RCMP Regular Member Suitability Interview – Problem Solving

RCMP Regular Member Suitability Interview – Problem Solving

Are you getting ready for the RCMP Regular Member Suitability Interview?  The RMSI is now broken down into two components.  The first is the Attribute Interview, which assesses the four competencies currently identified by the RCMP to be essential for you to be successful as an RCMP officer.  The second component is the Regular Member Application Questionnaire (RMAQ) which breaks down your application and gets clarifying information as needed.  In this series, I will be focusing on the Attribute Interview, breaking down the four competencies, being Problem Solving, Teamwork, Communication and Self Control and Composure.  I would like to break down each of the four competencies in a series of posts, to help you with your preparation.  During this phase of the RMSI, you will be asked a behavioural question for each of the four competencies.  We are going to start our focus on Problem Solving.  As I stated in previous posts, going through the RCMP Application Process and getting ready for the  Interview can be one of the most challenging stages of the process, and one not to be taken lightly.

Taken from the guide for the RCMP Applicant Process for the RMSI, the definition for this competency is:

“Systematically analyzes and breaks down problems, risks, opportunities and issues into component parts. Identifies appropriate solutions and makes timely decisions and actions. Understands cause and effect chains and relationships.”

Problem Solving for Behavioural Based Questions

The behavioural question will target your past experiences, demonstrating your ability to think through a problem and come up with a solution.

For example, the interviewer might ask you a question about a difficult or complex problem that you had to solve and how you gathered the required information to establish an effective solution.  Or they might ask about a time when you came up with an innovative solution to solve a significant problem.

When you are preparing for the Attribute Evaluation, think about a situation when you had to solve a problem.  Make sure it’s your problem to solve, there were multiple options to consider in solving the problem, and that it’s your decision on how to solve the problem.  If your problem has only one solution, then there is no decision to make on how to solve the problem.  The interviewer will not get a true sense of your ability to think it through.   Your action should include the options you considered, the pros and cons of each option, and still with action, what your decision was on how to solve the problem.

This doesn’t just have to be work related examples.  You can use volunteer time, sporting events, or periods during your education.   Have more than one story ready to ensure that your story will answer the question that is being asked, and that demonstrates that you have the ability to solve problems. 

Remember, when answering these questions, you will articulate your example using the S*T*A*R principle. 

Situation
Task
Action
Result

As you can see, there is a lot to consider when focusing on this one competency.  I can’t stress this enough.  You must be prepared.  Have your examples ready and practice delivering them using S*T*A*R.

Do you know someone who is faced with this challenge?  Feel free to share this post by using the share links at the top of this page.  Also, if you’d like more interview tips, feel free to check out the interview resource page.