Behavioral

Interviewing

Robbyn T. Matthews, M.A.

Coordinator for Career
Programs
Stocker 161
593-2533
matther1@ohio.edu

Topics

What is Behavioral Interviewing (BI)?

Why Is BI Used?
Specific Behaviors

How to Prepare for BI

Potential Questions
Delivery

Ohio University - Avionics Engineering Center

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

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Why Is BI Used?

Past behavior predicts future success.

Used as an indicator of personal attributes and
characteristics.
Looks at your thought processes and problemsolving skills.
Candidates cannot prepare in advance.
Less chance of candidate making up
answers.
Wrong hire costs 1.5 times the salary.

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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
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Specific Behaviors

Also known as characteristics, skills, values, attitudes,

competencies, dimensions, success factors,
requirements, etc.
Behaviors often provides clues regarding corporate
culture.
Skill sets:
Content skillswork-related knowledge
Functional/Transferablework with people,
information, things
Adaptive/Self-Managementpersonal
characteristics

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Top 10 Behaviors

Achievement/Results
Orientation

Organizational
Awareness

Initiative

Analytical Thinking

Impact and Influence

Conceptual Thinking

Customer Service
Orientation

Information Seeking

Interpersonal
Understanding

Integrity

Source: Competency-Based Interviews,

(2006), Robin Kessler, p. 42.

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Preparation for BI

Situation or Task

Describe situationbe specific

not general. Provide enough
detail for the interviewer to
understand.

Action You Took

Describe 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

Ohio University - Avionics Engineering Center

Preparation for BI

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.
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Story Sources

Internship or Co-Op

Hobbies

Class Projects

Volunteering

Activities

Accomplishments

Clubs
Teams
Sports
Leadership Experience
Travel Experience

Awards
Study Abroad
Work Experience (even if
not related to your
degree)
Quantify if possible
numbers are impressive

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Preparation for BI

Go over your rsum 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
youre remembered.
Study job posting carefully and research
company to anticipate questions.

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Preparation for BI

Use different examples for stories.

Incorporate different parts of your life.
Anticipate lots of probing questions.
Keep your rsum updated so you have fresh
stories!
A portfolio may be helpful.

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Potential 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 someones
opinion.
What is your typical way of dealing with
conflict? Give me an example.

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Potential Questions

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.
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Potential Questions

Major list on www.emurse.com

Excellent list on www.quintcareers.com
www.wetfeet.com
www.careertv.com
www.bestsamplequestions.com
www.assessment.com

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Delivery

Interject energy, enthusiasm, and confidence.

Remain positive.
Ask for feedback after telling the storyis 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 naturallyyoure perceived
as being more intelligent if you do.

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Delivery

Be aware of cultural issues.

Verbal and nonverbal must agreeif they
dont, 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.
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We look for communication

skills, technical knowledge,
passion, and if we want
them on our team.
-Gary Ahlfeld, Ph.D.
Regional Director
Human Resources
Turner Construction

www.ohio.edu/engineering

Useful Career Web Sites

Monster.comgood advice, sign-up for their

career newsletter
Jobweb.comfrom NACE (National
Association of Colleges and Employers)
careerjournal.comfrom Wall Street Journal
Wetfeet.com
Careerbuilder.com

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Sources

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.

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Sources

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.

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