Behavioral Interview questions focus on a candidate’s past experiences. They help employers gauge a candidate’s particular behavior in relation to skills, abilities, and knowledge. An interviewer will have the candidate describe a specific work experience using situational questions revealing how they acted under similar situations.
By adding behavioral interview questions to screening process employers can avoid hypothetical what-ifs by extracting concrete answers on how candidates behave in different work situations and settings. When conducting onsite interviews these types of questions are a verified way to gauge a candidate’s potential and ability to communicate adapt, lead, and reinforce a companies culture. When an employer looks at candidates’ past behavior, skills, and critical thinking experience they can reveal if a candidate has the attributes necessary to match job description requirements.
Your Professional Ethics & Goals
- Can you tell me about a time you felt as though you weren’t doing your best work?
- How do you set and work toward your goals?
- Tell me about a somebody made you angry and how did you react?
- Tell me about a goal you didn’t achieve.
- Tell me about a time you tried to do something but failed
- What is your greatest strength
- What motivates you to excel in a role?
- What do you hope to find in your next position?
- Tell me about a time you took the lead on a project
- What is the hardest challenge you’ve encountered in your career?
How do you work in a group
- Share an example of a time you motivated a colleague or team.
- Tell me about a time you made an unpopular decision—how did you implement it or get buy-in?
- Tell me about a time you made a mistake that effected a colleague. How did you rectify things?
- What do you do when you have a disagreement with someone on your team?
- Give me an example of a time you dealt with conflict at work
Manager
- Tell me about a time when you coached someone
- Tell me about a time where you had to manage a poor performer
- What would you do in a case where you disagree with your manager?
- What was one of the biggest risks you have taken?
How You Work with Clients
- How do you help a client figure out what they want when they’re not sure?
- Share an example of a time a client reacted poorly to something. What happened and how did you resolve it?
- Tell me about a time you went above and beyond for a client.
- When does your responsibility to a client end?
- If a sales rep in your department gave a valued client an incorrect sales quote, how would you remedy the issue?
How You Work with Yourself & Manage Your Time
- Give me an example of how you’ve handled a challenge.
- How do you handle making a mistake in your work?
- Tell me about how you balance deadlines with day-to-day responsibilities.
- Tell me about a time you worked effectively under pressure.
How Flexible & Adaptable You Are
- How do you take on learning a new role?
- Let’s say a deadline has been moved up—how do you handle it?
- Tell me about a time you knew you were right about something but had to do or say something differently than you otherwise would’ve.
- What’s an example of creative problem solving you’re proud of?