Behavioral Interview Questions and Answers

In this article we will cover the following questions:situations or events.
1. What is behavioral based interviewing?An effective description of a situation or event is
2. What can I do to anticipate behavioral basedreferred to as a STAR. A quality STAR allows the
questions and prepare for a good response?interviewer(s) to understand the SITUATION or TASK,
3. Where do I go to get additional help?responsibilities which lead to the applicant's ACTION
The process and tools used in the posting process areand explain the RESULT or outcome.
designed to help match the most suitable candidateTo repeat, a quality STAR includes a SITUATION
with a position vacancy. By doing so, both theTASK, ACTION AND RESULT. When the situation
company and the individual may better achieve theirdescribed by the applicant contains these three
long-term objectives.ingredients, the information is called a behavioral
Question 1: What is behavioral based interviewing?example. The interview is only one element of the
Behavioral based interviewing is based on the principleselection process.
that the best predictor of future behavior is pastQuestion 2: What can I do to anticipate behavioral
behavior. In other words, behaviors are repeated.based questions and prepare for a good response?
Therefore, in order for the hiring manager toWithin the Managerial Non-Technical Requirements, the
understand how an applicant is likely to perform in abehavioral dimensions that lead to effective
job, he or she must understand how the applicantperformance in the job are identified. Prior to the
handled problems, situation or duties in their current orinterview, a review of the posting will bring these to
past job(s) that are similar to what they will experiencemind and start you thinking of examples that may be
in the job they are being considered for.appropriate.
In order to conduct an effective behavioral based
interview, the hiring manager and Human ResourcesQuestion 3: Where do I go to get additional help?
must first analyze the job. Through this job analysis,Help can come from many sources and in many
behavioral dimensions are identified that are critical toforms. Experience has shown that some of the most
effective performance in the job. A behavioraleffective teachers are the people that you work with.
dimension represents specific qualities, skills, orMany of your peers have been successful in applying
behaviors that an applicant must have in order to beon an opportunity posted internally. We encourage you
successful in the position.to speak with your peers to find out what they did to
Once the dimensions are defined, a set of behavioralbe successful. You also have your supervisor available
based questions is developed. The questions areas a source of information. He/she can tell you as a
designed to have the applicant describe specifichiring manager what he/she is looking for in both the
situations or events that she/he has been involved inwritten application and the interview. HRinmotion offers
that are similar to situations she/he will face in thecareer counseling and workshops in career
vacant position. A description of a situation or eventself-assessment, resume writing, interviewing skills, and
can originate from the applicant's current or prior jobswork search strategies. If there is a specific job
or from personal experience that may not have beenposted that you are interested in and should you need
job related.additional information on that job, you are encouraged
It is at this point that most applicants notice a significantto speak to the hiring manager.
difference in the interview process. Rather than a
situational type of interview in which questions wouldIN SUMMARY
begin with "What would you do if...?" a behavioralEffectively reading a job ad is one of the secrets to
based type of interview has questions that begin withsuccess in the employment process. The job posting
"What did you do when...?" In response to this type ofalso identifies the behavioral dimensions necessary for
question, the candidate will normally describe a specificeffective performance in the job. In response to this,
situation or event that she/he had direct involvement in.effective applicants practice their STAR's in advance
It is the interviewer's job to assist the applicant to stayof the interview in order to highlight items that they
focused on providing descriptions about specificconsider pertinent.