When you go for an interview, the interviewer will probably ask you some questions that are behavioral. Behavioral interview questions aren’t technical; they’re not about your knowledge of programming languages or economics theories or whatever other skills are required for the job. Instead, they focus on who you are as a person — how you react to problems, work with others, handle stress, etc.
Why do employers use these kinds of questions? There are several reasons:
They’re non-technical. Employers can get all the information they need from your resume and cover letter about whether you have the necessary technical skills for the job.
They’re focused on the candidate. Behavioral interviews are less likely than other types of interviews to be influenced by biases (like “I’ve worked with this type of person before”).
They’re 100% preparable in advance. Unlike other types of interviews, which require you to think on your feet, you can prepare answers to behavioral questions ahead of time.
Past behavior signals future performance. Behavioral interview questions are designed to assess what kind of employee you’ll be, based on how you acted in the past.
They assess self-awareness. Behavioral interview questions help interviewers figure out if you understand your own strengths and weaknesses.
They assess problem-solving ability. Behavioral interview questions allow interviewers to see how you approach difficult situations.
They assess teamwork ability. Behavioral interview questions let interviewers know how you interact with other people at work.
So it’s very important that you prepare for them.
The first step is to realize that there are common themes among the behavioral questions that different employers ask. Here are the most common ones I’ve seen across companies:
Problem-solving
Teamwork
Adaptability
Pressure
Goal-setting
Client management
Coping/stress
Strengths and weaknesses
Here are some specific examples of the kinds of questions candidates should expect:
Problem-solving: “Describe a time when you had to resolve a difficult problem on your own.”
Teamwork: “Tell me about a time when you worked with a colleague who was not completing their share of work.”
Adaptability: “Tell me about a situation where you had to adjust quickly to changes over which you had no control.”
Pressure: “Give me an example of a high-pressure situation you have faced this past year and how you resolved it.”
Goal-setting: “Give me an example of a time when you set a goal and were able to meet or exceed it.”
Client management: “Give me an example of a time when you didn’t meet a client’s expectation. What happened, and how did you attempt to rectify the situation?”
Coping/stress: “Describe a time when you were faced with problems or stress at work or in a class that tested your coping skills. What did you do?”
Strengths and weaknesses: “What is one of your greatest strengths? And what is one of your greatest weaknesses?”
There are many other possible questions, but these are the most common. So when preparing for an interview, you should look at the job description and make sure that you can answer each of these questions well.
How to answer behavioral questions
Now, the next step is to learn how to answer these questions. The best way to answer any behavioral question is to tell a story about a time you experienced something similar. That’s called the STAR framework: Situation, Task, Action, Result. Let me explain what each of these means.
Situation: This is just a short paragraph that sets the scene. It should include the time period, the context, and the challenge.
Task: This is the part where you describe what tasks were assigned to you, what you were trying to accomplish, your role, and how you helped solve the problem or achieve the goal.
Action: This is the meat of your answer. You want to show what you did to solve the problem, how you approached it, and how you dealt with obstacles.
Result: This is where you talk about the outcome of your actions. What did you accomplish? Did you solve the problem? Did you improve the process?
Interviewers usually want a good story starring you as the main character. They don’t care about the details of the situation, only how you responded to it. If you follow the STAR format, you’ll give the interviewer exactly what they want.
If you find yourself stuck, here’s a handy method I call the “story toolbox.” For any behavioral question, you can answer it using the following elements:
A time when you had to do something difficult
How you felt during that time
What you decided to do
What happened after you took action
This is the same structure as the STAR framework. If you stick to this method, you’ll always have an answer to any behavioral question.
But what about those pesky “and why” questions? Those are the ones where you have to explain why you did something instead of just describing what you did. When answering those, you want to give evidence of doing a good job, not just assertions of how good you are. So instead of saying “I’m great at solving problems,” you want to say “I solved a problem when X happened because I did Y, and that led to Z.”
How to prepare before the interview
In order to make sure you’re prepared, I recommend that you develop a few accomplishment stories before the interview. These stories will help you reduce nerves and increase confidence. Here’s how you can develop a complete accomplishment story:
Start with the situation. When did this happen? Where were you? Who else was involved?
State the task. What were you supposed to do? What were your goals?
Describe the actions you took. What did you do to accomplish your goals? What challenges did you face?
Talk about the results. What happened after you completed your task? Did you accomplish your goals? Did you solve the problem? Did you improve the process?
Once you have a complete accomplishment story, you can practice telling it to yourself in front of the mirror. Once you feel comfortable telling it, you’ll be ready for any behavioral interview!