The premise that an individual's past performance most accurately predicts

his/her future performance is the basis of Behavioural interviewing.

Most large organizations employ the Behavioural Based Interviewing approach to
select Co-op students and new employees. A Behavioural Based question is
designed to examine the applicant's past behaviour in situations similar to those
that comprise the prospective job duties. Employers assess three key
performance predictors in the interviewee's answers: technical ability, behaviour
or performance skills, and personal preferences.
A Behavioural Based response requires you to provide specific examples of past
events that demonstrate your skills and abilities. You must also provide accurate
references to names, dates, numbers, times and locations. This approach allows
employers to obtain information that is authentic; in addition, the employer gains
insight into your probable future performance.

Key Performance Skill Areas

Employers consider at least seven key performance skill areas when conducting a
Behavioural Based interview:
 ability to influence others;
 interpersonal skills and competence;
 ability to grow and adapt;
 communication skills;
 level of commitment and motivation;
 organizational ability; and
 problem solving and decision making

Behavioural Based Question Examples

Your ability to influence others: Tell me about a time when you were able to
overcome resistance to your ideas. Describe the situation. Who was involved?
What was the outcome?
Interpersonal skills: Tell me about the most frustrating person with whom you
have worked. What made this experience difficult? How did you resolve the
situation with this person?
Ability to grow and adapt: Tell me about the last time you were criticized by a
supervisor/professor? How did you respond to the criticism? Do you feel the
criticism was valid? What did you learn from the situation?
Communication skills: Tell me about a time when you had to work hard in
order to fully understand what another person was saying to you. What was the
situation? What was the outcome?
Level of commitment and motivation: Describe a time when you faced
obstacles in reaching your objectives. What were the obstacle you encountered?
What did you do to go around or remove them?
Organizational ability: What do you do to ensure that you meet project
deadlines? How do you monitor and track your progress? How satisfied are you
with your system of controls?
Problem solving and decision making: Tell me about the most difficult
problem or decision you have faced at work. What was the situation? How did you
decide what action to take? What was the outcome?

Building a Behavioural Based Question

An employer will go through these steps when developing a Behavioural Based
Interviewing question:
1. Skill analysis: employer analyzes skill sets necessary for position
described.
2. Listing of critical skills: skill set is evaluated and ranked in order of
importance.
3. Behaviour analysis: behavioural characteristics required of the position are
noted.
4. Conclusion: question is developed around the skills and behaviours
required of the job.

Preparing for a Behavioural Based Interview

The key to a successful Behavioural Based Interview is preparation. Thorough

preparation requires you to complete several tasks:
 Research the company;
 Analyze the job description for which you are applying;
 Break the job description down into skill areas;
 Rank the skills in order of importance;
 Prepare ten Behavioural Based questions; try to anticipate what the
employer may ask, based on the skill set described in the job description;
and
 Prepare concise answers that include examples. Rehearse your answers
aloud. Use examples from work experience; school; University; volunteer
work; sports and extra curricular activities.

Employers evaluate your behavioural based answers throughout the interview

and upon completion of the process. Different scales are used; however,
employers generally rank responses from "high" to "low" in order to assist them
in choosing the right candidate for the position.