Behavioral Interview

Questions & Sample Answers

Common behavioral interview questionsinclude those that explore the ability

to problem solve, use your initiative and make sound decisions.
Prepare for your interview with the sample behavior based interview questions
and answers below.

Problem solving is a frequently required workplace competency whether the

employer is exploring management competencies, sales competencies, customer
service competencies or adminsitrative competencies.
Describe a difficult problem you had to sort out in your last job (Problem-
solving)

This behavior based interviewing question is designed to explore your ability to

identify, analyze and solve problems.
Show how you are able to gather and organize the necessary information and
identify the best solution.
Here is a sample behavioral interview answer that you can use as a guide to
develop your own good answer.
"We were getting a lot of complaints about late deliveries. (Situation)

I met with the staff involved in the customer delivery department and discovered
that the problem seemed to be with the stock coming through on time.
I investigated and found that requests for new inventory were not been processed
fast enough. The backlog was in the orders department as they were not following
up adequately with the suppliers. A system for regular follow up was quickly
implemented. (Action)

This sorted out the stock problems and the delivery staff were able to meet their
deadlines." (Result)
Describe a new idea or suggestion that you made to your supervisor
recently (initiative)
The ability to use your initiative is often explored during competency based
interviewing. The interviewer wants to know if you are proactive and able to
generate workable ideas. Show how you are a self-starter who will take action
beyond what is asked of you.
" I work in orders and the company was launching a new product. The sales team
had in-depth training on it but we had none. (Situation)
I suggested that the orders department should also receive thetraining so that we
would understand what was being ordered and be able to answer any questions
if necessary. It was agreed we would all undergo a short version of the training.
(Action)
This meant that we could deal professionally with the orders and it also motivated
us, feeling part of the launch excitement." (Result)
Tell me about a time that you had to use your judgment and make a
decision in your previous job (judgment/decision-making)
Judgment is another essential behavioral competency in the workplace.The
interviewer is exploring your ability to make logical decisions and take action. Show
how you consider all the relevant facts, weigh up the alternatives and commit to
the most appropriate action.
"I was responsible for ordering office supplies for the company. (Situation)
The company always ordered a month's supply at a time to keepinventory costs
low. I had to decide whether to keep doing this or buy six month's supply and get a
discount for ordering such a big volume and escape possible future price increases.
I did some research and worked out we could reduce our costs by buying for six
months, especially since the amount we used remained practically unchanged
month on month.(Action)
I was right, the prices went up quite a bit during those six months."(Result)
Remember that these are sample answers that can be used to help you formulate
your own examples from your previous jobs or other contexts when answering
behavioral interview questions like these.

Describe what you do to control mistakes in your work (attention to detail)

In asking this behavioral interview question the interviewer wants to know if you
are able to accurately complete your tasks with close attention to all aspects of
your work.
Show that you are concerned with maintaining accuracy and check your work for
errors.
In my last position I had to make all the travel arrangements for my manager.
(Situation)
I listened carefully, noted down what she needed and then read it back to her to
confirm that I had it right. I would also follow up with a detailed email to check
again.
Once I had made the arrangements I would set up a time to give her feedback and
check I had everything she needed.
I then followed this up with an email with all the confirmed details.(Action)
This was time-consuming for both of us but it meant that no errors were made
in the arrangements. It would have been more frustrating and costly not to have
made such thorough checks" (Result)
Tell me about a time that you were not satisfied with your work
performance. What did you do about it? (Work Standards)
All interview questions around work performance are designed to explore whether
you set high standards for yourself and strive to meet these standards. What
do you consider to be a "high standard"? Show how you attempt to attain high
performance standards and correct substandard performance.
"My performance review rating was lower than I had expected or
wanted.(Situation)
I met with my manager to establish a plan of action for improvement and set very
specific targets to be met on a monthly basis. I worked hard to meet these targets
and constantly monitored my performance. I also asked for regular feedback about
my performance. (Action)
After six months, my boss conducted another review and my rating was much
higher." (Result)
Describe a situation in which you had to schedule your activities to meet
an objective (planning and organizing)

The interviewer is exploring your ability to set objectives and schedule and prioritize
your activities appropriately. Show how you are able to establish a course of action,
allocate resources accordingly and plan tasks to reach objectives.
"I had to complete a training report every month. This involved collating and
presenting a large amount of information.(Situation)
I scheduled all the data collecting tasks. Each department was given a monthly
deadline to submit information to me and I scheduled reminders to be sent out
before the deadline. I set aside a time in my diary each month to collate all the
information and check it. Then I allocated time for drawing up and presenting the
report. (Action)
This worked well and I always comfortably met my deadline." (Result)
Prepare your own examples for the behavior based interview using all interview
questions and the sample answers as a guide.

Describe a time that you demonstrated the ability to be an effective team

member (team work)
This behavioral interview question is looking at your ability to build relationships
and contribute to team success. Show how you worked effectively with the team,
put team goals ahead of your own goals and made a valued contribution to the
team output.

