What do you consider the key to success in communicating with the public?
"I think it's the same when communicating with anyone. Everyone wants to feel heard, everyone wants to be treated with respect, and everyone seeks validation. So whenever I'm communicating with the public, or otherwise, I actively listen, mirror back to them what I feel they're communicating, and validate what they're communicating based on their perception and their reality. I'll present the situation back to them with the external components that may have been outside of their perspective. I'll share with them my knowledge, and the avenues I can explore to help them, and do my best to keep the communication as amenable and transparent as possible. Show them that you're putting thought into it, exploring all options before reaching an outcome."
This behavioral question will offer a meaningful glimpse into your personality. It will reveal how capably you navigate the bias geared against your role as an IRS agent. Its aim is to evaluate how adept and effective you are at diplomacy, mediation, and negotiation, working swiftly towards a communal end goal. This question is layered. Not only is the interviewer trying to get an idea of who you are, but also an idea of your communication skills. The IRS will recruit those who fit their mold. Soft people skills, and being able to non-defensively communicate with a wide range of personalities are desirable traits.
Any position within the IRS can be stressful at times. This can easily result in intense situations. Exhibit your non-defensive communications skills here, as well as your ability to function as a mediator between those who don't see eye to eye. Convey a possession of strong conflict resolution skills in your example. Also, some of the best communication tools are active listening and mirroring what was communicated back to the communicator. Offer an example where you've applied these or other effective communication tools. Even when that may not be enough, you've at least exhibited that you performed at your best with what you had to work with.
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