Behavioural Interviews
What are Behavioural Interviews?
Behavioural interviewing is a technique that's commonly used by recruiters. It is based on the assumption that your past behaviour is the best way to predict your behaviour in the future. Employers may ask detailed questions in regards to your thoughts, your feelings and actions in past situations that you have experienced. This helps the employer look for evidence as to whether you are capable to possess the qualities that they are seeking.
A non-behavioural question may be "What would be your greatest contribution when you're working in a team?" This type of question may not reveal the interviewee's ability within a team; however it measures their ability to answer questions well.
A behavioural question might be "Tell me a time when your co-workers disliked working with each other? How did you accomplish to fix the issue? What was the outcome?" This type of question would allow the interviewee to describe a time when they were encountered with this type of situation, rather than detailing a general or hypothetical answer.
How do I respond?
Giving the interviewer a strong response outlines the context in which evens took place, the action that was taken and the end result of the situation. Answering behavioural questions in a structured way will convey information about yourself and the skills that you have developed.
Preparation is essential. Ensure you have several experiences that you are able to describe appropriately if questioned. Do not refer to the same experience to answer all questions. Use work experiences that have developed your skills - part time, professional and voluntary; university academic, involvement in extra-curricular activities; and any other life experiences.
How should I prepare?
Before entering an interview ensure that you have researched as much as you can about the skills and qualities the employer is seeking. This information can be revealed within the advertisement or may be highlighted in the position description. Viewing the company’s website will also help you to prepare for the upcoming interview, as important information on the company, their involvement and accomplishments in the industry and their vision for the future are provided.
Remember… it is important that you LISTEN to the question in the interview.
Competency Generic/ transferable skills or attributes often sought by employers. | IDEAS to get you thinking… Questions to ask yourself in order to generate ideas about where and when you have demonstrated these competencies. | Possible examples to refer to… Some likely scenarios in which this skill would typically be utilised or developed. Can you recall any such scenarios that may be worth mentioning? | Sample behavioural questions Which would typically prompt discussion of a past situation in |
Verbal communication/ interpersonal skills | When have I really relied on language to sort something out? When have I handled a difficult or intimidating person especially well? | · resolving a conflict · negotiating an agreement · presenting a paper · tutoring · clarifying a request from a superior dealing with an unsatisfied customer | Tell me about a time when you had to deal with a difficult person. Give me an example of a situation when you had to teach something very complex to a 'lay' audience. Who was involved? How did you manage it? Give me an example of a time when a co-worker or classmate criticised your work in front of others. How did you respond? |
Research skills | When have I thoroughly gone 'beyond the obvious' to research something? | · preparing for a trip overseas · researching your thesis or assignment · project undertaken during vacation work | Tell me about a time when you've had to work on a topic you knew nothing about. What did you do? Describe a situation in which you had to use reference materials to write a research paper. What was the topic? What journals did you read? |
Flexibility/ adaptability | When have I had to be very flexible to make something work? When have I had to change plans at the last minute? | · sudden change in duties at work · assuming someone else's role in a team situation at short notice | Think of a time when important plans you made had to be suddenly altered at the last minute. Tell me about the situation and explain what you did. Tell me about a time when you failed to meet a deadline. What did you fail to do? What were the repercussions? What did you learn? |
Critical thinking/ analytical ability | When have I had to make sense of some especially contradictory information? When have I had to 'think on my feet'? | · deciding between two or more options · analysing some contradictory information in order to make a decision | Give me an example of when you had to gather information from two or more resources. What patterns or inconsistencies did you notice? |
Judgement/ problem solving | When have I actually had to think 'laterally' to 'get around' something? When have I had to thoroughly evaluate consequences before I could make a decision? | · facing an 'obstacle' in your thesis · Resolving a problem at work ie. under-staffing, low stock · deciding what course to study at university | Tell me about a time when you had a problem to solve. What happened? Tell me about a time when you had to choose between two equally attractive options. What was the outcome? |
Team work | When have I worked in a team situation that went very well or quite poorly, and what made it that way? | · playing a team sport · working as part of a committee or organising group · involvement in a team based assignment | Tell me about a time when you were working as part of a team and one person wasn't pulling their weight. Who was involved? What did you do? Tell me about a time when you got co workers or classmates who disliked each other to work together. How did you accomplish this? What was the outcome? |
Quick learner | When have I had to learn about something in a very short space of time? | · preparing for an exam · being 'thrown into the deep end' at work | Tell me about a time when you were given a task to complete in a very tight timeframe. What was required of you? How did you approach it? |
Enthusiasm/ motivation | What things have I done beyond the 'essentials' of work and study? | · Decision to take on extra responsibility ie. become captain/ president/ treasurer · pursuit of a hobby or interest · travel | Tell me about a time when you pursued an interest or hobby. Tell me about a time when you decided to take on something 'extra'. |
Initiative/ innovation | When have I identified a problem and come up with a solution without being asked? | · introducing a change to your workplace · inventing something to make life easier for yourself · suggesting a new way of doing a social event | Tell me about a time when you noticed that a system wasn't working efficiently. What did you do? Tell me about a time when you came up with an innovative solution to a challenge your company or class was facing. What was the challenge? What role did you play and how did others respond? |
Leadership | When have I voluntarily taken a leadership role? | · captain or vice-captain of sporting teams · treasurer, secretary or president of committees · team leader in workplace | Tell me about a time when you were responsible for directing others. How did it come about? What was involved? |
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