Selection Criteria Examples

Selection criteria example responses for a range of industries and capabilities to get you started.

By Joel Smith

Home » Advice » Selection Criteria » Australia’s Best Selection Criteria Examples (2023)

What's in this article

Our selection criteria examples will help you get started with your responses. When applying for a job, it’s important that you nail your responses to the selection criteria. Sometimes, this is all the panel looks at. And the selection criteria can be can be difficult to interpret.

This article will give you access to strong selection criteria examples for a range of capabilities on which selection criteria are primarily based. Check out the table of contents above to navigate to the content that you want.

The range of capabilities are drawn from the overarching six capabilities that essentially underpin all people’s work related behaviours.

Each selection criteria example has an image of the response, and the accompanying text version for you.

We write these for our clients. If you need help, get in touch for a custom quote.

Before you get started

We’ve written extensively about responding to selection criteria, and the best way is still to use the STAR method. The selection criteria examples below will all follow the same format:

Restate the capability.
Explain the situation in one or two sentences.
Explain your task and responsibilities related to this situation.
Explain the action you took to resolve the issue – this is the majority of your response.
Explain the result of your action.

Hence, STAR.

Remember to familiarise yourself with the available capability frameworks if you’re applying for a Government job. You can find them here: Federal, NSW, VIC, QLD, SAES, WA, NT, TAS (Senior Executive), ACT.

The capabilities

Problem Solving
- Technical problems
- Non-technical problems
- Research and analysis
Communication
- Written
- Verbal
- Non-verbal/interpersonal
Collaboration
- Teamwork
- Partnership building
- Relationship management
Expertise
- Knowledge
- Niche expertise
- Subject matter expertise
Leadership
- Of self
- Of others
- In projects
Organisational
- Time management
- Priority management

Leadership:

Leadership: selection criteria example questions

Leadership pertains to many things, but in this example, we are focussing just on leadership of people.

Selection criteria like the below usually need a response about your ability to lead a team through challenges, develop their capability and autonomy, improve organisational culture, and essentially, coach, mentor, and manage people to deliver better results for an organisation.

Demonstrated ability to lead and manage a high-performing team.
Demonstrated ability to mentor, coach and monitor a team’s output.
Demonstrated ability to manage and delegate staff and requests.

Leadership: selection criteria example response

During my role as Manager with XYZ, I demonstrated the ability to work effectively in a team environment and provide supervision to staff (restate the criteria). When I began my role, I undertook a leadership position with a team of 12 which was suffering from ennui due to change fatigue.(situation). To facilitate team cohesion, (task) I consulted with each team member individually to understand their frustrations, working styles, strengths, and areas for development. From these consultations, I assigned tasks and challenges which suited each team members strengths and interests. I implemented weekly meetings to brief the team on the week’s goals, my expectations, and single out particularly hard-working individuals for congratulation. I implemented team building activities and exercises including paintball and skydiving and providing leave for those interested to attend annual professional development seminars. I continued to maintain frequent check-in meetings with each individual team members to mitigate and address any issues or concerns which might arise. I frequently accommodated special circumstances including renegotiating duties for those with family commitments or mental or physical health issues and offering flexibility of work hours (actions). As a result, the work environment improved, and team productivity rose 45% from the previous year (result).

Project Management: selection criteria example questions

Selection criteria, frequently listed in position descriptions like the below dot points, usually need a response about your ability to manage projects.

Here’s some project management selection criteria you are likely to encounter:

Highly developed level of knowledge and significant experience in project management and understanding of contemporary project management practices.
Demonstrated ability to set priorities, pay attention to detail, and deliver quality and accurate results on time in a project / program context.
Experience in the design, planning and execution of projects which utilise a range of selected tools and methodologies and are underpinned by an understanding of the related discipline.
Demonstrated ability to manage the daily administrative and secretariat functions associated with supporting projects, with particular experience in project support, procurement and contract management.
Project management and delivery experience in a transformational and fast-paced environment.

