Recruiting: Behavior-Based Interviewing
Behavior-based interviewing in a terrific way to ask the right questions of the candidates you decide to interview. How do you use this style of interviewing? Review the essential functions of the job descriptions (usually the top three requirements), as well as key attributes, along with the candidate’s resume. The job description will provide you with the essential functions of the role and the resume will the resume will give the most important experience of the candidate.
Create your questions around those two tools. If team player, self-motivation, influencer are important attributes for the success of this role, here are some questions you could ask using the job description:
- Team player means they are active in providing feedback and prioritize the team over their success. Some good questions might be “What does it mean to be a good team player?” “How do you develop trust with your teammates?” “In today’s fast-paced, global, technology world, what team attributes are to be most valued?”
- Self-motivation is a tricky trait to interview, yet not impossible. You can ask candidates “How do you motivate yourself to get work done when it’s more difficult than anticipated, when others are not responding quickly, or when what you have done has failed?” “Can you give me two examples when you were most motivated in a job? Least motivated? Why do you think was so?” Why do you think it turned out this way?” or “What could you have done to achieve a different outcome?”
- A strong influencer demonstrates leadership skills and the ability to persuade others effectively. Influencing does not force others to comply, instead uses various skills to join with others and have their commitment to the solution. “What skills do you think are important to influence others? Provide 2 or 3 examples of how you used those skills to influence others and what were the results?”
Here are some examples using the candidate’s resume:
- Give me an example of a time when you had to make a split second decision. What was the outcome of the decision? This example provides you with a greater understanding of how they make decisions. What do they include in their decision-making processing to determine the outcome?
- What project do you consider your most significant success and why?
- On your resume, you mentioned that you were responsible for specific projects. Explain the scope of the project, your role in the project, some of the major issues, how you handled them, and describe the outcome.
- What do you love best about your career so far?
- Tell me a time when you had a demanding customer. What was the issue, how did you handle it, and what was (were) the result(s)?
What information are you listening for in the candidate’s response? What was the situation that he/she presented to you? How did he/she handle the situation, or what action did she/he take? What was the outcome of the situation? Did the candidate answer the question or instead circumvented it by replying with the information they want you to know about them? A common occurrence when candidates don’t know the answer or don’t have the experience so will try to position themselves in another light. Sometimes a candidate is rambles in their responses and has a difficult time focusing on the question. All are indicators whether they would meet the essential functions of the position.
Create your open-ended questions that provide thoughtful responses from the candidate. You will be pleasantly surprised to realize that it is much easier to recognize and select the right candidate. If all of the interviewers use behavior-based interviewing, at the end of the process, the amount of information you have gathered about each candidate will be more thorough and help you make your decision.
Be well,
Pat
**********RECRUITING THE BEST TALENT**********
