You received the call. The interview date is set. Now what? You prepare!
The old traditional interview has now taken on a whole new perspective. Once used exclusively by large corporations like IBM and General Motors, behavioral-based interviews are fast becoming the mainstay in many smaller companies as well. This interview process quite simply allows the interviewer to discover how the interviewee acted to a specific employment-related solution. The logic behind behavioral-based interviews is this; “How you behaved in the past will predict how you will behave in the future.”
What’s the Difference?
The traditional interviews ask the same generic questions: “What are your strengths and weaknesses?” “What were you responsibilities?” “What challenges did you experience in your job?” “How did you problem-solve?”
The behavioral-based interview is designed to access if your skills and approach to your job is in line with the perspective employer’s philosophy. For example, if your resume says that you made recommendations that resulted in a 20% increase in revenue in the 1st quarter, the interviewer may ask you, “How exactly did you achieve those results?” The interviewer will then be listening intently to the details of how you “behaved” in that situation.
What Questions Will They Ask?
Behavioral-based interview questions are more direct and probing. You must be able to give hard facts and not generalizations. This strategy is also designed to weed out the “fakers.” In a behavioral-based interview you can’t lie. If you didn’t do it, it will show. Here are a few potential questions:
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Tell me how well you worked under pressure.
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Did you ever have to convince your staff to work on a project that was less than desirable? How did you accomplish that?
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Did you ever go above and beyond what was expected of you? If so, how?
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How have you dealt with difficult situations with co-workers?
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Let’s talk a little bit about time management. What do you do when your schedule is interrupted? Can you give me an example of how you handled that?
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Give me an example of a goal you accomplished and how that was achieved.
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I see here that you decreased expenses by 30% in the first year. How did you accomplish this? What obstacles did you encounter and how did you deal with that?
How Do I Prepare for a Behavioral Interview?
Since you have no way of knowing the type of interview format that will be used, be prepared for both. Quite simply, if you look carefully at the job posting, you can get a general idea of some of the questions you may be asked. A job posting is an excellent indicator of what the company is seeking in a successful candidate.
Review your work history. Refresh your memory about your performance and what issues you had to deal with in your current job. Make a mental note of times that illustrate when you have successfully solved problems, met project deadlines, mentored employees, reduced expenses and built revenue. Remembering these incidents will build your confidence and allow you to recall details more easily during the interview.
What Do I Say?
Relax. You are not being interrogated. There is not right or wrong answer. The interviewer just wants to be assured that what you have listed on your resume is an accurate representation of your skills and abilities. The easiest way to do this is to walk you through your work history. Here are few simple strategies to help you have a successful interview.
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If you are asked a question that you are not sure how to answer, ask the interviewer to clarify.
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If you are asked a question that requires data that you don’t have committed to memory, don’t panic. Simply be honest. Tell the interviewer that you don’t have the answer to that question at that moment, but will gladly to get it for him/her after you leave in a follow-up phone call.
Sometimes these questions are designed to sift the fakers from the real deals. Answers to questions should be framed with specific responses. The best way to remember how to frame your response is to be a star. That’s S-T-A-R. This is an easy method to remember.
S – Solutions: Give specific solutions that you used in achieving success.
T – Tasks: Identify the tasks that you utilized in achieving the goal.
A – Action: Outline the action that you took.
R – Results: Give the results and how it benefited the department or company.
I Didn’t Get the Job! What Went Wrong?
Not every job is meant for you, just as you are not meant for every job. Keep in the mind that the interview process is just as important to you as it is to the potential employer. Five minutes into the interview, you may learn that the job is really not right for you. So, if you keep in mind that you are interviewing the company while they are interviewing you, you will be more relaxed and confident.
And if you don’t get the job, it just means that there is a better job waiting out there for you. Go get it!