Project management: selection criteria question example

I have demonstrated my ability to apply contemporary project management strategies to effectively deliver key outcomes on time and within budget (restate the criteria). I demonstrated this most recently in my role as an IT Project Manager with the Organisation XYZ (situation). In this role, I managed the rollout of a new client management system (task). To manage the implementation, I first developed a sound procurement plan. This included broad consultation with a range of key internal stakeholders, including sales, marketing, and finance teams. This allowed me to establish minimum capabilities required for the new system. I then approached the market and assessed seven responses against the established system requirements. This allowed me to identify one provider who represented the best value for money. I developed a business case based on this, and the senior executive team approved engaging my recommended provider. I then developed a detail project plan, establishing milestones, key deliverables, transition activities, user acceptance testing, and training programs. I developed this in consultation with the chosen providers as well as the business units to ensure continuity of service. In managing the roll out, I applied contemporary project management principles, rallying the wide range of stakeholders towards critical deadlines through ongoing communication and consultation, while also applying my technical IT capability to resolve issues as they arose. This also allowed me to identify several improvements to sales and marketing workflows (actions). As a result, the project was delivered on time and to budget. The improvements I implemented also created significant efficiencies, automating lead and post-service follow ups, which has led directly to increased sales and improvements in user ratings across our website and social media accounts (result).

Change management: selection criteria example questions

Selection criteria, like these, need a response about your ability to manage change. Examples are:

Act with courage to bring change activities to realisation.
Demonstrated ability to lead and manage change and organisational transformation.
Demonstrated ability to influence stakeholder participation in change initiatives.

Change management: selection criteria example responses

During my tenure as a Change Management Specialist at DEF Ltd, I was responsible for leading transformational initiatives within the organisation (restate the criteria). Upon my arrival, the company was facing a major transition as it planned to implement a new enterprise software system, which created uncertainty and resistance among employees (situation). As my role was to guide this change (task), I initiated a comprehensive change management plan that started with an organisation-wide assessment of readiness and concerns. I met with various stakeholders, including senior leadership and frontline employees, to understand their perspectives and gather insights. I then developed tailored communication strategies, training programs, and support mechanisms, ensuring that they were aligned with the unique needs and culture of our organisation. I launched a series of workshops, created user-friendly guides, provided one-on-one coaching, and established a feedback loop that allowed continuous improvement and responsiveness to emerging challenges (actions). By orchestrating these efforts, I was able to facilitate a smooth transition to the new system, resulting in 75% adoption within the first three months and a 20% increase in operational efficiency (result).

Collaboration:

Relationship Building: Selection criteria example questions

Selection criteria, like the below, usually need a response about your ability to manage relationships:

Exercise a significant degree of independence and while collaborating with colleagues across the Department and the public sector.
Manage challenging relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
Influence and Negotiate: Gain consensus and commitment from others, and resolve issues and conflicts.
Works with suppliers and staff to create relationships which achieve mutual goals and objectives.
Ability to build and maintain effective relationships with multidisciplinary team members, patients, and other stakeholders, including participation in relevant networks.

Relationship Building: example response

I build and sustain effective and long-term relationships, and leverage these to achieve key organisational outcomes (restate the criteria). I demonstrated this in my current role as a Human Resources Manager with Organisation XYZ, where I managed senior relationships with key internal stakeholders (situation). As an example, I negotiated the organisations enterprise bargaining agreement while maintaining a positive organisational culture (task). To achieve this, I established a clear strategic direction with senior management in advance of bargaining, and began building critical relationships with key negotiators including the union and smaller representative groups within the organisation. Throughout negotiations, I relied on my detailed working knowledge of the complex workplace bargaining legislation to maintain my reputation as a knowledgeable expert. This included operationalising the good faith bargaining principles, by maintaining reasonable meeting schedules, disclosing information in a timely manner, responding genuinely to proposals, and recognising other bargaining representatives. I also identified key areas of negotiation for management and brought data-driven insights which demonstrated areas for improvement in the current enterprise agreement. For example, I used HR and research data to demonstrate to management that requiring doctor certificates for single sick days did not improve under-attendance but did create a culture of over-attendance. This convinced management of the benefits of changing this policy in the agreement, and allowed me to present the bargaining representatives with genuine improvements (actions). As a result of my careful relationship management, I successfully negotiated the bargaining agreement while sustaining positive relationships between all partners (result).

