About Behavioral Interviews
Employers use behavioral interviews to find out more about potential hires than whether or not they have experience and reliable transportation. Behavioral techniques are meant to predict how the interviewee will behave in specific on-the-job situations.
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History
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Many American companies began using behavioral interviews in the 1970s. Before that, hiring managers stuck to a basic format that made it difficult to determine choice candidates. Industrial psychologists developed this interviewing style with the idea that past behavior determines future behavior.
Questions
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In a behavioral interview, the employer will base questions on specific traits needed for the job. For example, if the vacant position is in accounting, the employer will want to hire someone who is punctual, organized and good with problem solving. Some behavioral questions might be:
*What would a former boss say if I asked her about your commitment to being on time? Name a situation when you were late or at risk of being late and how you handled it."
*Give me an example of an idea you implemented to help you stay organized at home or at work. What were the results of this idea?"
*Tell me about a time when you had a conflict with another coworker. How did you diffuse the situation?"
The key is that the questions are open-ended, require detail and are targeted. Often the interviewer will ask follow-up questions, which may doom those who invent experience.
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Ratings
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Because behavioral interviews can be somewhat subjective, many employers implement a rating system so that they have concrete numbers to work with when making their hiring decision. That way, instead of the CEO seeing "good answer on number 16," he sees a number or letter grade, which is a lot more useful for ranking candidates.
Preparing
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It can be hard to tell what the exact questions will be for a behavioral interview, unlike the traditional one--which will probably begin with "Tell me about yourself." Instead of rehearsing from a list of questions, candidates should conduct extensive research on the company and position to try to determine what traits interviewers are seeking. Then she should come up with 4 or 5 verbal essays that will show the interviewer he's the perfect person for the job based on experience in previous jobs, in school or via volunteer work--focusing at least two of the essays on overcoming challenges. The appropriate format is SAR: situation, action, result.
Considerations
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Letters of recommendation from former employers can give candidates a leg up on other interviewees. Behavioral interviewers highly value others' opinions of candidates, since anyone can say how great they are but not as many can back it up.
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