A resume provides a wealth of information about a job applicant’s professional history, skills, and experience. However, it is not enough basis for finding a person who best matches your open role and company. So, aside from a traditional interview, a behavioral interview is a very effective technique that works across various organizations. We’ve gathered the top behavioral interview questions to help you evaluate multiple candidates for the same job opening.
What are behavioral interview questions?
Behavioral Interview questions emphasize a candidate’s previous experiences. They help employers measure a candidate’s specific behavior concerning skills, abilities, and knowledge. Questions can revolve around interpersonal matters, leadership questions, how a person acts under pressure, and more.
During a behavioral interview, an interviewer will ask the candidate to describe a specific work experience using situational questions telling how they acted under similar situations.
What are the advantages of behavioral interview questions?
By integrating top behavioral interview questions into the screening process, employers can avoid hypothetical what-ifs by obtaining concrete answers on how candidates behave in various work situations. These questions are verified methods to gauge a job applicant’s potential and ability to communicate, lead, adapt, and reinforce a company’s culture. Similarly, the candidate’s responses to the questions can help you determine if he has the attributes that match the job description requirements.
Top Behavioral Interview Questions
These essential questions help express universal core skills in every position, like problem-solving, adaptability, and resilience. Other questions refer to more specific qualities such as leadership style.
Problem Solving
Describe a time when you assumed the initiative on an activity or a project.
This question will not only focus on the candidate’s characteristics but also on how he gives credit to a team. Let the interviewee provide some examples wherein he went beyond his role to take on extra responsibility.
Tell a time when you used creativity to overcome a dilemma.
Encourage the job applicant to share an experience where he came up with an unexpected idea. Ask him if he followed a creative process or if the creativity was spontaneous that helped him overcome the situation.
How do you approach problems? What’s your process?
This question will focus on the approach the candidate used to solve problems. Also, ask about the process, tools, and techniques employed to work through a crisis.
Name three improvements you made in your recent position.
In this portion, ask the candidate to discuss three improvements he was able to introduce or apply in his most recent position.
Working in a Team
Have you worked with a team in your most recent position?
Ask the candidate about his roles within any team he has worked with. Aside from that, let the candidate explain the group’s focus, its objectives, and the successful projects he was involved in during his team membership.
Are you better at working with a team or working on your own?
A team player will almost always have the correct response to this particular question.
Leadership
Give an example of when you had to assume leadership for a team.
This question aims to hear from the candidate a situation where he has stepped up as a leader and how he performed his role.
Give me an example of when you set a goal and how you achieved it.
This question will help you measure the candidate’s ability to set and achieve goals.
Personal Stress
Describe a time when you worked well, even under pressure.
It is also essential to know how resilient the job applicant is. Ask the candidate to talk about his outlook when caught in a pressure situation.
A behavioral interview is necessary to learn how a candidate will perform tasks, manage challenges, and interact with others within a specific position. These top behavioral interview questions will help you determine how an applicant will add to your company culture and how they can help your organization meet its objectives.
