October 04, 2017

Using Behavior-Based Interview Questions:

It's becoming increasingly clear that one of the best ways to interview candidates for a new position is through the behavioral-based interviewing practices. These are the sorts of questions that allow interviewees to expand on what was asked and share extensive information about themselves personally. The more you know about the person you are hiring, the more you are able to determine if they are a good fit for the company.

No Pre-Fabricated Answers:

The biggest advantage, though, to behavioral-based interview questions: potential employees cannot provide premeditated answers to questions that are as complex and open-ended as the ones in these types of interviews.

Behavioral Interviews Share Past Experiences:

Behavioral-based interview questions will get candidates to do things such as share stories of their past work experiences. This offers insight as to how the person has conducted themselves on the job in the past and how they may handle themselves if you hire them into your company. This ensures that the person lines up with your company's mission and goals. These types of questions can help reveal the person's way of thinking and their methodology of deciding what to do. If these ways of thinking agree with the company's ways of doing things that may indicate a strong match for a potential future employee for that company. It also can tell a company when to move on to look for someone who more aligns with the company's purposes and goals.

Use Behavioral Questions As a Screen:

Behavioral questions can help determine what values, morals, and ethics the person holds and to see what position the candidate may or may not fit. For example, if you want to know if a person holds a certain character trait you are looking for, a great way to find out is to ask the person a question about a time when they displayed that character trait or an ability that you want to know if the candidate displays. There is no better way to determine if the person has that trait or ability than to have them share stories about their past employment and how they used those traits or abilities in an effective manner their past employment situations.

Behavioral Questions Dig Beneath the Exterior:

Sure, people can put on a great, polished look and have all the "interview dialect" down to a science. However, if they cannot share substantial stories about their past and about how they will personally help your company succeed in it's said mission statement and its goals, then that may not be the ideal employee for your company. Asking questions and digging deeper will help determine who is the best fit for your company. When utilized in the proper way, these questions will help determine who may be a great employee but just may not be the right fit for your specific company. Making this differentiation may not be easy but it is sure helped by the behavioral questioning technique that is becoming more and more popular among companies to "weed out" those potential employees who will help further their business in the best way possible.

Some Examples of Behavioral-Based Questions:

The final and most important question for many that are new to the concept of behavioral interviewing might be: What does a behavioral-based interview question/prompt even look like?

Some examples of behavioral based questions include the following:

• Describe a situation when you have worked effectively under pressure.
• Give an example of how you have handled a past challenge in your place of employment.
• When you make a mistake, how do you go about handling it? Give an example of how you work to meet goals that you have set or that have been set for you.
• Give an example of a goal you reached and share how you achieved it.
• Talk about a time you had to work very closely with someone whose personality was very different from yours.
• Describe how you have solved a past conflict in your workplace. What did you learn from this situation?
• Describe a time when your workplace was undergoing change and how you adapted yourself to it.
• Tell me about a time when you failed at a task at work. How did you handle it? How did you move forward?

These are just a few examples of behavioral-based interview questions. There are many more of these questions that you can use to help meet your company's specific needs.

Conclusions:

Behavioral-based interview questions force the candidate to address substantial answers and provide past experiences for the interviewer to determine if that person is an ideal fit for their company. Employing these tactics when interviewing for your company can help you determine whose morals, ethics, missions, and goals align with those set forth by your company.

Give it a try and reap the benefits of this new type of interviewing style.