The trend of asking Behavioral questions in interviews has recently emerged in the HR industry. According to Mehan, it aims to help recruiters accurately gauge a candidate’s potential for success in the modern workforce.

Unlike traditional interviews that rely on straightforward responses, behavioral interviews plumb the depths of a candidate’s past experience and behaviors. Behavioral based interviews offer a more objective assessment of a candidate’s suitability for the role.

In this article, we’ll thoroughly discuss ‘’behavioral interviewing’’, its significance, and what to expect when you come across this approach in your job search.

Understanding Behavioral Interviewing

Including behavioral questions in interviews is a relatively recent but widely adopted mode of candidate evaluation. Employers use behavioral interviews to assess an individual’s experiences and behaviors, considering past performance as a predictor for future on-the-job behavior.

Traditional interviews, in contrast, predict only 10% of future work behavior, while behavioral interviewing shows an impressive 55% predictive accuracy.

In a behavioral interview, the interviewer pinpoints the desired aptitude and skills for a position. Next, he structures open-ended questions to draw comprehensive and elicit answers from the candidates. This process involves establishing a systematic rating system and specific criteria throughout the interview.

According to Mehan, even if you have minimum work experience, companies still expect you to relate past experiences, such as those from your education, volunteer work , campus activities, organizational memberships,or internships to the job you’re interviewing for.

Traditional vs. Behavioral Interviewing

Incorporating behavioral questions in interviews stands out as a more even-handed strategy to making employment decisions compared to traditional interviews. Traditional interviews often rely on generalized questions like “Tell me about yourself,”. While answering such questions, candidates tend to tailor their responses to what they believe the interviewer wants to hear.

Behavioral interviews, on the other hand, are more challenging to maneuver with generic or untruthful responses. Recruiters typically ask questions that start with phrases like “Tell me about a time when you…” or “Describe an instance when you faced a problem related to…”

Such questions force candidates to provide specific examples from their past endeavors, making it almost impossible to conceal or overstate their abilities.

What to Expect in a Behavioral Interview

When you encounter behavioral questions in interviews, be prepared for a structured interview that has predetermined questions and required answers. This is not like a traditional and conversational type of an interview. Instead, interviewers ask situation-based questions and use a profile of desired behaviors to evaluate candidates against.

During the interview, always expect follow-up questions that ask for more details. This is to assess the consistency of your answers and how valid are your claims. Note that many questions will have multiple sub parts, and behavioral interviewers often note down your responses.

Areas of Evaluation

According to Mehan, Behavioral interviews commonly assess the following attributes:

• Integrity
• Leadership
• Initiative
• Communication Skills
• Problem Solving Skills
• Interpersonal Skills
• Adaptability

Sample Behavioral Interview Questions

Mehan recommends some Behavioral interview questions for you. Such questions often start with phrases like:

1. Tell me about a situation when you…
2. Describe an instance when you were faced with a problem related to…
3. Think about a time in which you…
4. Tell me how you managed a situation where…
5. Describe a scenario in which you were able to successfully convince someone to see things your way. What type of persuasion did you use to build your argument?
6. Give me a clear example of a time when you used good judgment and rationale in solving a problem.
7. Give me a specific example of a time when you set a goal and were able to achieve it.
8. Tell me about a time when you had to use your presentation or demonstration skills to influence someone’s opinion.

Final Thoughts

Behavioral interviewing is a useful tool in the recruitment process as it provides a more objective and comparable evaluation of a candidate’s work potential. Including behavioral questions in interviews utilizes real-time experiences, behaviors, and problem-solving capacities, making it almost impossible for interviewees to provide insincere answers.

As job seekers, understanding the principles of behavioral interviewing is essential to effectively prepare and excel in job interviews. Practicing responses to behavioral questions in interviews would help candidates to give more thought-out and mindful responses.

Therefore, Mehan suggests tapping into your past encounters, to showcase your strengths, and demonstrate your capacity to manage diverse questions in a behavioral interview.