Teamworx Blog

Behavioural Interviewing @ Teamworx

A lot of candiates i meet with get extremely nervous when they hear they will be attending a Behavioural Interview. However, this shouldnt be the case! Behavioural interviewing is a popular approach to assess the past experiences of a candidate to judge his/her response to identical situations on a future job. Essentially, behavioral interviewing is based on the premise that “past performance in comparable circumstances is the best predictor of future performance.”

Follow these 6 steps to ensure answer behavioral interview questions and ensure you nail that dream job!

STEP 1

1. Listen to the question carefully. Commonly, behavioral interview questions tend be longwinded and may sometimes sound vague (blame an overuse of adjectives, adverbs and trendy language.) Here is an example: “Good problem-solving often includes a careful review of the substantial facts and weighing of options before making a decision. Give me an instance of how you reached a practical business decision by an organized assessment of the facts and weighing of options.”
2.  
3. STEP 2
4. Ensure you understand the question before you begin to answer. You may paraphrase the question and ask the interviewer if you understand it correctly. If necessary, ask the interviewer to repeat the question. Do not, however, ask the interviewer to repeat every question — the interviewer may question your ability to listen and comprehend.
6. STEP 3
7. Organize your answer. Allow yourself a few seconds to collect your thoughts and structure your answer.
9. STEP 4
10. State your answer. Attempt to conclude your answer in about two/three minutes. Three minutes is long enough to relate a story comprehensively and short enough to hold the interviewer’s attention.
12. STEP 5
13. Stick to your answer. Resist the temptation to think of new details as you state the answer. By sticking to the details and structure you had planned for, you can provide a consistent and well-reasoned answer. Be concise and stick to the point.
15. STEP 6
16. Answer follow-up questions. In response to your three-minute answer, the interviewer may pose follow-up questions. These questions can be confirming questions that require simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answers or clarifying questions that require brief answers.

If you need help with interviews, CVs or any other aspect of your career search, contact our Career Coach, Denise Brady @ 045898037.