Behavioral Interviewing Robbyn T. Matthews, M.A. Coordinator for Career Programs Stocker 161...

Behavioral Interviewing

Robbyn T. Matthews, M.A.Coordinator for Career ProgramsStocker [email protected]

Ohio University - Avionics Engineering Center 2

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TopicsTopics

• What is Behavioral Interviewing (BI)?

• Why Is BI Used?

• Specific Behaviors

• How to Prepare for BI

• Potential Questions

• Delivery


What is BI?What is BI?

• Also known as “competency-based interviews” or “targeted selection.”

• Focuses on questions that delve into your past behaviors.

• Candidates develop stories to illustrate that they have the necessary skills for the position and/or employer.

• http://youtube.com/watch?v=aix6xrNgcI0


Why Is BI Used?Why Is BI Used?

• Past behavior predicts future success.

• Used as an indicator of personal attributes and characteristics.

• Looks at your thought processes and problem-solving skills.

• Candidates cannot prepare in advance.

• Less chance of candidate “making up” answers.

• Wrong hire costs 1.5 times the salary.


Why Is BI Used?Why Is BI Used?

• To determine:

– Experience

– Behaviors

– Potential for success

• “Behavioral interviewing, in fact, is said to be 55 percent predictive of future on-the-job behavior, while traditional interviewing is only 10 percent predictive.” --Katharine Hansen, www.quintcareers.com


Specific BehaviorsSpecific Behaviors

• Also known as characteristics, skills, values, attitudes, competencies, dimensions, success factors, requirements, etc.

• Behaviors often provides clues regarding corporate culture.

• Skill sets:

– Content skills—work-related knowledge

– Functional/Transferable—work with people, information, things

– Adaptive/Self-Management—personal characteristics


Top 10 BehaviorsTop 10 Behaviors

• Achievement/Results Orientation

• Initiative

• Impact and Influence

• Customer Service Orientation

• Interpersonal Understanding

• Organizational Awareness

• Analytical Thinking

• Conceptual Thinking

• Information Seeking

• Integrity

• Source: Competency-Based Interviews, (2006), Robin Kessler, p. 42.


Preparation for BIPreparation for BI

Situation or TaskDescribe situation—be specific not general. Provide enough detail for the interviewer to understand.

Action You TookDescribe action you took—keep focus on you. Even if discussing a team project, talk about what you did.

Results You Achieved Describe what happened, how the event ended, what you accomplished, and what you learned.

“STAR Interviewing Response Technique,” www.quintcareers.com



• Stories may center around these issues:

– Crisis in your life/job and how you dealt with it.

– Contributions to a team/how you work in a team.

– Time when you had a lot of stress.

– Time when you were a leader.

– How you overcame a failure.


Story SourcesStory Sources

• Internship or Co-Op

• Class Projects

• Activities

• Clubs

• Teams

• Sports

• Leadership Experience

• Travel Experience

• Hobbies

• Volunteering

• Accomplishments

• Awards

• Study Abroad

• Work Experience (even if not related to your degree)

• Quantify if possible—numbers are impressive


Preparation for BI Preparation for BI

• Go over your résumé and think through 30-90 second stories you could share.

• Try to have somewhere between 6-10 stories

– Half that are positive

– Half that started out negative then turned positive

• Stories should allow you to stand out so you’re remembered.

• Study job posting carefully and research company to anticipate questions.



• Use different examples for stories.

• Incorporate different parts of your life.

• Anticipate lots of probing questions.

• Keep your résumé updated so you have fresh stories!

• A portfolio may be helpful.


Potential QuestionsPotential Questions

• Describe a time when you were faced with a stressful situation that demonstrated your coping skills.

• Give me a specific example of a time when you used good judgment and logic in solving a problem.

• Explain a time when you had to use presentation skills to influence someone’s opinion.

• What is your typical way of dealing with conflict? Give me an example.



• Tell me about a time when you had to go above and beyond the call of duty in order to get a job done.

• Give me an example of a time when you tried to accomplish something and failed.

• Give an example of a time when you showed initiative and took the lead.

• Tell me about a time when you missed an obvious solution to a problem.



• Major list on www.emurse.com

• Excellent list on www.quintcareers.com

• www.wetfeet.com

• www.careertv.com

• www.bestsamplequestions.com

• www.assessment.com


DeliveryDelivery

• Interject energy, enthusiasm, and confidence.

• Remain positive.

• Ask for feedback after telling the story—is this the type of information they were looking for?

• Be aware of fillers such as: like, you know, and stuff like that, um, uh, and uh.

• Pronounce words carefully and completely.

• Gesture and smile naturally—you’re perceived as being more intelligent if you do.


DeliveryDelivery

• Be aware of cultural issues.

• Verbal and nonverbal must agree—if they don’t, the interviewer(s) will believe your nonverbals.

• You want to come across as assertive, not aggressive.

• Remember that nonverbal communication includes everything except the words you use.

“We look for communication skills, technical knowledge,

passion, and if we want them on our team.”

-Gary Ahlfeld, Ph.D. Regional DirectorHuman Resources

Turner Construction

www.ohio.edu/engineering


Useful Career Web SitesUseful Career Web Sites

• Monster.com—good advice, sign-up for their career newsletter

• Jobweb.com—from NACE (National Association of Colleges and Employers)

• careerjournal.com—from Wall Street Journal

• Wetfeet.com

• Careerbuilder.com


SourcesSources

• “Competency-Based Behavioral Interviewing,” Peggy Simonsen and Tom Smith, www.careertrainer.com, accessed 12-5-07.

• “Behavioral Interviewing Helps Employers Staff Up Their Office,” www.beyond.com, accessed 12-5-07.

• “Prepare for Your Behavioral Interview,” www.wetfeet.com, accessed 12-5-07.

• “Free Sample Behavioral Interview Questions,” www.quintcareers.com, accessed 12-4-07.

• “Behavioral Interviews: A Great Showcase for You, but You Must Prepare Now,” Joe Turner, www.quintcareers.com, accessed 12-4-07.


SourcesSources

• “Behavioral Interviewing Story,” www.quintcareers.com, accessed 12-4-07.

• “STAR Interviewing Response Technique for Success in Behavioral Job Interviews,” www.quintcareers.com, accessed 12-4-07.

• Competency-Based Interviews, Robin Kessler, 2006, Career Press: Franklin Lakes, NJ.

• “When an Interviewer Says: ‘Tell Me About a Time When You…,” Arlene S. Hirsch, www.careerjournal.com, accessed 12-5-07.

• “Behavioral Interviewing Strategies for Job Seekers,” Katharine Hansen, www.quintcareers.com, accessed 12-4-07.

Behavioral Interviewing Robbyn T. Matthews, M.A. Coordinator for Career Programs Stocker 161...

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