Behavioral Interviews
Behavior based interviewing is a means of extracting information concerning behaviors, abilities, knowledge, skills, but above all the sharpness of a person in dealing with the different employment-related situations. Your past behavior is considered to be the benchmark for your future behavior, or in other words past performance predicts future performance.
The recruiter on the basis of your past hobbies, activities, family life or social work will come to a conclusion that how are you going to perform and behave under a particular situation. So instead trying to trying to figure out your behave they ask you your past behavior. They are interested in knowing what you can do but also they emphasize greatly on what you have done leading up to here.
What could be the best preparation you can undertake?
Look around and gather as much information and material on such interview samples. Pick all such leads that best indicate to what skills an organization looks for. Once you have the required information and material you should go ahead and analyze your strengths, and draw up sort of story in your mind how well you have done on different occasions and responded to calls when you achieved success just by tackling things with a little more resolve. Employers look for multiple skills in a candidate like content skills that is related to knowledge of a specific skill such as accounting, then functional skills such as skills in organizing, managing, communications etc, self-management skills such as being dependable, a team player etc. Taking directions from the aforementioned skills you too could make good preparation through these tips. You may be able to use them to help frame responses. Frame stories in such a manner that the stories speak volumes about how you achieved the results.
Last but not least, review the job description. This way you are briefing yourself on what skills and behavioral characteristics the employer is seeking. Read thoroughly all details of the job description & position requirements. Once you are well versed with the requirements of the job centre your stories around them for maximum impact.
During the Behavioral Interview
If at any point during the interview a question is not clear to you ask the interviewer to rephrase the question. Use these points for an effective behavioral interview:
- A specific situation
- The tasks that needed to be done
- The action you took
- The results i.e. what happened
Be clear in your mind that there is no right or wrong answers. By the way of this interview the interviewer just trying to evaluate your behavior in a said situation. It is your response that determines whether your skills fit the position the company is seeking to fill. Listen carefully, state all things clearly and in complete detail when you respond and, most importantly, be honest.
A few samples of Behavioral-based questions that are routinely asked:
- You could be asked to give a specific example of an instance where you applied good logic & judgment in solving a problem
- You could be asked to tell them of an instance where an idea implemented by you achieved desired results or even changed the way things were done in your work place.
- Important that you tell if at any time you were going through stressful times in work related issues and how you single handedly coped with it and did it successfully.
- Tell them of an occasion where the organization required you worked beyond the call of duty in order to get a job done.
- If there was a conflict brewing up in your department how you would tackle it?
- You could be asked to give a real example of a time when you took the onus on you to show the lead in order to accomplish the task.