Behavioral Interviewing an
Effective Tool for Organization
and Job Fit
Pennsylvania Association of
Community Health Centers (PACHC)
Annual Meeting, Hershey
October 7th – 9th
Organization and Job Fit
Matching People and Jobs: Why?
• Recruitment & Selection
– Attraction and selection of individuals who possess
basic competencies and attitudinal requirements
• Selection Goal:
– Person-job fit: Identification of required individual
competencies (KSAOs) for job success through job
analysis and then matching them with the competencies
of the candidate.
– Person-organization fit: Identifying cultural
requirements of being a successful member of the
organization match them with the values and personality
of the candidate.
Consequences of Hiring the Wrong Person
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Lost productivity and revenue
Over extending other resources
Training time and money
Recruitment expenses
AND…
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Lower team morale
Unhappy patients and customers
Increased turnover and employee relations issues
Impact to hiring manager’s reputation
Interview as a Hiring Tool
Post Interview Preparation
• Review job description and perform a thorough job analysis
• Identify and prioritize the common critical job requirements
(Competencies and attitudes/behaviors)
• Prepare points or statements to inform the candidate about
the position and the organization
• Use your best people who are also trained and skilled
interviewers
• Develop behavioral questions and exercises
• Create rubrics and standards for evaluating candidate replies
• Know what not to ask
What you Can and Cannot Ask
CAN
 Questions specifically related to job
requirements and job performance
 All questions should focus on determining:
- Does the candidate have the core skills to
do the job?
- Can the candidate thrive in our culture?
- Does the job and the culture meet the
candidate’s needs.
Contact someone in HR or Recruiting if you are
not sure
RULE OF THUMB:
If You’re Not Sure – Don’t Ask!
CANNOT
 Age or anything that would indicate it
 Marital status
 Sexual orientation
 Children or children’s ages
 Worker’s compensation claims filed
 Arrests
 Place of birth or present residence
 Citizenship
 Length of residence in a particular location
 Other languages spoken or written
 Child-care arrangements
 Disabilities
 Religious, political, or organizational affiliations
 Type of car owned/driven
 Credit or financial status
 Maiden name
Interviewer Tips and Techniques
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Try to build an early rapport
Be an effective listener
Accept silences
Candidates will be interviewing
you; allow time for their questions
• Avoid quick judgments
• Maintain control…keep the
applicant on track
• Take notes!
What is a Behavioral Interview?
Definition
Merriam-Webster Dictionary
Be-hav-ior \bē-‘hā-vyer
1.a: the manner of conducting oneself
1.b: anything than an organism does involving action and
response to stimulation
1.c: the response of an individual, group or species to its
environment
2.: the way in which something functions or operates
Definition
Behavioral Interviewing is a structured interviewing
strategy built on the premise that past behavior and
performance is the best predictor of future
behavior and performance in similar circumstances
How do we get more reliable data?
Candidates demonstrate their knowledge, skills and
abilities, (collectively known as competencies), by giving
specific examples from their past experiences.
Other Advantages
• Help manage personal biases
• Reduces turnover
• Higher employee engagement
• Ensures a fair interview process
What is the Goal?
• Can the person do the job?
Ascertain if
they possess the required skill and experience?
• Will the person do the job?
Assess overall levels and triggers of their
motivations?
• Is the person a team player and will align with our
culture?
Match their personality traits, motivational triggers, and aspirations with
organizational culture
Questions: Traditional vs. Behavioral
 What are your goals in the
next five years?
 How do you make decisions?
 Are you a team player?
 Tell me about one of your
personal goals and something
you’ve specifically done in the last
year to achieve this goal.
 Describe a situation where you
had to research and review
information for the purpose of
making a decision or
recommendation.
 Describe a situation in which
you had a peer that wasn’t
cooperating.
Using Open-ended though
Provoking Questions
• Tell me about a time you had a major conflict
with a manager, coworker, or client
• Tell me about a time you missed a major
deadline
• Tell me about a time you failed to meet
customer expectations
• Tell me about a time you lost a valued employee
Asking Difficult Questions
• Why were you fired?
• You have a track record of being caught in
layoffs—why?
• You seem to be overqualified for this role. Why
are you interested?
• The position for which you are applying is in an
entirely new field/industry for you. Why are
you applying?
Obtaining a Complete SAR
 Ask Probing / Follow-Up Questions
Situation
Tell me more about that
What happened next?
Can you be more specific about…?
What were the circumstances…?
Action
What did you contribute to the effort?
What did you specifically do?
Describe your specific role in the situation?
Walk me through the steps you took
Result
What was the result?
How did it work out?
What successes or problems resulted from…?
What feedback did you receive?
Interviewee Mistakes
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Can’t isolate specific work achievements
Doesn’t answer questions
Reveals confidential information about current or former employer
Lacks enthusiasm
Angry about prior employment
Doesn’t sell self
Only interested in salary and benefits
Monopolizes the conversation
Says something off the wall
Not researching the company/position before interview
Inability to articulate your own skills, needs, and desires
Talking the negative
Techniques and Examples
• Consider beginning your questions with:
– Tell me about a time…
– Give me an example of when…
– Walk me through…
– Describe for me…
• Quality of Work (Produces acceptable work, which may
require some checking)
– Tell me about a time when your boss was not satisfied with an
assignment you completed.
Techniques and Examples
• Flexibility (Adjusts to changes with average instruction.
Handles changing priorities well)
– Give me an example of a time when priorities were shifted on
you. How did you react?
• Organization/Planning/Time Management
(Usually organized; sets priorities and makes effort meet
deadlines. Completes assignments in acceptable amount of
time)
– Walk me through last week and tell me how you planned the
week’s work.
Caution: all will tell their greatest
stories?
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Major accomplishments
Achievements
How they excelled
How they differentiated themselves
How they went“ where no one has gone before”
Additional Questions
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Tell me about a time when you were part of a team for a project or assignment. What was your
role? What was the result?
Tell me about a time when you had to work with a colleague whose work ethic was different than
yours.
Tell me about a time when you had to surmount an obstacle to reach a goal.
Describe an accomplishment that you are especially proud of.
Give me an example of an important goal you set and how you took steps to achieve that goal.
Tell me about a time you were faced with a major change in your workplace.
Give me an example of a time when you had to go beyond the call of duty.
Tell me about a time when you had to do work that was clearly beneath your level of expertise.
Tell me about a recent tough decision you had to make.
Tell me about a time when you had to inspire your team to achieve a major goal.
Tell me about a time when you faced an ethical dilemma.
Tell me about a time you had to bend the rules to achieve a desired result.
Tell me about a recent tough decision you had to make.
Tell me about a time when you had to inspire your team to achieve a major goal.
Tell me about a time when you faced an ethical dilemma.
Tell me about a time you had to bend the rules to achieve a desired result.
Evaluation
Evaluation
• This is the final phase of the interviewing
process. Review your standards for evaluating to
create an objective tool to evaluate each
candidate
• Requires coordination and training
• Need to reduce personal biases by involving
multi-raters
Evaluation Example
Candidate:_______________________________ Interviewer:_________________________
Position: _______________________________ Date of Interview:____________________
Rating Scale: Use to represent your evaluation of areas below (5 = excellent, 1= poor)
INDICATOR (Circle Rating)
OVERALL IMPRESSION–e.g. neatly/professionally presented, updated
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resume, cover letter, on time, interested in position, provided professional
references.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------BACKGROUND –e.g. relevant experience, education, credentials,
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related training, licenses, workshops, seminars etc.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------COMMUNICATION–e.g. answers questions thoughtfully, gives
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appropriate answers, listens carefully, able
GENERAL SKILLS–as preferred for the position e.g. working with others
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(team work), attention to detail, prioritizing, independent judgment, conflict
resolution, customer service skills.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------REQUIRED COMPETENCIES & SKILLS–as required for the position,
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e.g. prioritization, attention to detail, ability to supervise, mentoring skills,
leadership, multi-tasking, punctuality.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------OVERALL RATING –summary
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TOTAL ________
Thank you & Questions