Interviewers rely on behavioural interview questions because they are more convincing than self-assessments.
Interviewers use a lot of different types of questions in job interviews. One common type is the “behavioural” question, which asks candidates to describe specific situations from their past work experience that demonstrate particular skills or qualities. These questions are popular with employers because concrete stories are more convincing than general claims.
For example, if you were asked whether you love working on teams, it would be better to tell a story about working on a team of five for several months to implement a website redesign for a major client, rather than just saying “I love working on a team.” The story is more vivid and specific, so it’s more likely to convince your interviewer that you’re a good team player.
There are many different kinds of behavioural questions. Here’s a list of the most common ones I’ve come across:
Problem-solving ability and handling difficulty
Describe a time when you had to resolve a difficult problem on your own. How did you go about it?
Tell me about a time when a problem was not solved the way you would have liked.
Tell me about a time when you felt you were unable to meet your responsibilities.
Teamwork, collaboration, and influencing others
Describe a situation where you had difficulty getting others to agree with your decisions.
Tell me about a time when you worked with a colleague who was not completing their share of work.
How did you go about building the team, and was it successful in achieving its goals?
Coping with pressure, stress, and sudden change
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?
Tell me about a situation where you had to adjust quickly to changes over which you had no control.
Give me an example of a high-pressure situation you have faced this past year and how you resolved it.
Accountability, self-awareness, and goal achievement
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?
Tell me about a time when you felt you had not performed to the best of your ability.
Give me an example of a time when you set a goal and were able to meet or exceed it.
When answering these questions, it’s important to structure your answers using a story-based method. That is, instead of trying to memorize a prepared answer for each possible variation, you should prepare a few key stories and then adapt them as needed. This is called the “story toolbox” method. Stories prepared for one subset can often be tweaked on the spot to answer any variation. For example, if you’re faced with a stakeholder objection to a training programme, you might focus on the direct objection and explain how training would improve company efficiency and lighten everyone’s workload, rather than pointing out that the stakeholder had previously voted for it.