Behavioral Interviewing Job Search Support Group Session 7

What is behavior based interviewing? It is a style of questioning used to determine how you handled previous work related situations. The employer hopes to use your responses to predict future behavior or performance. Skills or behaviors associated with the position are decided up front, and a rating system is developed to evaluate your response.

What kinds of questions will I be asked? You will be asked questions that focus on situations you’ve encountered in the past. “Tell me about a time when….” When you answer, there are three pieces of information that interviewer will collect for each behavioral example: The Situation or Task you faced The Action(s) you took The Results or changes caused by the action

Example Question: Can you tell me about a time where you effectively handled a customer complaint? Situation: There was one time when a customer was upset because the ATM at our branch was down. The customer needed to check her account balance and the ATM was under repair. Action: I saw that the customer was upset, so I asked her if I could help. After finding out that she was interested in checking her account balance, I walked her over to our phone kiosk and let her know that she could obtain her balance by calling our number. Result: The customer thanked me and two weeks later my manager received a letter of appreciation from her.

How to best prepare Limit rambling and tangents. While you can’t control what is asked, you can control what you say. Listen carefully to each question. If you are unsure, rephrase the question and ask for clarification. If you can’t remember a situation, ask to come back to that question later. Practice answers to the most common behavioral questions. Preparation will help increase confidence, and decrease anxiety.

Questions for discussion Tell me about a time when you had to handle a stressful work-related situation? Situation: Action: Result:

Questions for discussion Tell me about a time when you went above and beyond the call of duty to get a job done or completed on time. Situation: Action: Result:

Questions for discussion: Tell me about a time when you had a conflict or disagreement with your boss or supervisor. Situation: Action: Result:

Questions for discussion Tell me about a time when you had to deal with a difficult customer. Situation: Action: Result:

Questions for discussion Tell me about a time when you had to deal with a difficult co-worker. Situation: Action: Result: