Interview Behavioral: How To Regale Stories Of Past Experiences
Table of Contents
Understanding Behavioral Interview
Behavioral interviewing focuses on understanding a candidate’s experiences and background through storytelling, as past behaviors are considered reliable indicators of future behaviors. It is essential to explain the reasoning behind behavioral interviews, as they reveal how candidates have dealt with various situations and challenges.
Behavioral interviews help make the evaluation process more objective. Instead of asking yes/no questions like ‘Do you have experience working with data sets?’—where the answer is just ‘Yes’—we ask for the story behind it.
By asking for specific stories instead of yes/no questions, behavioral interviews make the evaluation process more objective, providing deeper insights into a candidate’s skills and problem-solving abilities. This method emphasizes the importance of sharing detailed past experiences to demonstrate competence and readiness for future roles.
Types of Behavioral Questions
- Situation-based questions
- Example Question: Describe a situation when you had competing priorities and were unable to get everything done on time.
- Answer Tip: Describe the challenge you faced, explain how you managed your time, and how you prioritized tasks to get as much done as possible.
- Action-based questions
- Example Question: Describe the actions you took to ensure a project was completed on time.
- Answer Tip: Provide specific details about the steps you took, focusing on your contributions and actions to meet the project goals.
- Problem-solving questions
- Example Question: Give an example of a difficult technical problem you faced and how you solved it.
- Answer Tip: Focus on the steps you took to solve the problem, not just the complexity of the issue. Explain how you analyzed, learned, and overcame the challenge.
- Teamwork questions
- Example Question: Provide an example of a successful collaboration with another team.
- Answer Tip: Highlight how you worked with team members, especially in cross-functional settings, to achieve a common goal. Show how you resolved conflicts and coordinated efforts.
- Leadership questions
- Example Question: Describe a time when you took the lead on a project.
- Answer Tip: Explain your leadership role, focusing on how you made decisions, delegated tasks, and led the team to success. Highlight your individual contribution.
- Communication questions
- Example Question: Tell me about a situation where effective communication was crucial.
- Answer Tip: Show how you managed communication in critical situations, especially when working with teams or different departments. Explain how you ensured information was clearly and effectively conveyed.
- Adaptability questions
- Example Question: Describe a situation where you had to adapt to unexpected changes.
- Answer Tip: Demonstrate your flexibility and adaptability by explaining how you handled changes or uncertainty in a project while still ensuring success.
- Achievement-oriented questions
- Example Question: Share a specific accomplishment in your career that you are proud of.
- Answer Tip: Highlight a significant achievement through your personal effort and explain why it was meaningful for your career development. Show your passion and motivation for your work.
- Conflict resolution questions
- Example Question: Give an example of how you resolved a conflict within a team.
- Answer Tip: Explain how you handled the conflict, showing that you understood both sides of the issue and used data or logical reasoning to find a resolution.
- Customer service questions
- Example Question: Give me an example of a time when you went above and beyond to satisfy a customer.
- Answer Tip: Describe how you delivered exceptional service, whether to internal or external customers, and how you exceeded their expectations in solving a difficult issue.
- Time management questions
- Example Question: How did you prioritize tasks when faced with multiple deadlines?
- Answer Tip: Show how you managed time and tasks under pressure, and how you communicated with your manager or team to adjust and meet deadlines.
- Failure and challenges questions
- Example Question: Tell me about a time when you failed or made a mistake, and how you recovered from it.
- Answer Tip: Be honest about the failure, explaining what you learned from the experience and how you applied that learning to avoid similar mistakes in the future.
How Do You build out answers for the different interview questions?
Using the STAR Method
The STAR Method is a structured approach to organizing responses to behavioral interview questions. It helps you clearly describe the Situation, Task, Action, and Result, allowing the interviewer to better understand your thought process and actions.
Situation: Describe the context or background, set the scene for the story, and help the interviewer understand the situation at the time.
Task: Explain the task you needed to accomplish, usually briefly and to the point.
Action: This is the most important part, where you detail the specific steps you took. The interviewer wants to understand your reasoning and the actions you performed in each step.
Result: Share the outcome, which could be positive or negative. Reflect on how you might have improved or made different decisions in hindsight.
Building a Question and Answer Bank
Candidates can prepare for future interviews by building a bank of common interview questions and answers. Record the questions you have encountered in different interviews and prepare multiple answers for each question. As your career progresses, your answers should evolve and update accordingly.
AI Co-pilot Orion
However, the current job market is very challenging. Many people need to participate in interviews with multiple companies during the same period. Preparing a bank of interview questions and answers requires a significant amount of time and effort.
Jobright’s AI Co-pilot, Orion, can provide assistance. It not only suggests answers but also helps you prepare tailored responses based on the company you’re applying to and the job description (JD), ensuring they align with the company’s culture.
Practice and Roleplay
The best way to prepare for behavioral interviews is to roleplay. You need to practice telling your stories because behavioral interviews are essentially about storytelling.
You can practice with friends or colleagues through roleplaying to ensure your answers flow smoothly and make improvements based on feedback.
The more you practice, the better your stories will become.
Jobright’s AI Co-pilot, Orion, can also simulate interviews with you. It can ask questions based on the industry, company, and job position, and provide feedback and suggestions for improvement based on your responses, offering more timely advice than your friends and more professional insights than your classmates.
Tailoring Answers to the Company
Tailor your answers based on the company or position. Research the company, understand its business, and learn its core values. Make sure your responses align with those values and meet the company’s expectations.
Considering Different Types of Questions
Adjust your responses based on the type of question (e.g., situational questions, action-based questions, technical questions). For example, responses to technical questions should focus more on how you solved the problem, while teamwork questions should emphasize communication and collaboration.
How do mimicry and emotional contagion influence the interviewer’s reactions and decisions?
In behavioral interviews, the concepts of mimicry and emotional contagion are crucial. When someone shares their story with enthusiasm, their emotions can be contagious. When you show passion and excitement for what you do, the interviewer can feel that energy. This emotional contagion effect is common in human interactions and can influence how the interviewer feels and makes decisions.
For example:
If you appear excited, positive, and motivated during the interview, the interviewer will sense that excitement, which may influence their confidence in your abilities, even if you lack certain experience. This enthusiasm can compensate for gaps in experience and may even determine whether you pass the interview. On the other hand, if you come across as monotone or unenthusiastic, the interviewer may feel uneasy or disengaged.
Therefore, it’s important to express passion and interest in the subject matter during the interview, as it not only conveys your drive to the interviewer but also helps you stand out.
Q&A
Q1：What else should I pay attention to when answering questions I have already prepared for?
Reciting and repeating scripts is detrimental in interviews. You shouldn’t memorize your answers word for word, as it can come across as unnatural. You can use pauses for dramatic effect and appropriate body language. Pausing allows the interviewer time to absorb the information, and proper body language, such as hand gestures, makes the conversation more engaging.
Q2：How should I handle nervousness during interviews?
Manage nervousness through frequent practice. You can apply “exposure therapy,” which involves repeatedly facing interview-like situations to gradually become more confident and comfortable.
Q3：How should I deal with questions when I lack experience?
For questions where you lack direct experience, it is recommended to provide process-based answers. You can explain how you would handle the situation and demonstrate your problem-solving approach. This approach shows both integrity and adaptability.