Teamwork and collaboration: selection criteria example questions

Selection criteria like the below usually need a response about your ability to work within a team and collaborate with others to achieve outcomes.

Demonstrated ability to work with a multidisciplinary team including the ability to work collaboratively with all industry stakeholders.
Demonstrated ability to work either independently or as a member of a team and exercise initiative, judgement, discretion and sensitivity in a workplace subject to work pressures and changes.
Demonstrated ability to work in a team environment whilst working autonomously to deliver results within specified timeframes set to meet client expectations.

Teamwork and collaboration: selection criteria example response

During my time as Project Coordinator at ABC Corp, I was tasked with fostering collaboration among diverse teams (restate the criteria). Within our department, there were four distinct teams that had historically operated independently, leading to inefficiencies and misunderstandings (situation). To build synergy and collaboration (task), I initiated a series of cross-team meetings, workshops, and social events to encourage communication and understanding among all team members. I personally facilitated collaboration sessions, where I encouraged open dialogue about each team’s objectives, strengths, and challenges. I worked closely with team leaders to align project goals and ensured that everyone had clear and shared expectations. I implemented regular check-ins, created shared online workspaces, and even coordinated a team-building retreat to foster trust and camaraderie (actions). Through these focused efforts, the teams were able to work together seamlessly, share resources effectively, and achieve a 30% reduction in project completion time, leading to a more innovative and productive work environment (result).

Partnership building: selection criteria example question

Partnership selection criteria questions could look like:

The ability to forge lucrative and mutually beneficial partnerships.
Proven ability to establish and maintain partnerships at all levels of the organisation.
Proven ability to achieve buy-in from important partners.

Partnership building: selection criteria example response

In my role as Business Development Manager at STU Tech, the task of establishing and nurturing strategic partnerships was central to my responsibilities (restate the criteria). When I took over the position, I identified that the company had limited collaboration with industry partners, which was hindering our growth and innovation potential (situation). Recognising the necessity to forge strong partnerships (task), I set out to identify potential allies aligned with our business goals and values. I initiated meetings with key decision-makers, understanding their needs, and aligning our mutual interests. I worked closely with our legal and product teams to draft partnership agreements that were fair and mutually beneficial. I also implemented regular check-ins, joint marketing initiatives, and collaboration on product development with our partners. I made a point to attend industry events, maintaining a network that could lead to future partnerships, and always keeping an open line of communication (actions). As a direct result of these partnership-building efforts, our company expanded its market reach, improved its product offerings through collaborative innovation, and increased annual revenue by 15% (result).

Communication:

Communication: selection criteria example questions

Communication are separated into non-verbal, verbal, and written.

Selection criteria like the below usually need a specific response addressing each of these three ways of communicating:

Presenting and Communicating Information – Speaking clearly and fluently, expressing opinions, making presentations, responding to an audience, showing credibility.
High-level report writing and written communication skills.
The ability to communicate effectively and work collaboratively within a team.
Superior communication and customer service skills.
Capable of explaining technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders with the ability to tailor the communication style to the audience.

Written communication: selection criteria example responses

In my role as Communications Specialist at GHI Inc., I was charged with enhancing the effectiveness of our organisation’s written communications (restate the criteria). At the time, the company was struggling with unclear messaging and inconsistencies across various channels, leading to confusion among both clients and internal stakeholders (situation). Recognising the need for clarity and cohesion in written communication (task), I conducted a comprehensive review of all existing written materials, including emails, reports, marketing collateral, and web content. Based on my findings, I developed a unified style guide that reflected the company’s brand voice and tailored guidelines for different audiences. I led workshops to train staff in effective writing techniques, provided individual coaching, and implemented a peer-review system to ensure quality and coherence. I also created templates and examples for common communication scenarios and made myself available for consultation on critical documents (actions). These efforts led to a significant improvement in the clarity and professionalism of our written communications, resulting in increased client satisfaction scores and a 25% reduction in internal queries and misunderstandings related to communication (result).

