Behavioral Interviewing Questions

Behavioral Interviewing Questions When you interview using behavior-based questions, you are trying to find out information about a person by the way he or she acted or reacted to a certain situation in the past. The rationale for this type of interviewing is that past performance may be the best predictor of future performance. Rather than asking “what if” questions, you ask candidates to describe a specific situation in their past work experience and how they responded to it. Candidates must be prepared to answer the interviewer’s questions with stories and examples that demonstrate how their training and experience have prepared them for this position. The following is an example of a behavioral interview question: Tell me about a time when you had to deal with frequent changes in a job task or unexpected events on the job. How did you respond?

The following lists indicate specific competencies and provide sample behavioral interviewing questions for each competency. SOFTWARE SKILLS—Able to use technology to enhance productivity.

 Describe a time when you had to learn how to use a new computer software program or system. What tools did you use to help you learn? What helped you the most?  Describe a job where you had to use Microsoft Word to create documents. What type of documents did you create? What functions in Word did you use?  Describe a complex or difficult document you created using Word. What functions in Word were involved?  Describe a job where you had to use Microsoft Excel to create spreadsheets. What type of spreadsheets did you create? What tools in Excel did you use?  Describe a complex or difficult document you created using Excel. What functions in Excel did you use?  Tell me about the advantages of using Microsoft Access as opposed to Excel; give me a specific example of a situation where you opted to use Access over Excel.  Describe the process of creating a new table in Access.  Give me an example of a query you created in Access and how it related to your job function(s).  List and describe some of the situations for which you've created PowerPoint presentations.  Describe how you have animated your slide show presentations in the past.  Tell me about the different views you have used in PowerPoint.  Tell me about how you’ve used ______. What screens did you use and what functions did you perform?

WRITTEN COMMUNICATION—Able to write clearly, effectively present ideas, and document activities; able to read and interpret written information.

 This job requires good writing skills. Tell me about your writing experiences that will enable you to do this job well.  Describe the most significant work experience in which you had to use reference materials, manuals, etc. to get a job done. How much time was required? How did the reference materials help you?  In some situations, it is necessary to be a thorough reader and at other times it is important to be able to scan a document quickly to look for information. Describe work experiences you have had that required you to use these skills.

People Management Handouts 1 Behavioral Interviewing Questions

 To what extent has your past work required you to be skilled in the analysis of technical reports or information? Pick any specific experience that would highlight your skill in this area and describe it in detail.  In some jobs, it is necessary to document work thoroughly in writing. For example, documentation might be necessary to prove you did your job correctly or to train another person. Give an example of when you’ve had experience documenting.

SPOKEN COMMUNICATION—Able to clearly present information through the spoken word, influence or persuade others through oral presentation in positive or negative circumstances, and listen well.

 What has been your experience in giving explanations or instructions to others? Feel free to talk about your experiences in managing, training, or coaching others.  What types of experiences have you had in talking with customers or clients? Specifically, talk about a time when you had to communicate under difficult circumstances.  Tell me about a time when your active listening skills really paid off for you—maybe a time when others missed the key idea in what was being expressed.  What has been your experience in making presentations or speeches to small or large groups? What has been your most successful experience in this area?  This job will require you to spend a large amount of time talking to others. When have you had to work in this kind of situation and how did it affect you?  Give a specific example that illustrates your ability to influence another person verbally. Feel free to use an example that involves changing an attitude, selling an idea, or being persuasive.  Tell me about a time when your language or speaking skills really worked for you on the job. Feel free to use either a supervisory or a non-supervisory example.

GOAL SETTING—Able to define realistic, specific goals and objectives and prioritize objectives.

 Tell me about the system you use for goal setting. To what extent does it involve written objectives, paperwork, or forms? Describe a specific instance in which you defined your goals and objectives in writing.  In a fast-paced work environment, it is often necessary to prioritize goals to be sure that effort is allocated appropriately. Tell me about a time when you had to prioritize to focus on the most important goals.  What important target dates did you set to reach objectives on your last job? How did you set the dates? What were the results?  Goals are often set to meet the expectations of others. Tell me about a time when you took the initiative to set a goal for yourself, even though it wasn’t a job requirement.  What has been your experience in setting long-term goals? Give a specific goal that was set and how successful you were in achieving that goal.  Goals are often used to manage and direct our day-to-day work activities. Describe a favorable experience you’ve had in using goals to guide your actions.  Have you used a systematic process to define objectives? What type of system was it? Tell me about your experience and results. What payoff did you get from using that process?

ORGANIZATION AND PLANNING—Able to organize or schedule people or tasks and to develop realistic action plans while being sensitive to time constraints and resource availability.

