Behavioural Interviewing – A Guide

WHAT IS BEHAVIOURAL INTERVIEWING?

Behavioural interviewing is based on the premise that relevant past behaviour is the best predictor of future behavior. So instead of asking how candidates would behave in a particular situation, a behavioural interview question will ask how them how they did behave. For example, instead of asking “How would you resolve a conflict with a co-worker?”, the behavioural question would be “Tell me about a time when you had to resolve a conflict with a co-worker. What was the issue and how did you resolve it?”

Behavioural questions require candidates to provide a specific example of how they handled a past situation which provides insight into how they would likely handle it in the future. The interviewer will often ask probing questions to find out if the candidate’s past behaviours matches the job.

HOW TO GIVE THE PERFECT ANSWER

When faced with a behavioural interview question, all you have to remember is it’s as easy as driving a CAR.

C = Circumstance. Describe the circumstance surrounding the situation and the goals you were working towards.

A = Action. Walk through the steps you took to deal with the above circumstances.

R = Result. Explain the impact of your work. Was the problem solved? How did others react? What feedback did you receive from your supervisor? What did you learn or accomplish?

via A Job Seeker’s Guide to Behavioural Interviewing | The Headhunters.