Blog Articles
Behavioral Interviewing June 24, 2020
If there are two words in the English language that strike fear in the heart of a Job Seeker more than “Behavioral Interview” then I am not aware of them.
I prep people for interviews daily and just the mention of this type of interview creates a palpable sense of fear that I can feel over the phone. It’s surprising because, of all the things I would want to talk about as a potential employee, actual situations where I made a tangible impact are at the top of my list. In this month’s section, I thought it would be helpful to provide some quick pointers for those who are preparing for the dreaded Behavioral Interview.
Essentially a Behavioral Interview entails asking questions and seeking responses that are illustrative of the interviewee’s past behaviors. Ideally, an interviewee will answer these questions in a specific format defined as the “STAR” format.
- Situation – What was the challenge you were facing?
- Task – What did you need to accomplish to overcome the challenge?
- Action – What course of action did you follow?
- Result – What happened as a Result?
It makes sense that the interviewer will be looking at your resume during the interview so I would encourage you to begin your prep work here. As part of your prep work consider each title/position listed on your resume and provide a written answer to these two questions.
- Make a shortlist of your most relevant accomplishments or achievements while working in this position. What did you Make, Save or Improve during your time here?
- For each accomplishment/achievement you identified in #1 provide a brief explanation of the strategy you employed and the implementation process you used to get to the end result.
Now organize these into bullet points that you can refer to on an interview cheat sheet during your call or meeting. The cheat sheet should follow along with your resume in terms of timeline by title and position. As you prepare for the interview review these bullets and be ready to share them with the interviewer as they come up in the discussion.
That’s it really. I see no reason to be fearful if you have a good plan to address the questions in the way the interviewer prefers to ask them then you should be in a position to give a good accounting of your past behaviors.
If you need other ideas about how to prepare for various interviews then check out our online “Interview Resource Guide” located here.
Written by: Steve Saunders, VP/GM of Industrial
Steve Sanders leads the Industrial Recruitment team at TYGES and has
been with the organization since 2003. Prior to joining TYGES, Steve
worked in engineering and supply chain roles with Honeywell International
Inc. and Deere & Co. He has first-hand experience working in the
automotive, chemical, and off-highway equipment manufacturing industries.
Steve’s philosophy is simple. He demands honesty, integrity, and open
communications from both himself, his clients, and the candidates that he
works with. He strives to be a source of competitive advantage to his clients
and seeks to build strategic partnerships. He is committed to exceeding
customers’ expectations by providing quick, professional service. He
believes in sharing both the good and the not so good. He believes in doing
the right thing, even when it is not the easiest path. Steve is energized by
finding that perfect fit individual and introducing them to the client.
“We’re here to make good things happen for other people.“
Follow Us
We would love to make good things happen for you too!
Have an open position you need filled? Visit https://tygesbhr.com/submit-a-job/
Searching for a job? Visit https://tygesbhr.com/search-jobs/