 Give an example from your work history that demonstrates your ability to organize and maintain a system of records to facilitate your work.  Time management has become a necessary skill for personal productivity. Give me an example of any time management skills you have learned and applied at work. How did they help you?

 Getting results at work often entails spelling out detailed action plans. Explain how you used a schedule or timetable to generate a plan leading to a specific goal.  Planning is often more than thinking; it is also doing. What you have done with such tools as flowcharts, project planners, filing systems, or any other tools you use to plan?  Give an example of when you were effective in doing away with the constant emergencies and surprises in your work climate. How did planning help you deal with the unexpected?  Pick any event at work that provides a good example of your skill in analyzing data to make a forecast or plans. To what extent did you use statistical analysis as opposed to an intuitive approach?  Organizing and scheduling people and tasks is a necessary function in creating a productive work environment. Review your experiences in this area and detail a single case that illustrates your organization and scheduling ability.

MEETING MANAGEMENT—Able to determine the need for a meeting, pre-plan meetings, and lead an effective group process in order to increase the group’s overall effectiveness.

 Describe a situation when you had to lead a meeting and it became difficult to facilitate the group. What did you do? What were the outcomes?  What types of experience have you had with leading meetings? What do you do to prepare?  Give me an example from your work history when you had to lead a group in problem solving. What was your process? What were the outcomes?  Pick any event in your work history that is a good example of your skill in leading a group in decision making. What was your process? What were the outcomes?  Meetings can sometimes be filled with strong emotion. Tell me about a time when you had to handle a meeting situation that involved a lot of emotion. What did you do?  At times, a meeting facilitator is required to intervene in a situation where a team member is not acting appropriately. Tell me about a time when you had to intervene in a meeting because of a team member’s behavior. How did you handle it? What were the results?  Relate a time when you evaluated the effectiveness of a meeting. What process did you use?

CONFLICT MANAGEMENT—Able to modify one’s own behavioral style to respond to the needs of others while maintaining one’s own objectives and sense of dignity.

 At times, we are all required to deal with difficult people. An even more demanding factor is to be of service to a difficult person. When have you been successful with this type of situation at work?  Describe a specific time when you made someone feel comfortable dealing with an emotional situation.  Elaborate on your types of experience talking with customers. Describe a time when you communicated effectively in difficult circumstances.  How often have you had to deal with a customer’s frustration or anger? Can you give an example of how you’ve handled it?  Describe a misunderstanding you had with a co-worker. What was the problem? How did you resolve the conflict?

PROCESS MANAGEMENT—Able to relate to routine operations in a manner that is consistent with existing solutions to problems, conform to established procedures, and log work activities.

 Tell me about your experiences in logging (documenting) your work activities in a written form. Be specific.  On some jobs it is necessary to act strictly in accordance with policy. Give an example from your background when you were expected to act according with policy even when it was not convenient. What did you do?

 When have you used detailed checklists or procedures to reduce potential errors on the job? Be specific.  Select a job you have had and describe the paperwork you were required to complete. What specific things did you do to ensure accuracy?  Many positions have well-established, standard methods to help you do a job. Give me an example of a time when you worked in a position with these requirements.

PROBLEM SOLVING—Able to use a systematic approach in solving problems through analyzing the problem and evaluating solutions and using logic, mathematics, or other problem-solving tools in data analysis or in generating solutions.

 What was your greatest success in solving a problem at work? Describe a specific incident.  Solving a problem often calls for evaluating several possible solutions. Give an example of a time when you actively defined several solutions to a single problem.  Explain how you were systematic in identifying potential problems at work. Feel free to showcase your analytical skills.  Describe a specific success in using the principles of logic to solve technical problems at work.  Describe a time when you were proud of your ability to use your mathematical knowledge or research techniques to solve a problem.  Solving a problem often necessitates evaluation of alternate solutions. Give an example of a time when you actively defined several solutions to a single problem. Did you use any tools such as research, brainstorming, or mathematics?  Describe the analytical tools with which you feel competent. Give an example from any time in your working history that shows your ability to use these analytical tools to define problems or design solutions.  To what extent has your past work required you to analyze technical information or reports? Pick any specific experience that would highlight your skills in this area and describe it in detail.

COPING—Able to maintain a mature problem-solving attitude while dealing with interpersonal conflicts, hazardous conditions, personal rejection, hostility, or time demands.

