Behavioral Interviews
Behavioral interviews are designed to assess how you’ve handled situations in the past, with the idea that your past behavior is a good predictor of future performance. In this type of interview, you’ll be asked to provide examples of how you responded to various challenges, made decisions, worked in teams, or solved problems.
Behavioral Interview Tips
- Study the job description.
- Review major projects you’ve worked on.
- Revisit previous job performance reviews.
- Make a list of your professional accomplishments.
- Use the STAR method to structure your response.
- Be open and honest in your answer.
- Practice your interview responses aloud.
- Keep your answers under two minutes.
Understand What a Behavioral Interview Is
In a behavioral interview, the interviewer is interested in learning about how you’ve dealt with specific work-related situations. Rather than hypothetical questions, these are based on real-life scenarios from your past experience.
Examples of behavioral interview questions:
- “Tell me about a time when you worked on a team project and things didn’t go as planned.”
- “Give me an example of a time when you had to manage multiple deadlines.”
- “Describe a situation where you had to resolve a conflict in the workplace.”
The goal is to understand how you approach challenges, collaborate with others, and navigate your work environment.
Use the STAR Method
The STAR method is a structured approach that ensures your responses are clear and concise. Here’s how to break down your answers:
- Situation: Describe the situation or context of your example.
- Task: Explain the specific task or challenge you needed to handle.
- Action: Detail the actions you took to address the situation.
- Result: Share the outcome or result of your actions.
Example Question:
- Tell me about a time when you had to meet a tight deadline.
Example Answer Using STAR:
- Situation: “In my previous role, I was part of a team tasked with launching a new product within a two-week timeframe.”
- Task: “I was responsible for managing the marketing campaign, which included creating content and coordinating with the design team.”
- Action: “To meet the deadline, I developed a clear timeline, prioritized tasks, and communicated regularly with the team to ensure everything stayed on track.”
- Result: “As a result, we launched the product on time, and the campaign generated a 15% increase in sales within the first month.”
Prepare Key Examples
Before the interview, identify key experiences from your academic, work, or extracurricular background that demonstrate your skills in areas like:
- Teamwork and collaboration
- Leadership and initiative
- Problem-solving and decision-making
- Conflict resolution
- Time management and organization
Think of specific examples that highlight your strengths in these areas. Practice explaining the situation, your actions, and the positive outcomes using the STAR method.
Research Common Behavioral Interview Questions
You won’t know the exact questions ahead of time, but many behavioral interview questions fall into common categories. Here are some examples to practice:
- Teamwork: “Tell me about a time when you worked on a team project and someone wasn’t pulling their weight. How did you handle it?”
- Leadership: “Give an example of a time when you took the lead on a project. What did you do, and what was the result?”
- Problem-solving: “Describe a situation where you had to solve an unexpected problem.”
- Adaptability: “Tell me about a time when you had to adjust to changes you had no control over.”
- Communication: “Describe a time when you had to explain a complex idea to someone unfamiliar with the topic. How did you ensure they understood?”
Preparing for these categories will help you adapt to a wide variety of questions.
Tailor Your Responses to the Role
While preparing your answers, focus on examples that are most relevant to the job you’re applying for. Study the job description to understand the key skills and competencies the employer is looking for, and choose examples that demonstrate those abilities.
For instance:
- If the role emphasizes teamwork, prepare examples that showcase your ability to collaborate effectively.
- If leadership is a core requirement, choose examples where you took initiative or guided a team.
Be Honest and Specific
Behavioral interviewers are looking for detailed, honest responses. Avoid speaking in general terms. Instead of saying, “I always handle pressure well,” describe a specific scenario where you successfully managed a high-pressure situation.
If you don’t have direct work experience in a particular area, draw from other relevant experiences, such as internships, academic projects, volunteer work, or extracurricular activities. Be transparent about what you learned from these experiences, especially if things didn’t go perfectly.
Focus on Your Role in the Situation
When answering behavioral questions, make sure you focus on your actions and contributions rather than the overall team effort. While it’s important to provide context, the interviewer wants to hear about your specific role and what you did to influence the outcome.
Example:
- Instead of saying, “We worked together to meet the deadline,” focus on your contribution: “I organized the team’s workflow and set clear priorities, ensuring we met the deadline ahead of time.”
Highlight Positive Outcomes
Whenever possible, emphasize the positive results of your actions. Even if the outcome wasn’t perfect, talk about what you learned and how you improved as a result. Behavioral interviewers are looking for candidates who can reflect on their experiences and grow from them.
For instance, if you faced a challenge that didn’t result in success, you could say:
- “Although we didn’t meet our original goal, I learned how important it is to establish clear communication early in the project. Since then, I’ve applied that lesson to other projects with much better results.”
Practice, Practice, Practice
Practicing your responses will help you feel more confident and articulate during the actual interview. Here’s how to prepare:
- Big Interview: Record and watch your responses to evaluate your tone, body language, and clarity.
- Do mock interviews: Practice with friends, family, or career advisors who can give you feedback. You can schedule with a CPD Career Advisor here: Schedule a Practice Interview
The more you practice your answers, the easier it will be to recall your examples and deliver them smoothly during the interview.
Be Ready for Follow-Up Questions
Interviewers may ask follow-up questions to get more detail about your responses, such as:
- “Why did you choose that particular approach?”
- “What would you have done differently?”
- “How did the team respond to your actions?”
Be prepared to dive deeper into your thought process, the challenges you faced, and how you handled them. Follow-up questions help the interviewer understand your approach to problem-solving and decision-making.
Additional Tips for Success:
- Stay calm: Take a moment to think before answering if needed. A well-considered answer is better than a rushed response.
- Be concise: Provide enough detail, but avoid rambling. Stick to the key points of the situation, actions, and results.
- Stay positive: Even when discussing challenges or conflicts, focus on how you managed the situation constructively and what you learned from it.
Common Behavioral Interview Questions to Practice:
- Tell me about a time when you had to manage multiple projects at once. How did you prioritize?
- Describe a time when you had to work with someone with a different working style than your own. How did you make it work?
- Can you give an example of a time when you received criticism or negative feedback? How did you handle it?
- Tell me about a time when you made a mistake at work. How did you handle it, and what did you learn?
- Describe a situation where you had to motivate others. How did you do it, and what was the result?