Behavioral Interviewing
What is Behavior Based
Interviewing?
Behavior based interviewing focuses
on experiences, behaviors, knowledge, skills and abilities
that are job related. It is based on the belief that past
behavior and performance predicts future behavior and
performance. You may use work experience, activities, hobbies,
volunteer work, school projects, family life - anything really
- as examples of your past behavior. Current employment
literature indicates that there is a strong trend towards this
type of interviewing. In addition to questions found in many
current resources, you should also consider the following in
your interview preparations.
What Do Employers
Evaluate in A Behavioral Interview?
Employers are
looking for 3 types of skills: Content Skills, Functional -
also called Transferable Skills, and Adaptive - also called
Self Management Skills.
Content
Skills -- Knowledge that is work specific such as
computer programming, accounting, welding, etc. expressed as
nouns.
Functional or Transferable
Skills -- Used with people, information or things
such as organizing, managing, developing, communicating, etc.
expressed as verbs.
Adaptive or
Self-Management Skills -- personal characteristics
such as dependable, team player, self directed, punctual, etc.
expressed as adjectives.
How
Are Behavioral Questions Different from Other Types of
Interviewing Questions?
There are 3 types of
questions typically found in interviews:
- Theoretical questions --
Questions that place you in a hypothetical situation. These
questions are more likely to test your skill at answering
questions rather than in doing a good job.
Example: How would you
organize your friends to help you move into a new apartment?
- Leading questions --
Questions that hint at the answer the interviewer is seeking
by the way they are phrased.
Example: Working on your
own doesnıt bother you does it?
- Behavioral questions --
Questions that seek demonstrated examples of behavior from
your past experience and concentrate on job related
functions. They may include:
- Open-ended questions --
these require more than a yes of no response. They often
begin with "Tell me...", "Describe...",
"When...".
Example: Describe a time you had to
be flexible in planning a work load.
- Close-ended questions --
Used mostly to verify or confirm
information.
Example: You have a degree in
psychology, is that correct?
- Why questions -- Used to
reveal rationale for decisions you have made or to
determine your level of motivation.
Example:
Why did you decide to major in this program at UM rather
than at a small private college or larger university?
