The behavioral interview is increasingly used by employers as a key part of the hiring process.
A traditional interview will typically involve questions such as, “What are your strengths and weaknesses?” or “Why do you want to leave your current role?”
The behavioral interview will focus on how candidates perform in given situations. The premise for the behavioral interview is that past performance predicts future behavior — i.e., how you performed in a previous job will inform the employer of your suitability for the current role.
Behavioral interview questions are normally preceded with “Give me an example of …” or “Tell me about a time when…” The questions will focus on characteristics such as teamwork, leadership, problem solving and so on. It is essential to be prepared to explain what you did, what you said and how you felt.
Examples of behavioral interview questions
- Customer service: Tell me about a time when you went out of your way to provide the best possible customer service. What did you do and how did the customer respond?
- Teamwork: Give me an example of how you adjusted to a co-worker’s working style in order to achieve your performance objectives.
- Conflict: Tell me about a time that you resolved an issue with a difficult colleague.
- Leadership: Give me an example of a situation when you assumed a leadership role.
- Problem solving: Describe a situation when your experience did not prepare you for a set task and how you dealt with it.