Behavioral Interview Questions
A behavioral interview question is designed to determine how the candidate might behave under certain circumstances. Using behavioral interview questions, interviewers try to create a scenario that allows the candidate to describe future behavior, based on how they've behaved on the job in the past.
Examples of behavioral interview questions:
Have you ever had problems with a
supervisor or a coworker? Describe the situation for me. How
did you resolve the conflict?
Describe some times when you were not
very satisfied or pleased with your own performance. What
did you do about it?
Give me an example of a problem you
faced on the job, and tell me how you solved it.
Give me an example of an important
goal you had to set and tell me about your progress in
reaching that goal.
What was
your role in your department's most recent success?
What do you consider to be your
greatest strengths and weaknesses?
What have you learned from your
mistakes?
What was the best decision you ever
made?
Describe a time when you were faced
with problems or stresses at work that tested your coping
skills. What did you do?
Strategy for Answering Behavioral Interview Questions
Research the
employer -look at their culture, their practices, how they
dress, etc. This information will pinpoint the kind of
characteristics that are important. Think of experiences that
will relate to the areas you think will come up during the
interview.
Select experiences that match the question - Analyze the
question, and select an experience
that incorporates the behavior the interviewer is asking about.
It is quite easy to talk about an experience and at the end of
it, wonder why you selected that one. Make it very easy for your
interviewer to understand your reasoning for selecting the
experience.
Behavioral interview questions give interviewers an idea of how you will fit within the organization. Employers hire people that will fit well within their organization, so how do you find out what the employer is looking for? Check the How-To pages to find guidance.
More question types
Competency-based (Case) questions - questions that ask
about technical capabilities, knowledge, or abilities;
Work history questions -
questions that are intended to confirm past duties and
experiences;
Technical questions - questions to help
determine your technical abilities;
Informal questions - Seemingly non-threatening
questions asked during an informal interview.
Learn more about other question types
Review more sample
interview questions
