An Effective Guide to Behavioral Interview Questions

This article will guide you through some common examples of behavioral interview questions to prepare yourself better for the next interview. Interviewers will often gauge your capability to handle a tricky or challenging situation by posing different situational questions.

Besides technical questions related to your field, behavioral questions also play a significant role in an interview. To create a positive impression on prospective employers, you must give strong responses highlighting your competence.

What Is a Behavioral Interview Question?

A behavioral interview question is an interviewing technique to assess a candidate’s behavioral skills and attributes in a particular circumstance.

These questions test job-related competencies other than the technical aspects related to the position. It helps the employer learn about the candidate’s problem-solving skills, critical thinking, and effective communication capabilities.

The STAR method is an effective approach to answering these behavioral questions. The structure is as follows:

• Situation: Describe a professional experience related to the question.
• Task: Describe the task you had to complete to address the issue at hand.
• Action: Explain the step you took to handle or complete the task.
• Result: Discuss the outcome of your action and be as specific as possible.

Examples of Behavioral Interview Questions

One of the most challenging things about being interviewed for a specific position is the behavioral interview question. The employer tests your actions and reactions to a professional setting. Following are some typical examples of behavioral interview questions to help you prepare better. It will help you understand what abilities and attributes they put to the test.

Teamwork Behavioral Questions

Almost every job requires you to work with a team in some way. Therefore, be ready to talk about group dynamics experiences. Consider talking about how you react to project constraints, team disputes, and inspiring others. You should have a scenario that demonstrates your ability to cooperate with others in challenging situations.

• When did you last have to collaborate closely with someone whose personality was different from yours?
• Describe a situation where you had to take charge and show leadership skills.
• Describe a situation when you and your coworker were in a conflict. How did you handle the situation?
• Explain a situation where you required information from someone, but they weren’t very responsive. How did you act?

Adaptability Behavioral Questions

In these questions, consider speaking of a professional issue you handled well. Find a lesson you learned or a bright spot, even if the outcome wasn’t perfect.

• Describe a time when your group or company was going through a transition. What effect did that have on you, and how did you adjust?
• Tell me about an instance when you failed. How did you handle the situation?
• How did you get adapted to your last job? What did you do to get the hang of things?
• Talk about a time when you were under a lot of pressure at work. What was happening, and how did you handle it?

Time Management Behavioral Questions

These questions are used to assess your time management skills. Prepare a particular example when you had several tasks on the go, and you prioritized, scheduled, organized, and finished everything before the deadline.

• Tell me about a time when your workload became a little overwhelming. How did you manage everything?
• Describe a long-term project you managed to finish. How did you maintain the flow of events?
• Talk about a time when you set a goal for yourself. How did you ensure that you would accomplish your objective?
• Tell me about a time when an unforeseen issue disrupted a planned event. And how did you recover from it?

Customer Service Behavioral Questions

Expect one of these questions if your job requires you to interact with clients, consumers, or other external stakeholders. Have at least one example of a time when you successfully represented your business and provided first-class customer service.

• Tell me about an instance where you failed to meet a client’s expectations. What took place, and what steps did you take to make things right?
• Describe a time when you went out of your way to ensure a customer was happy with your service.
• When dealing with many customers, it can be challenging to provide high-class service to everyone. What criteria do you use to prioritize your customers’ needs?
• Describe a time when you had to work with a difficult client. How did you manage the circumstance, and what was it?

Communication Behavioral Questions

Communication is a vital skill in a professional setting. You use this skill so frequently that you must have a variety of instances to choose from when asked about it in the interview. Just keep in mind to discuss your planning process or train of thought.

• Give me an example of a time when you had to convey your ideas through writing.
• Describe an instance of a time when you successfully convinced someone at work to accept your point of view.
• Tell me about a time when you were the expert on a subject. What steps did you take to ensure that everyone could understand you?
• Describe a situation when you had to conduct a difficult conversation with an irritated coworker or client. How did you respond to the circumstance?

Conclusion

Although behavioral interview questions can be difficult, you must be prepared for the questions you get. The key is to focus on the question and not get lost in the rambling answer.

Keeping it simple with well-crafted and logical answers will make a difference in the outcome of the interview. This article is a quick guide to help you understand the behavioral questions to expect in an interview.