How to Answer Behavioral or Situational Questions?

The behavioral interview is catching on in popularity although some companies have been using this style of interviewing for years. In a behavioral interview, you are asked to tell about particular experiences in your history and the interviewer probes your answers looking for certain behaviors and responses. Your past actions tell the interviewers a great deal about how you reacted in the past and how you might react in a similar situation for their company. Statistics show that a behavioral interview is 55% effective at determining your success in a new position versus only 10% effectiveness with standard interview questions. 

Preparing for the Behavioral Interview 

In a behavioral interview, the interviewer is looking for traits that show through actual experience. You can't fumble your way through a response without your lie showing and you can't just answer in a general way. You must have specific experiences to show for each of the questions asked - and you most likely won't know what behaviors your interviewers are looking for as you tell the story. 

To overcome this obstacle, you should start preparing for the interview by doing research. Research what sorts of traits are requested in the job advertisement as well as in the overall philosophy of the company. Speak with other employees if possible to get a feel of the company's culture. The more you learn about the company and the position, the more able you are to guess at what traits the interviewers will be looking for. Some examples include: 

1. Initiative 
2. Willingness to travel 
3. Self-starter 
4. Problem solver 
5. Creative 
6. Willingness to do what it takes 
7. Leadership 

The Behavioral Interview Questions 

To determine if you have these traits, interviewers are trained to probe your situational responses to see what you did or thought at certain times. They might start by asking you to tell them about a time you overcame obstacles. As you begin telling the story, your interviewer might interject to ask how you felt at that time, or what you said to a particular person. Your best bet is to be honest. The nature of the behavioral interview is to keep probing at a story - if you fudge a bit, you're setting yourself up for a tricky spot farther down the interview. 

Advance Preparation 

You don't usually know what characteristics the company is seeking, so you have no idea what kinds of questions they will be asking. You can't practice standard questions and answers for this interview. Instead, you should work to develop an arsenal of stories that showcase your skills and abilities as well as failures. Rehearse those stories in your mind with the understanding that they don't have to be from work experience. You can demonstrate the critical skills in the classroom, on the golf course, in a Greek society, in an art contest, on a sporting field or in an office. Pick stories that show who you are and the strong skills you can offer.