Some organisations and interviewers use behaviourally based interview techniques to assess individuals.
Usually this technique will be used alongside normal interviewing techniques and it is designed to gauge how you have actually reacted to real circumstances and situations.
When answering this type of question it is important to listen to the question, stop and assess what skill they are trying to access and then give your best answer. It is worth preparing some incidences in your mind or on paper that can be used as examples.
Generally the interviewer will be looking for the interviewee to be able to describe:
- The task or situation
- What action you took
- What was the result of that action
Examples of Behaviourally Based Interview Questions
Negotiating
- When negotiating with others, we often compromise on certain issues. Tell me about a time when you used a strategy for giving in or standing firm on an issue to achieve the desired outcome?
- Tell me about the hardest negotiation situation you were in and how you resolved it?
Selling
- What are some of the best ideas you ever sold to a superior or peer? What were your approaches?
- Describe a time when you had to use several approaches because your initial approach failed to persuade others?
- Describe your most disappointing experience in attempting to gain upper management support of an idea or proposal. What was the situation, and why was it disappointing?
- Tell me about one of your toughest sales experiences?
Strategic Leadership
- What are some of the most difficult or complex directives you have had to implement? Explain how you approached this task?
- What strategies have you used to communicate superior’s major new directives to employees? Which strategies have worked and which have not? Tell me a specific example.
- Describe a time when you needed to establish priorities to implement a new vision or directive. How did you get others to follow? What was their reaction?
Team Influence
- Give me an example of an idea you tried to present to your team members, but were unable to gain acceptance. What was your approach?
- When making decisions, how much consideration do you give the needs/feelings/opinions of team members? Give examples.
Leadership
- Have you ever been in the situation where you had to change your organisations culture or values? What steps did you take?
- Describe a time when you saw the potential for improving employee engagement. What did you do about it?
Judgement
- Describe the biggest work-related problems you have faced in the last 6 months? How did you handle them?
- Describe a time you weighed up the pro’s and con’s of a situation and decided not to take action, even though you were under pressure to do so?
Troubleshooting
- Describe the most difficult troubleshooting challenge you have had in your last position?
- Have you ever determined the cause of a bottleneck or similar process problem? How did you determine the cause?
Sensitivity
- Describe a situation where you improved working relationships? What was the outcome?
- What has been the biggest confrontation with a boss? How did you handle it?
Delegation
- Tell me about an instance where you made a mistake by delegating something to someone? What happened?
- Give me an example when you delegated responsibility? How did you ensure everything was completed?
Work Standards
- Tell me about a time which illustrates how you maintain high work standards?
- Describe a situation where your attention to detail was better than others around you?
In addition, to situational questions like the ones above you are likely to get some of the more standard interview questions such as the ones listed below:
- So tell my why are you interested in this position?
- I have had a look at your CV but could you give me a brief summary of your career to date?
- Explain why you left each position?
- Tell me about yourself, your interests etc.
- What has been your favourite position and why?
- What do you enjoy most about being a ............................?
- What do you think makes a good ................................?
- What things do you like in your working relationships with your boss or the team of people?
- What style of management gets the best out of you?
- How would previous managers or supervisors rate or recommend you?
- What are your achievements in current or recent roles?
- Tell me where your strengths lie? Weaknesses?
- Tell me about yourself and how you like to work? What distinguishes the way you like to work?
- Has anything ever frustrated you in a role before? What and why?
- How do you develop relationships with people?
- What can you bring to the role which differentiates you from other applicants?
- If you could design your ideal job what would it be?
- How would you handle a situation where there was conflict in your team? What would you do?
- Describe your personality for me?
- What remuneration level would you expect?
- When are you available to start