Talent Strategy: Hiring Right the First Time with Behavioral Questions
You’re in the market for a new superstar for your business but how can you judge them fairly in the interviewing process?
You’ve already narrowed down their skills based on their resume and have probably spoken with them on the phone at least once. Now it’s time for the formal interview. Your ability to determine their fit within your company comes down to the questions you ask.
Consider these behavioral questions that can help you decide.
- “Tell me about a time when you needed to make an important decision. What happened?” This will help you assess their critical thinking skills.
- “Describe a stressful situation and how you handled it.” Working under pressure is sometimes necessary and you need employees who can remain level headed.
- “Give me an example of a goal you met or accomplishment that you are most proud of.” Candidates are often reticent to talk too much about their accomplishments so they don’t sound like they’re bragging. Give them a chance to brag.
- “Tell me about a time you broke the rules for a good reason. What happened next?” You want to work with someone who is an innovative thinker, but also knows when to bend and when not to bend the rules.
- “How do you deal with conflict between coworkers or with your manager?” Working with others in the office is a critical skill.
- “Tell me about a time when you failed? How did you recover?” Everyone will fail at something. The important lesson is what they did next.
- “Tell me about how you solved a particularly tricky problem on the job.” This will reiterate the critical thinking skills and give you deeper insight on their problem solving ability.
