time

Prepare one real, specific example for each of these and you will cover most of what any housing interview throws at you. Keep each answer to about 90 seconds and finish on a number.

• Tell me about a scheme or programme that went wrong and what you did.
• Describe a time you had to deliver through people who did not report to you.
• How have you handled a difficult conversation with a subcontractor, consultant or supplier?
• Give an example of a decision you made with incomplete information.
• When have you had to challenge a viability, valuation or cost assumption?
• Tell me about a time you improved a process rather than just running it.
• How have you dealt with a resident, customer or purchaser complaint that escalated?
• Describe how you have managed competing priorities across sites or regions.
• Where have you saved money or time, and how much?
• What has been the hardest thing about your current role?

The mistake is answering in general terms — "I'd always make sure communication is clear." Interviewers score examples, not philosophies. Name the site, the scheme, the sum of money and the outcome.