[Jobs] Behavioral Interviewing

[J. Michael Jones]

Hello: I thought this may be helpful  for knowing how to prepare and different types of interviews.



Behavioral Interviewing Overview

 

 

          You have progressed to the interview phase of our selection process., we use an interview process known as "behavioral interviewing". This document was developed to give a preview to help you prepare for the interview.

 

          Behavioral interviewing differs from traditional interviews in its approach.  In a traditional interview, you may be presented questions such as "Tell me about yourself", "Where do you expect to be in five years?", "What is your greatest strength?", "What is your greatest weakness?", "Why did you apply for this job?", or "Why should I hire you?"

 

          In a behavioral interview, which is designed to focus on your skills as demonstrated in previous jobs, you may be presented questions such as "Tell me about a time in your work history when you had to deal with the stress of time pressure or irate customers; what did you do and what happened as a result?"  This question is meant to collect information from applicants on their "coping" skills, and is based on past work behaviors that can be described.  Behavior-based questions will center on how you handled different aspects of your past jobs, including your successes and failures.

 

          The rationale for behavioral interviewing is that the best predictor of future performance is past performance.  Questions are developed by analyzing the job and determining what technical skill (content knowledge or work experience in the job area) is required of a new hire to perform that job well.  Behavior-based interviews can last from one to one and one half-hours and are conducted by panels of people familiar with the job requirements.  

 

          Preparing for a behavior-based interview is different since you will be asked to give specific examples of past events when you demonstrated particular behaviors or skills.  Typical questions resemble the one given previously, and interviewers will be looking for samples of work behaviors focusing on a past event that demonstrates your use of the skill required by the job.  Interviewers will need details and specifics, which will then be verified in a reference audit/check prior to offering the job to the top-rated applicant.  An example of an answer to the question about working under time pressure is, "Well, at Microsoft, we have extremely tight deadlines and if you can't handle the stress, you won't last long.  I think the ability to work under stress is one of my strongest assets."  This answer is very general. To gain a true behavioral example, the interviewers would ask a follow-up question, such as "I appreciate the fact that it's one of your strengths, but give me a specific project you worked on at Microsoft.  Describe how you dealt with the stress and what the results were".







Interviewers will take notes on your answers and, after the interview, will rate how the skills information you presented compares to the skill level required for the job.  It is impossible to predict the questions in order to prepare specific answers, but you can prepare by trying to recall your achievements in your past jobs.  Once you have made a list of achievements (including any "extra curricula" projects you volunteered to handle), think of things you learned from the activity necessary for the achievement and zero-in on what skill you possessed or developed that helped you achieve the outcomes.  For instance, suppose your achievement was that you developed an innovative training program for users of Lotus Spreadsheets software and then trained 50 people in classroom-style training.  The skills that may have been developed in such an example would be "skill in standup training" (a technical skill), "creativity" (a performance skill), and "organization and planning" (a performance skill), not to mention the technical skills of effective use of a particular software program and development of a curriculum.  

 

          This kind of thinking about your own skills and what you have to offer to an employer will help you think of specific answers when you are presented with questions that you cannot predict.  Behavior-based interviewers know you have to really think to recall good examples.  You will be given time to think before answering and, if your answer is not specific enough, the interviewers will ask you to elaborate with more detail.  You will understand more after a couple of questions.  Many applicants who have participated in this type of interview have been pleased that they had such a good opportunity to really talk about their own qualifications for the job.  Interviewers find that behavior-based questions give them much more information about an applicant to help them find the best skill-match, which works to everyone's advantage.

 

          Reference auditing is part of the interview/selection process.  This means all information presented on your application/resume and during the interview is subject to verification by talking with a previous supervisor or others having knowledge of your achievements.  Therefore, we will be asking you for references who will then be asked job-related questions about your performance on the job they supervised.  Past performance evaluations will be considered as one source of data in the reference audit.  The results of the reference audit will be considered in the overall assessment of your candidacy for the job.

 


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Hello: I thought this may be helpful  for knowing how to prepare and different types of interviews.
 
