Many interviewers take an interview approach that focuses on asking questions that prompt the candidate to describe a specific work-related situation. Since the way a candidate previously acted in a situation can often be the best indicator of future behavior, recruiters and hiring managers regularly choose this interviewing method.
Behavior interview questions can give interviewers a solid basis of your "soft skills" such as communication, decision-making, customer service, management, adaptability, and teamwork.
While it's hard to plan for every behavioral question you might be asked, the key is having a solid outline for these kinds of questions that gives a thorough and thoughtful answer. Typically, the best way to answer a behavioral question is to describe:
- The situation or task you were faced with
- The action you took, while explaining your thought process
- The result or outcome of the situation based on your action.
If you're not exactly sure of what a behavioral interview question might be, here are a few examples:
- How do you determine priority of projects when scheduling your time?
- Tell me about a time when you had to deal with an irate customer. What was the problem and how did you handle the situation?
- Describe a time when you had to go above and beyond the call of duty to get a job done.
- How do you involve your manager and/or others when you make a decision?
- Describe a time when you were faced with a difficult problem. What did you do? What was your thought process? What was the outcome?
What behavioral questions have you been asked in an interview? How did you answer them?
