Sweating Through It: Behavioral Interviews

The name “behavioral interview” is misleading. It’s not behavior that interests the recruiter. Instead, behavioral interviewing is a chance for the interviewer to get you to talk about specifics, specific projects, events, experiences, or situations in which you may have found yourself and how you handled them.

In a behavioral interview, interviewers ask about a candidate’s experience with a specific situation or task, how they acted in that situation and what the result was. For example an interviewer may ask the following question: “Tell me about a time when you had to train someone.” The situation or task is training. You describe the actions or behaviors you did in that situation and what the outcome was. Your response might be: “When I worked at the YMCA summer camp, I was placed in charge of training two junior counselors. This included learning fundamental rules, as well as tricks for handling separation anxiety with our preteen campers. Our cabin had the lowest rate of homesickness incidence and won several camp awards. Proper training really helped us serve our campers to the best of our ability.”

Always bring the response back to the interview at hand. Training, be it in a camp or a company, is always critical for success. Your answer should demonstrate your understanding of this principal.

Other questions may dig into problems you have encountered, successes you have achieved, or situations that demonstrate a skill. You might get asked questions about a situation in which you have had to complete projects on a deadline. Employers like these kind of interviews because your answer will tell a lot about your work habits, ability to think on your feet, and your experience. It forces you to tell a real story rather than come up with a loaded answer.

While behavioral interviews sound intimidating, they are an excellent chance for you to demonstrate your experience and apply what you have done to the job at hand. You can draw the lines from what they want to what you have done in a clear way. The trickiest part can be thinking of stories on your feet. The best bet is to relax, breathe, and think for a moment before you answer.

Practicing for these interviews is best done by thinking about the key skills an employer will want. These typically include: leadership, motivation, work ethic, work habits, skills, communication, teamwork, and your personality. If you want to practice with someone, you can find a number of sample questions for your specific field online.

Recruiting consultant Mary Beth Henderson notes, “If you prepare yourself for a "behavioral" type interview, you will be prepared to handle almost any interview. I say this from having learned it from both sides of the desk. You have to be able to give specific examples of your abilities in an interview and not talk in generalities. “


Sample Behavioral Interview Questions

• Tell me about a time you had to handle a dissatisfied customer.
• Describe a situation in which you worked with a difficult co-worker.
• What was your most recent leadership experience.
• Describe a situation in which you had to go the extra mile to complete a project.
• Tell me about a time when you used persuasion to get someone to come around to your way of thinking.
• Describe a situation in which you had to manage conflict in a team environment.