Behavioral Interviewing Overview
 
 
         
You have progressed to the interview phase of our selection process., we use an interview process known as “behavioral interviewing”. This document was developed to give a preview to help you prepare for the interview.
 
         
Behavioral interviewing differs from traditional interviews in its approach.
 
In a traditional interview, you may be presented questions such as “Tell me about yourself”, “Where do you expect to be in five years?”, “What is your greatest strength?”, “What is your greatest weakness?”, “Why did you apply for this job?”, or “Why should I hire you?”
 
         
In a behavioral interview, which is designed to focus on your skills as demonstrated in previous jobs, you may be presented questions such as “Tell me about a time in your work history when you had to deal with the stress of time pressure or irate customers; what did you do and what happened as a result?”
 
This question is meant to collect information from applicants on their “coping” skills, and is based on past work behaviors that can be described.
 
Behavior-based questions will center on how you handled different aspects of your past jobs, including your successes and failures.
 
         
The rationale for behavioral interviewing is that the best predictor of future performance is past performance.
 
Questions are developed by analyzing the job and determining what technical skill (content knowledge or work experience in the job area) is required of a new hire to perform that job well.
 
Behavior-based interviews can last from one to one and one half-hours and are conducted by panels of people familiar with the job requirements.
 
 
         
Preparing for a behavior-based interview is different since you will be asked to give specific examples of past events when you demonstrated particular behaviors or skills.
 
Typical questions resemble the one given previously, and interviewers will be looking for samples of work behaviors focusing on a past event that demonstrates your use of the skill required by the job.
 
Interviewers will need details and specifics, which will then be verified in a reference audit/check prior to offering the job to the top-rated applicant.
 
An example of an answer to the question about working under time pressure is, “Well, at Microsoft, we have extremely tight deadlines and if you can’t handle the stress, you won’t last long.
 
I think the ability to work under stress is one of my strongest assets.”
 
This answer is very general. To gain a true behavioral example, the interviewers would ask a follow-up question, such as “I appreciate the fact that it’s one of your strengths, but give me a specific project you worked on at Microsoft.
 
Describe how you dealt with the stress and what the results were”.
Interviewers will take notes on your answers and, after the interview, will rate how the skills information you presented compares to the skill level required for the job.
 
It is impossible to predict the questions in order to prepare specific answers, but you can prepare by trying to recall your achievements in your past jobs.
 
Once you have made a list of achievements (including any “extra curricula” projects you volunteered to handle), think of things you learned from the activity necessary for the achievement and zero-in on what skill you possessed or developed that helped you achieve the outcomes.
 
For instance, suppose your achievement was that you
developed an innovative training program for users of Lotus Spreadsheets software and then trained 50 people in classroom-style training.
 
The skills that may have been developed in such an example would be “skill in standup training” (a technical skill), “creativity” (a performance skill), and “organization and planning” (a performance skill), not to mention the technical skills of
effective use of a particular software program and development of a curriculum.
 
 
         
This kind of thinking about your own skills and what you have to offer to an employer will help you think of specific answers when you are presented with questions that you cannot predict.
 
Behavior-based interviewers know you have to really think to recall good examples.
 
You will be given time to think before answering and, if your answer is not specific enough, the interviewers will ask you to elaborate with more detail.
 
You will understand more after a couple of questions.
 
Many applicants who have participated in this type of interview have been pleased that they had such a good opportunity to really talk about their own qualifications for the job.
 
Interviewers find that behavior-based questions give them much more information about an applicant to help them find the best skill-match, which works to everyone’s advantage.
 
         
Reference auditing is part of the interview/selection process.
 
This means all information presented on your application/resume and during the interview is subject to verification by talking with a previous supervisor or others having knowledge of your achievements.
 
Therefore, we will be asking you for references who will then be asked job-related questions about your performance on the job they supervised.
 
Past performance evaluations will be considered as one source of data in the reference audit.
 
The results of the reference audit will be considered in the overall assessment of your candidacy for the job.