 Give an example of when you had to cope with strict deadlines or time demands.  Describe a specific instance when you had to cope with the anger or hostility of another person.  Sooner or later we all deal with interpersonal conflict or personal rejection at work. Give an example of a time when you had to cope with these demands.  Explain a high stress situation when it was desirable for you to keep a positive attitude. What happened?  Give an example of a time at work when you had to deal with unreasonable expectations of you. How did you handle it?

TOLERANCE OF AMBIGUITY—Able to withhold actions or speech in the absence of important information and deal with unresolved situations, frequent change, delays, or unexpected events.

 What has been your experience in dealing with conflicting, delayed, or incomplete information? What did you do to make the most of the situation?  Sometimes it is necessary to work in unsettled or rapidly changing circumstances. When have you found yourself in this position? Explain exactly what you did.  People differ in their preference for jobs that have well laid-out tasks and responsibilities or ones in which work changes frequently. Describe a time when you were successful in dealing with an unstructured work environment.

 Describe a situation where a decision had to be made and your supervisor was not available. What was the situation? What did you do? What was the result?  Describe a time when you were working under a deadline and your supervisor gave you one more task that had to be completed that day. What did you do? What was the result?

FLEXIBILITY—Able to modify one’s own behavioral style to respond to the needs of others or the organization.

 Give an example of a time when you had to deal with frequent job changes or unexpected events on the job. What does this situation say about your ability to work in an ambiguous or unstructured environment?  What has been your experience in dealing with conflicting, delayed, or incomplete information? What did you do to make the most of the situation?  Sometimes it is necessary to work in unsettled or rapidly changing circumstances. When have you found yourself in this position? Tell me exactly what you did.  When has it been necessary for you to tolerate an ambiguous situation at work? How long did it last and describe the circumstances.  People differ in their preference for jobs that have well laid-out tasks and responsibilities or ones in which work changes frequently. Describe a time when you were successful in dealing with an unstructured work environment.  Describe a time when you had to change in order to meet the needs of others.  Describe a time when you were able to adapt to a person with a background or personality type different from your own.

LEADERSHIP—Able to influence the actions and opinions of others in a desired direction and to exhibit judgment in leading others to desired objectives.

 Give a specific example of a time when you used facts and reason to persuade another person to take action.  Organizations are built on the principle of delegation. Describe a specific example of the greatest success you have had in delegating.  Instead of simply using authority to influence another individual, it is sometimes desirable to lead other people by setting a positive example for them to follow. Describe a work situation when your example served as a model for others.  Communication and leadership go hand in hand. Give an example of a time when your communication skills were powerful enough to enable you to influence the way others thought or acted, even in a very difficult situation.  Even though the use of authority in a leadership role is not popular, it is sometimes necessary. Give a specific example of when you had to use your authority to influence another individual.

WORKING AT DIFFERENT LEVELS IN THE ORGANIZATION—Able to develop effective give- and-take relationships with key individuals in the organization, both vertically and laterally.

 Describe a time when you had to work on a project that required interaction with different levels within the company. What did you do? What was the result?  Give a specific example of a time you were assertive in negotiating with peers and upper management (e.g., to gain support for team ideas, when you felt deadlines needed to be renegotiated).  Describe a specific experience when you had to influence team members whom you had no direct authority over. How did you accomplish your goals?  Have you ever given feedback to your manager? How did you approach the situation? What were the results?

 Recall a situation when you had to build support from people who reported to you. How did you do it?

ASSERTIVENESS—Able to maturely express one’s feelings and opinions in spite of disagreement; accurately communicate to others regardless of status or position.

 Describe a time when you had to sell an idea to your boss, authority figure, or technical expert.  Describe a time when you communicated something unpleasant or difficult to your manager or a team member. How did you assert yourself?  Explain how you’ve sold an idea to your boss, authority figure, or a technical expert.  Some of the best ideas come from an individual’s ability to challenge others’ thinking. Describe a time when you successfully challenged others’ ideas.  Some situations require us to express ideas or opinions tactfully and carefully. Describe a time when you were successful with this particular skill.

DECISIVENESS—Able to make decisions quickly with available information and take action, make commitments and not change decisions when challenged, and deal with emergencies as necessary.

 Describe a situation in which you had to draw a conclusion quickly and take speedy action.  Many situations at work will require fast thinking and speed in making decisions. Give an example of a situation in which you were especially skillful in making a decision quickly.  Many times it is important to be firm about a decision you are making, even if others don’t like it. Give an example of a time when you stuck by a decision even though it was under attack by others.  Describe a time when you were under pressure to make an immediate decision but felt it was unwise to do so. How did you hold your ground and what were the results?

MOTIVATING—Able to create positive energy in both individuals and groups.

