Interviewing for a job can be a daunting experience, and one of the most stressful parts can be answering behavioural questions.
These questions are designed to uncover how you approach and solve problems, and how you interact with colleagues and customers. While it may seem intimidating, the key is proper preparation.
Read on to learn more about why such questions are asked and how to answer behavioural questions confidently.
Why Are Behavioural Questions Asked?
Behavioural questions are an important tool used by employers to assess how you’ve handled various situations in the past. This helps employers get a better sense of who you are and how you might handle similar situations in their workplace. Behavioural questions also allow employers to assess your communication skills, problem-solving abilities, and interpersonal skills.
Examples of Behavioural Questions
Common behavioural questions asked in interviews include:
- Describe a time when you had to make a difficult decision.
- How do you handle a situation when you disagree with a colleague?
- Tell me about a time when you had to work with a difficult customer.
- Describe an incident when you failed in an assignment ? What did you learn?
- What is your idea of leadership?
- Did you ever faced an ethical dilemma at work? What did you do?
How to Answer Behavioural Questions
The best way to answer behavioural questions is through storytelling. Storytelling is an effective way to communicate your experiences and provide insight into how you handle different situations. Your stories should be focused and concise, and they should also illustrate your strengths and skills.
“The most powerful person in the world is the storyteller.”
Steve Jobs
When telling your stories, it’s important to back up your claims with specific examples from your work. This will help demonstrate that you have the skills and experience to handle the role you’re interviewing for. It’s also important to be honest and straightforward in your answers.
Don’t embellish your stories or make up details – employers can easily detect this. However, you can structure a great story using the STAR framework.
How to Build a Good Story for Interview using the STAR framework
When constructing your stories, it’s helpful to use the STAR framework. This stands for Situation, Task, Action, and Result. This will help ensure that your stories are well-structured and easy to follow.
Start by describing the Situation you faced, and then explain the Task you had to accomplish. Then, provide details about the Action you took to complete the task. Finally, describe the Result of your actions.
You can easily construct great stories using this framework. However, if you are stuck, it is a great idea to hire an experienced career consultant to think through a great storyline for your resume. The writers at Mentorrd are known for helping you do that. Such an investment in your career can yield great value for you.
Answering behavioural questions can be a stressful part of the job interview process, but it doesn’t have to be.
With proper preparation and practice, you can confidently answer behavioural questions and showcase your skills and experiences. By using the STAR framework and telling stories, you can demonstrate your abilities in a way that will leave a lasting impression on employers.
(This article is based on my upcoming book and associate course on Interview Preparation – “How to Nail your Toughest Interviews in 10 days straight” – mail me at info@mentorrd.com to pre book your copy with Subject as “ Pre Book Interviews Course)
