Competency 1: The ability to take action to learn and grow.

• What is your understanding of equity work. How has your understanding developed and what actions have you taken based on that knowledge?
  • Shows candidate’s ability and interest in learning new concepts; demonstrates ability to be part of the solution. Also informs what they know about equity and how they might approach their work.
• Tell us about a time you received new information or feedback that challenged your assumptions. How did you respond, and what specific changes did you make to improve collaboration or outcomes with colleagues or communities from different backgrounds?
  • Seeks to understand and evaluate if candidate is open to feedback and makes actionable changes based on new information. Establishes candidate’s willingness to adjust their own understanding based on someone else’s culture, resulting in a more welcoming workspace.
• How have you sought opportunities to develop your understanding of equity? Describe how your improved understanding has impacted the way you engage with others.
  • Seeks to understand and assess initiative, proactive/continuous growth, and application of learned knowledge/skills/abilities based on new information.

Competency 2: The ability to take action to meet the needs of others.

• Describe a situation where you took specific action to make a process, service, or opportunity easier to navigate or more accessible for customers or other employees. What was the impact? 
  • Indicates ability to identify issue/problem/barrier, describe concreate actions, and show measurable or visible impact to others, demonstrating intentionality. 
• Share an example of how you have helped others solve problems or remove barriers to improve access to tools, services, or supports.  
  • Seeks to understand their ability to recognize barriers and advocate for change through effective communication strategies and decisive action. 
• In this role, how would you meet the needs of different customers and improve access to services, to serve everyone in Washington?
  • Shows intentionality, ability to specifically identify barriers to services, emphasizes providing service to all, makes it clear that equity is a deliberate goal not accidental side effect; also demonstrates empathy and a commitment to adjusting when needed or getting creative to meet a need. For example, if someone doesn’t qualify for a specific program, providing a resource to another program.

Competency 1: The ability to take action to learn and grow.

• In your own words (150 words or less, not AI generated), pick a topic related to equity that you have learned about and provide examples of how this understanding has influenced your actions. (Examples include: housing, agriculture, farming, internet, economy, environment, healthcare, racism, homophobia, ableism, immigration, religion, disability, accessibility)
  • Seeks to learn whether candidate understands systemic and historic barriers, oppression, and racism and how they would use their knowledge to eliminate barriers to access.
• When was the last time you intentionally learned about someone else’s culture or lived experience that differs from your own? What did you learn from the experience? Share in your own words (150 words or less, not AI generated). 
  • Demonstrates whether candidate is open to learning about others and will take the initiative to do so; seeks to understand that cultures vary and is willing to learn from others. Demonstrates initiative and action. Provides concrete examples of how candidate actively pursues new knowledge and skills.
• What was the last new skill you learned or area of knowledge you developed? What difference did it make? Share in your own words (150 words or less, not AI generated). 
  • Seeks to understand and evaluate if candidate develops new knowledge, skills, and abilities. Demonstrates how continuous learning aligns with the specific requirements and opportunities of the targeted position.

Competency 2: The ability to take action to meet the needs of others.

• Describe a time you learned of the needs of a colleague or customer and took initiative to address them. What was the situation, what did you do, and what was the result? Share in your own words (150 words or less, not AI generated). 
  • Indicates candidate’s ability to listen to and understand the needs of others and effectively respond to the unique needs of the people they work with and serve. Highlights ability to engage with and communicate with others and work collaboratively to implement change. Demonstrates taking the initiative to help. Explains the actions and highlights a successful result and positive impact.
• Describe a situation where you had to adapt your usual way of doing things to better serve someone or a group of people with a background different than your own. What did you change, what was the outcome? Share in your own words (150 words or less, not AI generated). 
  • Demonstrates flexibility and adaptability to meet unique needs and focus on customer service and outcomes. 
• What problems, issues, or barriers have you encountered when helping people access government or other services and what actions have you taken to overcome them? Share in your own words (150 words or less, not AI generated). 
  • Seeks to understand candidate’s resilience when approaching barriers and ability to utilize problem solving and critical thinking. 

Competency 1: The ability to take action to learn and grow.

• What do you do when what you believe or know is challenged by someone else’s perspective? Share an example of how you responded and what the outcome was.
  • Demonstrates flexibility and adaptability. Leans into tough situations and conversations and pursues mutual understanding.
• In the last year, explain what steps you took to learn about another culture or another person’s lived experience different from your own. What did you learn and what did you do with what you’ve learned?
  • Demonstrates openness and willingness to learn about others and implement their knowledge in their work to make practices and processes fairer.
• What are some ways that you share your learning to contribute to the growth of others and create space for them to learn and grow with you? 
  • Seeks to understand and assess how candidate may coach/mentor/care for others, participate on a team, and how they lead. Contributes to the growth of others and shares knowledge.
• [Leadership] Give an example of a time when you used your influence or position to create opportunities for others.
  • Demonstrates ability to lift others through transformational leadership, intentional mentorship, provides guidance and time to others to build their skills, recognizes power dynamics and makes effort to level hierarchies 

Competency 2: The ability to take action to meet the needs of others.

• Describe a time when you helped or supported someone whose lived experience was substantially different from yours. What did you do? What did you learn? 
  • Seeks to understand and evaluate if candidate welcomes/values different identities, increases access, opportunities, and positive outcomes, and helps support people and communities from all backgrounds.
• Describe a time when you were unable to meet a customer’s need. Describe the situation, what you learned, and any actions you took.
  • Seeks to understand commitment to excellent service for all in Washington and demonstrates initiative, problem solving skills, and ability to advocate for change to make our systems fairer.
• Give some examples of how you have challenged your own assumptions or biases in service to others.
  • Illustrates candidate’s ability to understand bias concepts, demonstrating clear examples of when they took action to change their way of thinking to benefit others. 
• [LEADERSHIP] Describe how you gather input and respond to feedback before implementing a new policy or practice. How do you incorporate the feedback? How do you share what you did with that feedback? What was the result?
  • Demonstrates need for community feedback and making space for team to process change. Seeks to understand awareness that assumptions can cause harm. Demonstrates transparency about how feedback is implemented.  

Competency 1: The ability to take action to learn and grow.

• In what ways did the candidate engage in self-reflection or seek to improve their understanding of their own strengths and weaknesses while in their role?
  • Seeks to confirm or challenge if candidate uses self-reflection to understand their strengths/weaknesses and their motivation to increase and develop their knowledge, skills, and abilities.
• What approach have you observed the candidate take to navigate new situations with people from backgrounds different than their own? What did they do well? Where could they improve? 
  • Seeks to confirm or challenge if candidate adapts to change, applies new approaches, identifies opportunities and solutions, and learns to navigate systems, processes, tools, and technology.
• How does the candidate reflect on their own biases and growth opportunities?
  • Seeks to confirm or challenge if candidate has a clear understanding that all people have biases, shows self-reflection and intentional effort to uncover and understand their own knowledge gaps.

Competency 2: The ability to take action to meet the needs of others.

• What are some examples of how the candidate contributed to improving service and/or results for their customers? What about for their coworkers?
  • Seeks to confirm that candidate welcomes and incorporates new information and different perspectives to increase access, opportunities, and positive outcomes to meet the needs of diverse people.
• Can you share an example of a time when the candidate noticed an inequity in the workplace? How did they respond?
  • Describes a specific, real-life situation where inequity is clearly tied to systemic, structural, or access-related barrier. Candidate demonstrates awareness of the impacted group or individual’s needs and perspectives.