Behavioral Interviewing is King among Hiring Managers
by Kathy Sweeney
Behavioral interview questions; hiring managers love them - job seekers hate them. So why are job seekers so scared of behavioral interview questions?
The answer is simple: many people do not realize that situations which have happened in their careers are valuable to employers.
But first, let me explain what behavioral interviewing is all about and why employers use these types of questions in the interview process.
The premise of behavioral interviewing is that past performance equals future success. Employers use these questions, usually surrounding key core values, like judgment, decision-making, ability to work well with others, management capabilities, and customer service issues, to determine whether you will be a good fit for their company.
When they ask behavioral interview questions, they are asking about "specific examples" of when you solved a problem, what actions you took, and what the outcome was. These questions provide a very accurate picture of what contribution you can make in the workplace.
So, how do you recognize these types of questions? The questions usually start with "Tell me about a time..," or "Describe a time that you..," and incorporate either one or all of the core competencies that are important to the position or the company as a whole. The type of stories you use and the way you tell them is key to whether you will successfully answer the question to the satisfaction of the hiring manager.
Preparation for interviews before you receive a call from the hiring manager is critical. I usually tell my clients to prepare for these questions by formulating approximately 10 stories from their career that would address the core values / job functions of the target position or company. You can usually find these core values or job functions in the position posting. Make sure to develop your stories in a logical manner utilizing a “challenge, action, result” format.
When developing these stories, be sure to provide enough detail so interviewers can “picture” themselves in your situation. Further, make sure the stories cover the core competencies for the particular position. Many times, there will be several key areas woven into a single question.
One final reminder – keep your stories to a maximum of three minutes in length. When I conducted interviews as a hiring manager, I would cringe when an interviewee would launch into a 10-2 years0 minute dissertation in response to the question I had presented.
Kathy Sweeney, NCRW, CPRW, CEIC, CCM is the president of The Write Résumé, a global resume writing, interview coaching, and career consulting firm established in 1987. Ms. Sweeney holds designations as a Nationally Certified Resume Writer, Certified Professional Resume Writer, Certified Employment Interview Consultant, and Credentialed Career Master. She specializes in preparing job seekers at every level to maximize their ability to gain employment through the composition of effective career marketing documents and conducting personalized interview coaching sessions. To contact Ms. Sweeney, call 866-726-9052 or visit her website at www.awriteresume.com
