Behavioral Interview Answers

Behavioral interview answers. Get help preparing good answers to behavioral interview questions you may face in your job interview. Know how to handle behavioral questions. You can adapt these sample answers to your own circumstances and impress with a well-considered interview response.

Answering behavioral interview questions can be tricky. It is much easier if you are well prepared and you have practiced before the interview. Just the other day a job seeker sent me this email:

"I have succeeded in getting the job, mainly thanks to your advice on getting through the behavioral interviews. Imagine for the past three years I have been doing interviews by winging it and making a fool of myself by rambling on and on."

My experience is the majority of candidates do not know how to answer behavioral interview questions properly. They ramble on and do not provide interviewers with the information they are looking for. Distinguish yourself from the competition by preparing behavioral interview answers to those questions that explore the competencies or behaviors required for successful performance in the job you are interviewing for.

Use the Behavioral Interview Guide to get a good understanding of behavioral interview questions and answers.

Go to Behavioral Interview Tips to find out which behaviors are likely to be explored in interviews for different jobs.

A core behavior required for successful performance in a number of jobs is persuasiveness.

Give me proof of your persuasiveness

Tell me about a time you persuaded others to accept your idea

Describe a situation when you were able to successfully influence another person

Behavioral interview answers to questions that explore your ability to persuade and influence others should highlight how you select the right style of communication and interaction for the situation and individual you are dealing with. Your behavioral example should show how you identify the individual or group's needs and persuade them you can satisfy these needs with your product, service, approach or idea. Your answer should close with proof of how you gained commitment to the action you persuaded them to take.

Excellent tactics for persuasion to focus on in your behavioral example include:

• active listening
• focusing on the positive
• establishing common ground
• modeling the behavior you want
• demonstrating expertise and credibility
• communicating in a calm but assertive manner
• handling objections
• getting final commitment in writing or in public.

Good examples of persuasiveness in the workplace include:

• getting people to accept change
• getting a project approved
• making a difficult sale
• getting an idea or recommendation accepted
• changing an individual's behavior or actions
• convincing someone to see things your way
• reaching agreement
• negotiating a solution to a problem
• obtaining resources (budget, skills) to help you perform
• resolving disputes
• motivating a team or individual towards goal achievement
• negotiating a change to conditions of employment such as salary or working hours
• getting a change to your job description approved

Prepare behavioral interview answers for questions that explore your creativity. Creativity is not only about art or music, it is about coming up with new ideas, approaching situations differently and finding novel solutions to problems. Employers increasingly seek people who are able to generate ideas and come up with new approaches that create value for the company. Creativity in products, services, procedures and processes is key to organizational success and competitiveness.

Tell me about a time you used your creativity to overcome an obstacle

Give me an example of your resourcefulness

Tell me about a time you tried a new way of doing something

Creativity manifests itself in the workplace in a number of different ways. Demonstrate your creativity by using one of these examples relevant to your experience:

• generating fresh solutions to work problems
• finding and suggesting new ways of doing things
• applying existing knowledge and information in novel ways
• finding resources to meet a need
• using existing resources (people, skills, technology) in a new way
• coming up with an original idea
• trying a different approach to a traditional way of working or thinking
• making connections between seemingly unrelated issues and activities
• integrating knowledge and information across job tasks
• improving a product/service/process by making gradual changes and refinements (creativity is not usually a single stroke of brilliance!)

Creative people display recognized behaviors. In your behavioral interview answers highlight how you:

• welcome challenges
• persevere - creativity is hard work and takes time and energy
• are optimistic and positive
• view problems as opportunities
• understand that failure is part of growth
• are fundamentally curious and have a questioning mind
• have knowledge and expertise that can be applied in the situation
• are willing to try something new
• possess a flexibility of outlook

The ability to effectively analyse information is essential to problem-solving and improvements in the workplace. Expect behavioral interview questions that explore your analytical skills.

Tell me about a recent problem you uncovered in your job

Describe a situation where you were required to analyze information in order to identify a need

Give me an example of when you discovered a more efficient way to perform your job

These key actions of analysis should be highlighted in your behavioral interview answers:

• gathering all relevant information
• organizing information
• comparing information from different sources
• identifying underlying issues or problems
• recognizing patterns and trends
• identifying cause and effect relationships
• defining the desired outcome

Demonstrate your analytical skills by using one of these examples relevant to your own experience:

• finding the cause of a problem
• gathering and organizing information in order to make a decision
• preparing for a project or assignment
• drawing up a proposal
• developing a budget
• streamlining a work process
• determining training and development needs
• developing a strategy
• giving feedback

On this site you will find behavioral interview questions and answers for all the core behaviors or competencies. Click on the behavioral questions and interview answers you are looking for. Make sure they are relevant to the job you are interviewing for by going to Behavioral Interview Tips.

Behavioral interview answers for frequently asked questions about a candidate's:

Adaptability

Attention to Detail

Communication Skills

Decision Making

Energy Levels

Initiative

Integrity

Interpersonal Skills

Judgment

Leadership Skills

Negotiation Skills

Planning and Organizing

Problem Solving

Reliability

Resilience

Stress Tolerance

Teamwork

Work Standards

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