Verbal communication: selection criteria example

As a Customer Service Manager at JKL Enterprises, I recognised the vital importance of clear and empathetic verbal communication (restate the criteria). When I assumed my position, customer satisfaction rates were declining, and analysis indicated that the root issue was misunderstandings and dissatisfaction with the way information was verbally conveyed (situation). I set out to enhance our team’s verbal communication skills (task) by conducting a thorough evaluation of current practices, listening to recorded calls, and identifying specific areas for improvement. I designed a series of training sessions focusing on clarity, tone, active listening, and effective questioning techniques. I personally facilitated role-playing exercises, provided constructive feedback, and encouraged team members to practice these new skills. I also instituted regular team meetings for sharing best practices and created an open-door policy for individual guidance (actions). By fostering a culture of excellence in verbal communication, customer satisfaction rates increased by 40%, and employee confidence in handling complex customer inquiries grew significantly (result).

Non-verbal communication: selection criteria example

During my tenure as a Human Resources Specialist at MNO Company, I identified the need to focus on non-verbal communication within the organisation (restate the criteria). I noticed that misunderstandings and tensions were occurring, not due to what was being said, but how it was being conveyed through body language, facial expressions, and tone (situation). Seeing the opportunity to improve these non-verbal cues (task), I conducted a series of workshops aimed at raising awareness of the importance of non-verbal communication. I started by evaluating current employee interactions, then designed customized training materials focusing on body language, eye contact, posture, gestures, and tone of voice. I engaged the staff in interactive exercises, provided video examples, offered personal coaching, and encouraged reflection on how non-verbal cues could affect their daily interactions (actions). As a result of this concentrated effort, employee surveys showed a 35% improvement in interpersonal relationships, and the company saw a notable enhancement in teamwork and collaboration across departments (result).

Expertise:

Strategic thinking: selection criteria example questions

Expertise can be judged in a number of ways, but our ability to think strategically marries our knowledge with our capabilities to achieve outcomes for an organisation.

For that reason, strategic thinking will sit under expertise.

Selection criteria like the below usually need a response about your ability to think strategically at the junior level:

Be aware of how your work contributes to team, branch, and organisational priorities.
Demonstrated ability to review and analyse data to make sound evidence-based decisions and problem solve in line with current legislation with minimal supervision.
Demonstrate the ability to “think outside the box” to service clients’ needs whilst adapting to change.

Selection criteria like the below usually need a response about your ability to think strategically at the senior level:

Create and share a vision by leading and translating the strategic direction.
As a leader, you will set strategic corporate direction and apply astute judgement, a strong focus on results, and the ability to solve complex issues to build organisational capability.
Demonstrated experience implementing critical business solutions in an operational environment, managing organisational change & the realisation of organisational benefits.

Strategic thinking: selection criteria example response

While serving as the Strategic Planner at PQR Corporation, my role required me to apply strategic thinking to steer the company through a rapidly changing market landscape (restate the criteria). During a critical time, competitors were outpacing us with innovative products, and we were losing market share (situation). To counter this trend and position the company for growth (task), I embarked on a comprehensive analysis of the market, competition, internal capabilities, and emerging trends. I consulted with cross-functional teams, industry experts, and key stakeholders to gather insights and conducted SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis. Collaboratively, I designed a forward-looking strategic plan that identified new growth opportunities, including potential partnerships, product diversifications, and market expansions. I created detailed roadmaps, established key performance indicators (KPIs), and fostered a culture of ongoing strategic review to ensure alignment and agility (actions). Through these strategic thinking initiatives, the company successfully launched three new product lines, entered two new markets, and increased revenue by 20% over the following two years (result).

Organisational:

Time management: selection criteria example question

Time management questions might look a bit like:

Ability to manage a range concurrent priorities in time-pressured environments.
Proven ability to achieve concurrent timeframes and manage own priorities.

Time management: selection criteria example response

As a Project Manager at VWX Services, mastering time management was key to my ability to deliver complex projects on schedule and within budget (restate the criteria). When I took charge of a critical project that had multiple interdependent phases and a strict deadline, I observed that previous delays had caused a tight and potentially unmanageable timeline (situation). I knew that precise time management would be essential to success (task), so I meticulously analysed each phase of the project, identifying potential bottlenecks and opportunities for parallel execution. I created a detailed project timeline, assigning realistic deadlines and clearly communicating them to the team. I implemented daily stand-up meetings to monitor progress, used project management tools to track tasks, and prioritised activities according to their criticality. I also provided one-on-one coaching to team members who needed support in managing their time efficiently and built contingency into the plan to account for unexpected delays (actions). My rigorous focus on time management led to the successful completion of the project two weeks ahead of schedule, pleasing our client and contributing to a 10% profit increase for our department (result).

