Behavioral interviews are increasingly becoming popular. Behavioral interviews are fast replacing the traditional interviews because of their better accuracy and usefulness. In a traditional interview, candidates answer highly objective questions based on their own perception of themselves. However, such answers do not provide employers much insight into the minds of the interviewees. The unwavering focus of behavioral and situational questions is on the actual deeds and performance of the candidates in a given circumstance. The vagueness of perception is removed from such interviews. The questions in the behavioral interview are targeted on identifying attitudes of the applicants that can match the requirements of the job.
In a behavioral interview, job applicants are asked to provide examples of situations where they demonstrated a particular trait or skill that the interviewer is interested in. Like behavioral interview, situational interviews are also quite popular because of the benefits they offer to the employers in selecting the best-fitted candidates. However, a behavioral interview focuses on past experiences and behavior of the applicant, whereas in a situational interview, candidates are given an imaginary situation and interviewers assess the reaction of the candidates on those situations.
Let’s have a look at some of the common behavioral questions asked during the interview-
• How did you deal with the situation when you had to work with someone you did not like? Did your personal equations affect the outcome?
• How did you handle a situation when you had to make a decision without sufficient information? Could you produce the desired outcome?
• How would you react when a co-worker or client complains about you to your superiors?
• What would be your modus operandi if you are assigned a task that you don’t have much clue about?
• How did you react when a senior of yours was interrupting your work flow?
• Have you ever made an unpopular decision? Tell us, whys and hows of that event?
• How did you react when other members of your team were not contributing to the task?
These are some of the sample questions in a behavioral interview. Such questions are quite specific and detailed in nature. Candidates should be honest and to the point while answering these questions.