What is one common behavioral interview question and what is the best approach to answering it?
To help candidates respond to behavioral interview questions, we asked hiring managers and career coaches this question for their best insights. From “Tell me about a time you were overwhelmed” to “Describe a time you went above and beyond your job duties”, there are several examples of behavioral questions and the expectations behind them that may help prepare you for any job interview you find yourself in.
Here are eight common behavioral interview questions:
- Tell Me About a Time You Were Overwhelmed
- How Did You Manage Organizational Challenges?
- Tell Me About a Time You Were Caught in an Inefficient Process and Needed To Find a Better Way
- Tell Me About a Time You Had To Utilize Your Time Management Skills
- Describe a Time When a Team Member Was Not Pulling Their Weight. How Did You Handle it?
- Tell Me About Your Experience Doing…
- What is Your Best Contribution To The Success of a Team You’ve Worked With?
- Describe a Time You Went Above and Beyond Your Job Duties
Tell Me About a Time You Were Overwhelmed
One behavioral interview question that often comes up is “Tell me about a time when you were overwhelmed? What was going on, and how did you prioritize the tasks to get them all done on time?”
Here is an opportunity to show how prepared you are by anticipating such questions.
In this case, you could say that you used the 4 quadrants matrix (or similar method) to identify what is most pressing and important. Similarly, you quickly assess what can be delegated and to whom, to free up more time to take care of the tasks that only you could. It’s important to remember that these are not technical questions with clearly defined right or wrong answers, but rather ones oriented around circumstances. Still, you’ll want to put your best foot forward, to show that you not only possess the industry knowledge and technical skills but can also shine in the qualitative aspects of the job too.
Peter Bryla, ResumeLab
How Did You Manage Organizational Challenges?
The common behavioral interview question is how you’ve managed a workplace challenge. Therefore, the easiest way to answer such a question is to follow the STAR method.
As per this method, every interview answer must follow the structure:
- S for a situation where you need to describe where anything ensued.
- T for a task to explain the task you had to accomplish to solve the issue at hand.
- A implies action, where you need to explain the actions you took to finish the given task.
- R represents results, where you have to discuss the results of your actions and offer specific details.
Caroline Lee, CocoSign
Tell Me About a Time You Were Caught in an Inefficient Process and Needed To Find a Better Way
If asked a behavioral interview question, generally you want to answer considering the acronym CARE. The C stands for Context, meaning you want to provide the background or situation. A are the Actions you took (or your thoughts) in response to the situation. R are your Results, or the responsibility you took in the situation. And E is the Effect – the results of your action or role. Having a response that addresses every letter in CARE is a strong response to a behavioral interview question.
A common behavioral interview question we like to ask is “Tell us about a time you were caught in an inefficient process and needed to find a better way.” We aren’t looking for the candidate to disparage the process, but rather to identify what the inefficient process was, what actions they took to improve it, what the results were, and the long term impact on the process improvement on the organization. If they’re able to do that, they’ve shown us they can improve processes in the role for which they are applying.
Eric Mochnacz, redcloverhr.com
Tell Me About a Time You Had To Utilize Your Time Management Skills
A lot of behavioral interview questions will start with something like “Tell me about a time…” or “Give me an example of..” and the answers that the employers want should be heavily detailed experiences you have had. The best way to answer a question such as “Tell me about a time you had to utilize your time management skills?” should be heavily detailed, maybe talking about a time you finished multiple projects with the deadlines nearing. Either way, the more details you can cough up, the better the answer will be.
Sacha Ferrandi, Source Capital
Describe a Time When a Team Member Was Not Pulling Their Weight. How Did You Handle it?
“Describe a time when a team member was not pulling their weight. How did you handle it?” The interviewer wants to know if the candidate can manage conflict in a team setting. Explain the situation briefly. How did the candidate resolve the issue? What was the outcome of their actions? The interviewee should also share the lessons they learned from the experience and how they plan to apply them moving forward.
Benjamin Farber, Bristol Associates, Inc.
Tell Me About Your Experience Doing…
A behavioral question I have always asked in interviews is one that relates to the work experience they have provided on their resumes or applications. I ask them, “Tell me about your experience doing…”, and then ask about something specific on their resume or application that is relevant to the position they are interviewing for.
The answer I am wanting to hear back is one that is detailed, specific, and provides multiple examples. What I don’t want to hear is a lot of trying to make things up or vague responses that don’t demonstrate their experience. A candidate should be able to discuss in great detail their past experiences in a role. When asked to share those experiences, I want it to seem second nature to them to discuss. When they pause and hesitate and aren’t clear about their experiences, it raises red flags.
Devin Schumacher, SERP
What is Your Best Contribution To The Success of a Team You’ve Worked With?
Prospective employers often focus on how you function as a part of a team and whether you find it easy to get along with your colleagues or not. The best approach to answering this question is, therefore, to put emphasis on how mindful of the company’s interests and respectful toward other people’s points of view you are. Don’t forget to mention your great awareness of how important it is to combine skills each member brings to the team. After all, success has many parents, as the saying goes. Showing that you appreciate other people’s contribution to the whole, puts you in a good light as a team member during the recruitment process. Behavioral questions are as important as, if not even more, important than skills-oriented ones because they give the recruiters a chance to get a feel for your personality, your values, and what motivates you.
Agata Szczepanek, MyPerfectResume
Describe a Time You Went Above and Beyond Your Job Duties
One common behavioral interview question is “describe a time when you went above and beyond your job duties.” The best way to answer this question is by providing a specific example of how you demonstrated initiative and exceeded expectations in the past. For instance, you could share a story about volunteering to take on an extra project at work even though you were already overloaded with responsibilities. Whatever the case may be, make sure to highlight how your actions positively impacted the team or company as a whole.
Gino Louise Reichert, LSAT Prep Hero
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