Behavioral Interviewing Strategies for Job-Seekers
by Katharine Hansen
Behavioral interviewing is a relatively new mode of job interviewing. Employers such as
AT&T and Accenture (the former Andersen Consulting) have been using behavioral
interviewing for about 15 years now, and because increasing numbers of employers are
using behavior-based methods to screen job candidates, understanding how to excel in
this interview environment is becoming a crucial job-hunting skill.
The premise behind behavioral interviewing is that the most accurate predictor of future
performance is past performance in similar situations. Behavioral interviewing, in fact, is
said to be 55 percent predictive of future on-the-job behavior, while traditional
interviewing is only 10 percent predictive.
Behavioral-based interviewing is touted as providing a more objective set of facts to
make employment decisions than other interviewing methods. Traditional interview
questions ask you general questions such as “Tell me about yourself.” The process of
behavioral interviewing is much more probing and works very differently.
In a traditional job-interview, you can usually get away with telling the interviewer what
he or she wants to hear, even if you are fudging a bit on the truth. Even if you are asked
situational questions that start out “How would you handle XYZ situation?” you have
minimal accountability. How does the interviewer know, after all, if you would really
react in a given situation the way you say you would? In a behavioral interview,
however, it’s much more difficult to give responses that are untrue to your character.
When you start to tell a behavioral story, the behavioral interviewer typically will pick it
apart to try to get at the specific behavior(s). The interviewer will probe further for more
depth or detail such as “What were you thinking at that point?” or “Tell me more about
your meeting with that person,” or “Lead me through your decision process.” If you’ve
told a story that’s anything but totally honest, your response will not hold up through the
barrage of probing questions.
Employers use the behavioral interview technique to evaluate a candidate’s
experiences and behaviors so they can determine the applicant’s potential for success.
The interviewer identifies job-related experiences, behaviors, knowledge, skills and
abilities that the company has decided are desirable in a particular position. For
example, some of the characteristics that Accenture looks for include:
Critical thinking
Being a self-starter
Willingness to learn
Willingness to travel
Self-confidence
Teamwork
Professionalism
The employer then structures very pointed questions to elicit responses aimed at
determining if the candidate possesses the desired characteristics. Questions (often not
even framed as a question) typically start out: "Tell about a time..." or "Describe a
situation..." Many employers use a rating system to evaluate selected criteria during the
interview.
As a candidate, you should be equipped to answer the questions thoroughly. Obviously,
you can prepare better for this type of interview if you know which skills that the
employer has predetermined to be necessary for the job you seek. In the interview with
North Texas LEAD, the interviewers will ask questions related to the competencies of
communications, leadership and management.
In the interview, your response needs to be specific and detailed. Candidates who tell
the interviewer about particular situations that relate to each question will be far more
effective and successful than those who respond in general terms.
Ideally, you should briefly describe the situation, what specific action you took to
have an effect on the situation, and the positive result or outcome. Frame it in a
three-step process, usually called a S-A-R, P-A-R, or S-T-A-R statement:
1. situation (or task, problem), 2. action, 3. result/outcome.
It’s also helpful to think of your responses as stories, but be very careful not to ramble.
Once you have answered the specific question, stop.
The best way to prepare is to arm yourself with a small arsenal of work-related
events, projects or assignments that can be adapted to many behavioral questions.
Remember that many behavioral questions try to get at how you responded to negative
situations; you'll need to have examples of negative experiences ready, but try to
choose negative experiences that you made the best of or -- better yet, those that had
positive outcomes.
Here's a good way to prepare for behavior-based interviews:
Identify six to eight examples from your past experience where you demonstrated
top communication, leadership or management behaviors and skills that
employers typically seek. Think in terms of examples that will exploit your top
selling points.
Half your examples should be totally positive, such as accomplishments or
meeting goals.
The other half should be situations that started out negatively but either ended
positively or you made the best of the outcome.
Vary your examples; don't take them all from just one area of your work
experience.
Use fairly recent examples, if possible, within the last 5 years, best within the last
2 years.
Use the SAR/STAR format.
In the interview, listen carefully to each question, and select an example that provides
an appropriate description of how you demonstrated the desired behavior. With
practice, you can learn to tailor a relatively small set of examples to respond to a
number of different behavioral questions.
Katharine Hansen is a former speechwriter and college instructor who provides content
for Quintessential Careers, edits QuintZine, an electronic newsletter for jobseekers, and
prepares job-search correspondence as chief writer for Quintessential Resumes and
Cover Letters. She is author of Dynamic Cover Letter for New Graduates; A Foot in the
Door: Networking Your Way into the Hidden Job Market; and, with Randall S. Hansen,
Ph.D., Dynamic Cover Letters and Write Your Way to a Higher GPA, all published by
Ten Speed Press. She can be reached by e-mail at [email protected]
