Job Interview Behavioral Questions

These job interview behavioral questions explore those workplace behaviors or competencies that have been identified as necessary for successful job performance.

Stressed businessman with computer holding "help" sign and the question "How do you manage stress in your job?"

View behavioral-based interview questions that explore your ability to :

handle stress
demonstrate resilience
adapt to change

Use the links to other common behavioral interview questions and standard job interview questions to get a complete picture of your next job interview.

If you are unfamiliar with behavioral interview questions you can use the behavioral interview guide to gain a good understanding of this type of interview before going through these frequently asked behavioral interview questions.

Typical Job Interview Behavioral Questions

Successful job performance is often determined by the ability to handle stress properly.

Describe a time when you were faced with a stressful situation and used your coping skills.

The interviewer wants to know whether you are able to perform under pressure and cope with difficult situations. Show that you can stay calm and you are able to plan to reduce stress.

Use this sample interview answer to help you:

"I worked for a manager who used to shout at me when he was under pressure to meet deadlines. (Situation)

I got upset the first couple of times and then I decided to talk to him about it. I empathized with the stress he was under and suggested that he communicated his expectations clearly to me on a daily basis so that I knew exactly when he needed something and I could also give him feedback on progress. We arranged an early morning feedback meeting every day. (Action)

This helped as we were able to sort out issues immediately and anticipate likely problems." (Result)

This example of common job interview behavioral questions explores the candidate's resilience.

Tell me about a time when you received negative feedback from your manager. How did you handle this?

The interviewer is looking at your ability to handle disappointment and rejection. Show how you handle criticism whilst maintaining enthusiasm and performance.

"I had worked hard on a presentation to a potential customer. My boss told me that he was disappointed in the quality of the information I presented and that the customer had not been impressed. (Situation)

I was surprised as I felt I had prepared well but I asked my boss to go through the presentation with me again and explain exactly what the problems were. He pointed out outdated information and I realized that I had not used the most recent financial information in my preparation. I researched the updated information and asked if I could rework things and prepare a new proposal for the customer. He agreed. Once I had sent the proposal I followed up with the customer to ask if he had any queries. (Action)

We didn't get that particular contract but the company has asked us to submit a proposal for some other business" (Result)

Sample interview answer - "Tell me about a time you received negative feedback"

Sample interview answer in text to "Tell me about a time your received negative feedback"

Communication skills interview questions

Prepare for job interview behavioral questions that explore your adaptability and ability to handle change.

Tell me about a time you had to quickly adjust your work priorities to meet changing demands.

In this sample interview question the interviewer wants to know if you can effectively perform in different environments and with different tasks, people and responsibilities. Show that you can adjust your actions to meet changing demands and tasks.

"I was in the middle of drawing up my departmental budget when I was asked to put together a costing for a big project we were tendering for. (Situation)

I made an outline of the information I needed immediately for the costing and assigned a portion to each of my staff. I spent the next couple of days drawing up schedules of the tasks that needed to be carried out to complete the costing and meeting with staff members to brief them and get feedback. I was then able to re-focus on completing the budget on time. (Action)

The costing was completed on time, each staff member really contributed and I didn't miss my budget deadline". (Result)

Good time management interview questions

Problem-solving behavioral interview questions

In a constantly changing world expect behavioral interview questions that explore your ability to adapt

Over the last few years employees and employers have had to quickly adapt to changing circumstances, unusual challenges and new demands. Expect interview questions that explore how you have demonstrated adaptability and flexibility to meet the demands of a changing work environment. One aspect has been the number of companies that allow employees to work from home for part of the week.

Tell me how you have adapted to working from home?

In your behavioral interview answer focus on

creating a dedicated workspace
ensuring you have the right resources to perform your job such as proper connectivity
minimizing distractions
organizing and scheduling your day to meet your work objectives
keeping in contact with your colleagues and managers
which aspects of remote work you have enjoyed and why
which aspects you have found a challenge and how you handled these
the skills you developed while working remotely