Preparing For Your Interview

Our interview process is designed to help us identify if you’ll be a good fit for the role and Swim England. We passionately believe this should be a two-way process, giving you the opportunity to decide if we are a good fit for you!

No part of the interview is intended to trip you up, as a result we are completely transparent about the process we use and how you’ll be assessed. We always interview against the criteria within the person specification found in the job description whilst assessing if applicants embody our values.

We shortlist applicants for interview based upon the information provided within their initial application. The interview will include both standard and competency based questions. Usually, there is also an additional element such as a task-based assessment or presentation. This gives you an opportunity to explain how you suit the role and show us what you can do. The following are genuine interview questions that we may ask:

• What led you to apply for this role and why do you think you would be a good fit for the role and the organisation?
• What do you know about Swim England? or What do you know about the training provision and other services offered by the Institute of Swimming?
• What can you tell us about how you’ve managed relationships with contacts both inside and outside the organisation?
• Can you give us an example of how and when you’ve had to solve a problem?
• As an organisation, we are committed to promoting diversity and inclusion across everything we do. How do you demonstrate equality, fairness and inclusion in your working life?

Answers will generally be assessed against the ‘STAR’ approach. This consists of the following:

Situation – Where / when did it happen? Which company? What was your role?

Task – What were your goals? What were the risks? What resource (money, time etc.) did you have?

Action – What did you do? What decisions did you make? What were the obstacles? etc.

Result – What were your results? Do they tie back to the goal?

Bonus: Lessons Learned – What would you do differently next time? How could you do it better?