behavioral interview questions

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Behavioral Interview Questions

Interviewers ask questions designed to determine what an applicant has done previously to handle a specific situation. Take your time, don't be afraid of silence, and recall a positive outcome from you past work history that shows the interviewer how well you can handle the situation. Learning solid interview techniques puts you on solid ground.

Remember, the interviewer wants to know if you can do the job, will you do the work, and will you get along with all the other people in the department.

Here's how you might structure an answer -

Provide details, such as timeframe;
Events leading up to the behaviors;
What you specifically did during the situation.

Why are these type of questions good for YOU?

1. There's no "right answer" and you control the amount of information provided;

2. The focus is on recent history, not ages ago when you might have done something completely different;

3. You can gear your answers to the hiring organization, targeting specific areas in your answers that are important to them.

What's the problem with behavioral questions?

1. Your experiences may not be appropriate and viewed negatively;

2. Your behaviors may be harder to describe than work history;

3. Unstructured interviews (haphazard) are more spontaneous and your charisma (or lack of) shines through more easily;

4. You may end up drawing from the same source of past behaviors too many times, showing a level of inexperience; (Tip: try to use examples from more than one source).

Behavioral Question Samples
(Answer link below)

1. Tell me about a time when you were blamed for something you hadn't caused.

2. Give me an example of how you exercised leadership in a recent situation.

3. Think about the changes in your previous organization that you've been a part of and tell me how you helped facilitate the change.

4. Tell me about a decision you made recently and how you reached it.

5. Tell me about a time when you were criticized. What was the issue involved, who made the criticism, and how did handled it?

6. Tell me how you use your communication skills, written and oral, to build professional relationships and partnerships.

7. Think about a recent project you were assigned. How did you manage your time and organizing the project?

8. Please tell me about a recent team you worked on and your role on it.

9. Tell me about how you persuade people to accept your point-of-view.

10. Tell me about a time when you were under a great deal of pressure. What was the source of the pressure and what did you do to alleviate it?

Behavioral interviews are used more and more to determine how a candidate may perform in the future...

To fully understand this type of interview takes time and practice; time that you probably don't have. There are excellent programs that will speed you through the process of understanding, such as Vaughan Vandenberg's complete resource of behavioral interviewing information that delves into the psychology of the interview and the steps anyone can take to be successful in their next interview. If you don't agree, IT's FREE!

Would you like some sample answers to the behavioral interview questions above?

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