" I was transferred to a new department and a new team at my last company.
The team members were not welcoming and displayed this by not including me in
discussions and communications. (Situation)
I asked each team member to meet individually and informally with me to
discuss their expectations of me as part of their team. I was able to explain that I
understood their reluctance to trust and accept me straight off but that I wanted to
contribute positively.
We discussed team objectives, individual roles and working styles and started to
develop a rapport with each other. I made sure that I asked for their advice and
feedback initially and gradually I earned their trust.(Action)
The team learned to be more flexible in their approach to new staff members
and I learned that one has to earn trust and acceptance. Our team works really
cohesively towards its goals now." (Result)
Another of the common interview questions that comes up in behavioral interviews
explores your leadership skills.
Tell me how you went about setting the goals for your department and
gaining commitment from your staff (leadership)
The interviewer wants to know how you lead through goals, vision and values and
how you use appropriate methods to guide staff towards goal accomplishment.
Show how you are able to set goals and influence your staff to achieve them.
"I needed to set the departmental objectives for the next six months.(Situation)
I referred to the company's vision and goals for the next two years to decide
which activities and tasks my department should concentrate on. I clearly
communicated the relationship between our department goals and the company's
goals to my staff and explained which activities would best result in achieving
these goals.(Action)

"The staff really benefited from having a clear idea of the company vision and how
we could contribute to achieving this. Understanding the big picture meant they
were able to see how each of them were an essential part of the company's success
and this motivated them towards goal attainment." (Result)
Describe a situation when you negotiated with others in your organization
to reach agreement (negotiation skills)
The interviewer is exploring the workplace competency to communicateinformation
or alternatives in a manner that gains agreement and acceptance. Show how
you are able to look at the position of others, present alternatives and reach an
agreement that is positive for both parties.
"My manager presented me with an unreasonable deadline to complete a project.
(Situation)
I asked him how he had determined the deadline. He said that it was based on his
deadline to present the project to the CEO. I outlined every step that needed to
be taken to complete the project and how long each step would realistically take.
We discussed possible ways of reducing these time frames. I suggested allocating
more resources to the project. He asked me to put together a project proposal that
covered what we had discussed and he would use this to negotiate with the CEO for
a more realistic time line. (Action)
We were able to settle on a plan that worked for both of us." (Result)

Describe a time when you were faced with a stressful situation that
demonstrated your coping skills (stress tolerance)
The interviewer wants to know whether you are able to perform under pressure and
cope with difficult situations. Show that you can stay calm under pressure and are
able to plan to reduce stress.

"I worked for a manager who used to yell 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)
Here is a behavioral question that explores the candidate's resilience.
Tell me about a time when you received negative feedback from your
manager or supervisor. How did you handle this?(resilience)
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 or wanted to discuss anything with me. (Action)
We didn't get that particular contract but the company has asked us to submit a
proposal for some other business." (Result)
Tell me about a time you had to quickly adjust your work priorities to meet
changing demands (Adaptability)
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 informationI 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)

Competency - Communication Skills

All jobs involve some form of communication. Expect to be asked questions that
explore this competency or ability in your job interview.

Give me an example from your previous job where you had to rely on
information given to you verbally to complete a task.
Your listening skills are under the spotlight here. Your situational example should
include the following - the ability to actively listen, ask questions to clarify,
rephrase the information back to the sender to ensure accuracy, successful
completion of the task.
Give me an example of a complex process or task you had to explain to
another person or group of people.
Are you able to effectively express yourself verbally? Include the ability to adapt
your level of communication (words and terminology) to the target audience,
actively listen to questions and requests for more information, check for
understanding by asking for feedback.
Tell me about a challenging writing assignment or important report you
had to prepare recently.
Your situational or behavioral example should demonstrate an ability to clearly
express your ideas in writing. Include how you can gather, organize and present
data in a logical and concise manner in a style appropriate to the target readership.

Competency - Interpersonal Skills

Most jobs require interaction with other people - colleagues, customers, managers
etc. Prepare for situational interview questions that explore your interpersonal
effectiveness.
We have all had to work with someone who is difficult to get along with.
Give me an example of when this happened to you and how you handled it.
How sensitive, empathetic and flexible are you? Your example should show how
you are able to select the right approach to the situation or individual. Acknowledge
differences and display empathy to others. Focus on the situation not the person.
Anticipate reactions and prepare to deal with them.
Tell me about a situation when a colleague was less cooperative than you
needed or wanted.

Provide an example that demonstrates your use of an appropriate interpersonal

style to gain commitment, to ask for help and encourage involvement. Show how
you used open communication and built self-esteem to get cooperation.

Tell me about two of your colleagues/customers/employees who are very

different to each other. How do you interact with each one?
Demonstrate your ability to adapt your behavior to meet the demands of each
individual. How you are able to determine the best way to approach each
individual?
Describe a situation when you had to persuade someone recently to accept
an idea/plan/product.
This focuses on your persuasiveness and ability to build rapport with others.
How did you select the right approach for the situation? How did you go about
establishing rapport with others? How did you demonstrate the benefits of your idea
or plan and show them what's in it for them?

Competency - Decision Making Skills and Judgment

Every employee is required to make decisions as part of their job. Situational

interview questions will explore your ability to use your judgment to make the right
decisions.
Tell me about a good decision you made recently at work.
Your example should show how you gather all the necessary information to make
a decision. How you consider available resources and possible outcomes before
making your decision.
Tell me about a recent problem you faced at work and how you found the
best solution.
How did you go about analyzing the problem before considering possible solutions.
Describe how you weighed the pros and cons of each option before deciding on the
best solution.
Tell me about a mistake you made at work and how you dealt with it.
The ability to recognize and acknowledge one's mistakes is a sign of maturity and
self-growth. Your example needs to demonstrate how you used your judgment to
review the situation and evaluate information to determine why it happened and
what measures you put in place to prevent it from occurring again.
What recent innovation have you made at work that had a positive
outcome?
The focus is on how you used your initiative to generate ideas forimprovement and
develop new approaches. How did you evaluate what needed to be changed, how
did you decide on which changes to make and how to implement them ?
View more situational interview questions and excellent sample answers for these
competencies by clicking on the table below.