Mastering behavioural questions is a lifelong communication skill for job interviews. This is a small learning session on how to effectively answer behaviours-based questions. A behaviour-oriented job interview is developed around the minimum employment selection criteria. During the job interviews, candidates’ past behaviours are assessed through behavioural-based questions. The interviewers intend to understand if the hiring criteria are met by the short-listed candidates.
How To Answer Behaviour-Based Questions
The recruiters or hiring managers are asking for concrete examples and illustrations of work behaviours, and technical or soft skills. Employers that are using these types of questions are interested in anticipating candidates’ future professional performance.
Behaviour-based questions demand specific, detailed and clear responses. Questions might be structured based on critical tasks that require a certain set of working behaviours. Generally, interviewers are pursuing behaviours like being adaptive, collaborative or willing to learn and are trying to be consistent with the organization’ declared values.
Higher behavioural predictability and lower risk of Failure
One of the reasons to favour these behavioural-based questions is because the answers can be matched with similar organisational behaviours. Also, these questions are focused more on individual choices and adaptation to the work environment.
Still, even if behavioural-based questions offer a more concrete modality for assessing or comparing behaviours interviewers’ subjectivity is not ruled out. Previous work experience is greatly appreciated because it can ensure some degree of technical or behavioural competence. From the interviewer’s point of view is a reassuring fact that candidates are describing accepted behaviours. They are more likely to repeat these behaviours if they are hired and that is why hiring success predictability is higher and the risk of failure is lower.
Behaviour-based questions focus on our past actions and how we conduct ourselves in working situations to predict how we might perform in future situations. We can always stay positive, learn from each experience, and identify areas for continuous improvement.
