Sample Behavioural Interview Questions
More and more interviewers are asking behavioral questions, in which the employer asks you to recount a specific example of a past experience which s/he can use as a predictor for your future behavior. For example:
- Tell me about a time you demonstrated initiative.
- Give me an example of your leadership ability.
- Describe your most recent group effort and how you contributed to the team.
In answering these questions, be certain to describe a SPECIFIC example (don’t describe your leadership style in general, but rather recount a specific time you were in a leadership role). After setting the context, describe your role, contribution to, or influence on that situation. Finally, always provide a statement describing the outcome of your efforts (e.g., the grade you received, the percentage increase in sales volume due to your efforts, etc.) so they can evaluate your effectiveness. A common way to approach answering behavioral questions is to use the STAR method:
- S = Situation: Describe what you were facing
- T = Target: Describe what you wanted to achieve
- A = Action: Describe what you did
- R = Results: Describe what happened, how things turned out, what you learned, and perhaps what you’d do differently if presented the same circumstances