 Give a specific example of a time when your positive attitude caused others to be motivated or energized.  At work, it is sometimes desirable to use recognition to build motivation in others. Describe a time when you were able to use recognition to create positive energy in another person.  Recall a situation when you were able to motivate the people around you to accomplish a specific task. What was the outcome? How did you feel about it?  Give a specific example of something you did that helped build enthusiasm in others.

Performance Improvement Corrective Steps Partner closely with your Human Resources CSR before initiating these steps. THE ORGANIZATION doesn’t have a progressive corrective action policy. However, depending on the circumstances and concerns, some or all of the following steps may be taken.

Verbal Coaching Verbal coaching is usually the first step for: • Minor violations. • Minor performance or behavioral problems. • Situations that can be addressed through training or feedback. After someone receives verbal coaching, they may be subject to further corrective action if they fail to improve and maintain their performance or behavior. Written Coaching or a Performance Improvement Plan Written coaching is usually appropriate for: • Serious violations. • Repeat violations. • Serious performance or behavioral concerns. • Situations that weren’t resolved through verbal coaching. You may also ask the employee to sign a performance improvement plan, which will: • Document his or her intent to meet performance or behavioral expectations. • Outline a specific plan of action. State the expected timeframe for improvement (usually 30 to 90 days). Any further serious concerns that arise during this period may lead to immediate separation from employment. Final Warning A final warning is typically issued to state the consequences of repeat violations, failure to meet expectations, or serious behavioral or performance concerns. If an employee is issued a final warning, he or she will be asked to sign a document that: • Explains this corrective action. • States that the employee will be separated from employment if he or she doesn’t improve and maintain the performance or behavior. Decision-Making Time Off You may allow a decision-making time off so an employee can: • Consider his or her commitment to performance or behavioral improvement. • Identify how he or she can improve performance or behavior. Suspension

THE ORGANIZATION typically doesn't suspend employees for corrective reasons. In some cases, however, it may be in THE ORGANIZATION’s best interest to remove an employee from work immediately. An employee may be suspended from work with or without pay in these cases: • Pending the outcome of an investigation • Pending the outcome of an issue with an administrative or employment requirement Separation From Employment An employee may be separated from employment if: • He or she fails to meet and maintain performance or behavioral expectations. • Continued employment would harm THE ORGANIZATION. • no longer wants or needs the employee’s continued employment. Depending on the seriousness of the situation, separation from employment may be the appropriate first corrective step.

Improving Performance Activity

Person 1—Fred Fred is your new Administrative Assistant. He has lots of Administrative Assistant experience in the mortgage industry, but has no health care experience. His skills in Outlook, Word, and PowerPoint are excellent. But he is only a beginner in Excel, which he will need to learn much more about to do his job. He is very organized, efficient, and business-like. He is also very formal, reserved, and private. The rest of your team is female; they’ve worked together for many years, and are very closely knit. You don’t want Fred to feel left out, but you don’t want to force him be more sociable either.

Person 2—Adele Adele has been a security guard in your group for nearly a year. She is a hard worker, pleasant to be around, and until recently has done her job well. You feel that she has the potential for advancement; however, lately she has been having consistent problems with tardiness and no longer volunteers for additional training or tasks. You are aware that she is facing some challenges that are affecting her job performance. She has three children under the age of six. Her husband recently left her, so she has no spouse to help out. You’d like to figure out how to help Adele live up to her potential.

Person 3—Herbert Herbert has been a Baylor Unit Tech for 20 years. Herbert never received a college degree, but has moved as far as he can within THE ORGANIZATION. He is looking forward to his retirement in a few years. He is an excellent employee; however, you and the rest of the team suspect he is becoming hard of hearing and this is affecting his work. He seems unaware of his hearing problem and you are not sure how to approach the issue with him.

Person 4—Jason Jason is an analyst. He is probably your smartest and most creative employee. He has excellent ideas and is a real innovator. He would be the perfect employee except for his lack of tack and maturity. He is rude and condescending to customers and co-workers. He is also known for sending out dirty jokes and tacky e-mail cartoons that are embarrassing and can be hurtful. You don’t want to lose his contributions, but you don’t feel you can put up with his behavior much longer. Some team members are ready to turn him in for sexual harassment.

Person 5—Janelle Janelle is the workhorse of your department. She puts in lots of overtime hours and is always assigned to new projects because she is so good at her job. She is also a know-it-all who many of her co-workers only tolerate and do not particularly like. You have also heard that she talks about you behind your back and is not shy about saying she could do your job better than you. You need her expertise, but you also need to address her attitude problem.

People Management Handouts 9