Behavioral Interviewing
Robbyn T. Matthews, M.A.
Coordinator for Career Programs
Stocker 161
593-2533
matther1@ohio.edu
Topics
• What is Behavioral Interviewing (BI)?
• Why Is BI Used?
• Specific Behaviors
• How to Prepare for BI
• Potential Questions
• Delivery
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What is BI?
• Also known as “competency-based interviews” or
“targeted selection.”
• Focuses on questions that delve into your past
behaviors.
• Candidates develop stories to illustrate that they
have the necessary skills for the position and/or
employer.
• http://youtube.com/watch?v=aix6xrNgcI0
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Why Is BI Used?
• Past behavior predicts future success.
• Used as an indicator of personal attributes and
characteristics.
• Looks at your thought processes and problemsolving skills.
• Candidates cannot prepare in advance.
• Less chance of candidate “making up” answers.
• Wrong hire costs 1.5 times the salary.
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Why Is BI Used?
• To determine:
– Experience
– Behaviors
– Potential for success
• “Behavioral interviewing, in fact, is said to be 55
percent predictive of future on-the-job behavior,
while traditional interviewing is only 10 percent
predictive.” --Katharine Hansen,
www.quintcareers.com
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Specific Behaviors
• Also known as characteristics, skills, values, attitudes,
competencies, dimensions, success factors, requirements,
etc.
• Behaviors often provides clues regarding corporate culture.
• Skill sets:
– Content skills—work-related knowledge
– Functional/Transferable—work with people, information,
things
– Adaptive/Self-Management—personal characteristics
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Top 10 Behaviors
• Achievement/Results
Orientation
• Initiative
• Impact and Influence
• Customer Service
Orientation
• Organizational Awareness
• Analytical Thinking
• Conceptual Thinking
• Information Seeking
• Integrity
• Interpersonal
Understanding
•
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Source: Competency-Based Interviews,
(2006), Robin Kessler, p. 42.
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Preparation for BI
Situation or Task
Describe situation—be specific not
general. Provide enough detail for
the interviewer to understand.
Action You Took
Describe action you took—
keep focus on you. Even if
discussing a team project, talk
about what you did.
Results You Achieved
Describe what happened, how
the event ended, what you
accomplished, and what you
learned.
“STAR Interviewing Response Technique,” www.quintcareers.com
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Preparation for BI
• Stories may center around these issues:
– Crisis in your life/job and how you dealt with it.
– Contributions to a team/how you work in a team.
– Time when you had a lot of stress.
– Time when you were a leader.
– How you overcame a failure.
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Story Sources
• Internship or Co-Op
• Hobbies
• Class Projects
• Volunteering
• Activities
• Accomplishments
• Clubs
• Awards
• Teams
• Study Abroad
• Sports
• Work Experience (even if
not related to your degree)
• Leadership Experience
• Travel Experience
• Quantify if possible—
numbers are impressive
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Preparation for BI
• Go over your résumé and think through 30-90
second stories you could share.
• Try to have somewhere between 6-10 stories
– Half that are positive
– Half that started out negative then turned
positive
• Stories should allow you to stand out so you’re
remembered.
• Study job posting carefully and research company
to anticipate questions.
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Preparation for BI
• Use different examples for stories.
• Incorporate different parts of your life.
• Anticipate lots of probing questions.
• Keep your résumé updated so you have fresh
stories!
• A portfolio may be helpful.
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Potential Questions
• Describe a time when you were faced with a
stressful situation that demonstrated your coping
skills.
• Give me a specific example of a time when you
used good judgment and logic in solving a
problem.
• Explain a time when you had to use presentation
skills to influence someone’s opinion.
• What is your typical way of dealing with conflict?
Give me an example.
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Potential Questions
• Tell me about a time when you had to go above
and beyond the call of duty in order to get a job
done.
• Give me an example of a time when you tried to
accomplish something and failed.
• Give an example of a time when you showed
initiative and took the lead.
• Tell me about a time when you missed an obvious
solution to a problem.
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Potential Questions
• Major list on www.emurse.com
• Excellent list on www.quintcareers.com
• www.wetfeet.com
• www.careertv.com
• www.bestsamplequestions.com
• www.assessment.com
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Delivery
• Interject energy, enthusiasm, and confidence.
• Remain positive.
• Ask for feedback after telling the story—is this the
type of information they were looking for?
• Be aware of fillers such as: like, you know, and
stuff like that, um, uh, and uh.
• Pronounce words carefully and completely.
• Gesture and smile naturally—you’re perceived as
being more intelligent if you do.
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Delivery
• Be aware of cultural issues.
• Verbal and nonverbal must agree—if they don’t,
the interviewer(s) will believe your nonverbals.
• You want to come across as assertive, not
aggressive.
• Remember that nonverbal communication includes
everything except the words you use.
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“We look for communication
skills, technical knowledge,
passion, and if we want them on
our team.”
-Gary Ahlfeld, Ph.D.
Regional Director
Human Resources
Turner Construction
www.ohio.edu/engineering
Useful Career Web Sites
• Monster.com—good advice, sign-up for their career
newsletter
• Jobweb.com—from NACE (National Association of
Colleges and Employers)
• careerjournal.com—from Wall Street Journal
• Wetfeet.com
• Careerbuilder.com
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Sources
• “Competency-Based Behavioral Interviewing,” Peggy
Simonsen and Tom Smith, www.careertrainer.com, accessed
12-5-07.
•
“Behavioral Interviewing Helps Employers Staff Up Their
Office,” www.beyond.com, accessed 12-5-07.
• “Prepare for Your Behavioral Interview,” www.wetfeet.com,
accessed 12-5-07.
• “Free Sample Behavioral Interview Questions,”
www.quintcareers.com, accessed 12-4-07.
• “Behavioral Interviews: A Great Showcase for You, but You
Must Prepare Now,” Joe Turner, www.quintcareers.com,
accessed 12-4-07.
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Sources
• “Behavioral Interviewing Story,” www.quintcareers.com,
accessed 12-4-07.
• “STAR Interviewing Response Technique for Success in
Behavioral Job Interviews,” www.quintcareers.com, accessed
12-4-07.
• Competency-Based Interviews, Robin Kessler, 2006, Career
Press: Franklin Lakes, NJ.
• “When an Interviewer Says: ‘Tell Me About a Time When
You…,” Arlene S. Hirsch, www.careerjournal.com, accessed
12-5-07.
• “Behavioral Interviewing Strategies for Job Seekers,”
Katharine Hansen, www.quintcareers.com, accessed 12-407.
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