Process improvement: selection criteria example question

Process improvements salvage wasted resources, streamline processes, and improve the overall business. Selection criteria questions for process improvements look like:

Demonstrated ability to lead improvement projects.
Demonstrated ability to identify resource saving measures.
Demonstrated continuous improvement knowledge and experience.

Process improvement: selection criteria example response

As a Process Improvement Analyst at YZA Manufacturing, my main objective was to identify and implement efficiencies within our production line (restate the criteria). Upon review, I discovered that certain outdated practices were causing bottlenecks and increased costs within the manufacturing process (situation). Committed to enhancing our operations (task), I employed methodologies such as Six Sigma and Lean Manufacturing to analyse current workflows and identify areas for improvement. I gathered data, interviewed staff, observed production firsthand, and used process mapping techniques to visualise existing practices. Collaboratively working with the production team, I developed and tested new procedures, eliminating unnecessary steps, automating manual tasks where possible, and reorganising the production layout to minimise travel time between stations. I also provided training and ongoing support to ensure that employees were comfortable with the new processes (actions). Through these process improvement efforts, the production line’s efficiency increased by 25%, resulting in a reduction of waste by 15% and an overall cost savings of 20% for the company (result).

Problem Solving:

Problem solving: selection criteria question example

Problem solving selection criteria questions might look a little like this:

Demonstrated ability to produce solutions to a range of problems.
Ability to solve complex IT problems.
Ability to research to source information for decision-makers.

Problem solving: selection criteria response example

As a Lead Engineer at BCD Technologies, my role required constant problem-solving to overcome technical challenges (restate the criteria). During the development of a key product, we encountered an unexpected issue with our software that threatened to delay the launch and increase costs significantly (situation). Recognising the urgency and complexity of the problem (task), I assembled a multidisciplinary team and led a systematic investigation into the root cause of the issue. I encouraged collaborative brainstorming, fostered an environment where all ideas were welcomed, and utilised analytical tools like failure mode effect analysis (FMEA) to evaluate potential solutions. Through rigorous testing and iterative refinement, we were able to pinpoint the problem and develop a creative solution that not only resolved the immediate issue but enhanced the overall performance of the product. I made sure to document the process and learnings for future reference, and maintained open communication with stakeholders throughout the process to manage expectations (actions). Thanks to our focused problem-solving efforts, we were able to launch the product on time, achieving a 15% higher performance benchmark than initially targeted, and receiving high praise from both clients and internal stakeholders (result).

Research and analysis: selection criteria question example

Research and analysis is ultimately about finding a solution to a problem. Selection criteria examples for this look like:

Ability to conduct research and make factual, independent decisions which comply with legislation.
Proven experience managing research and development opportunities.
Proven experience making commercially sound decisions from research and analysis of financial information

Research and analysis: selection criteria response example

In my role as a Research Analyst at EFG Pharmaceuticals, I was responsible for conducting critical research to inform the development of new medical treatments (restate the criteria). During the preliminary phase of a significant project aimed at finding a cure for a specific disease, we were faced with an overwhelming amount of data from various sources and needed a coherent analysis to drive our next steps (situation). Tasked with synthesising this information (task), I designed a comprehensive research strategy, incorporating both qualitative and quantitative methodologies. I gathered and critically analysed data from clinical trials, academic journals, competitor studies, and patient interviews, utilising statistical tools and specialized software. I collaborated with cross-functional teams, ensuring that the research was aligned with our project goals, and provided ongoing updates to the stakeholders. My work included identifying trends, drawing insights, formulating hypotheses, and presenting findings in easily digestible formats tailored to different audiences (actions). Through this rigorous research analysis, we were able to identify promising paths for development, leading to a successful phase-one clinical trial and attracting significant investment for further research (result).