Tips for Effective Behavioural Interviewing

Behavioural interviewing is based on the premise that how a job candidate behaved in the past is the best predictor of future performance. The general idea is to get the candidate to tell stories to see how they approach problems, work with others and how self-aware they are.

Unfortunately, the behavioural interview has become a victim of its own success. Traditional behavioural interview questions can be predictable, and a virtual industry now exists solely to coach prospective candidates on how to prepare for them. The best way around this is to use behavioural questions as a starting point and drill down for more details on every story you hear. Effective behavioural interviewing should feel more like a conversation than an interview.

As the candidate tells stories, use them as an opportunity to dive deeper into their experience to gather signals across the evaluation criteria. Effective follow-up questions allow you to build a more nuanced understanding of their capabilities and gaps in their expertise.

You're looking for repeated evidence that shows a pattern of behaviour, and it can take time to get a complete picture. If a story seems too good to be true, it's probably a signal that you need to dig a bit deeper.

The real value of behavioural questions lies not in the candidate’s initial answer but in digging into what lies just under the surface. Select interesting aspects of their story, and ask them to provide more detail. Look for how they influenced outcomes and impacted the success of the project. It’s in these details where you get a picture of how they made a positive difference as an individual.

Follow-up questions don't need to be complicated. Keep it simple:

• "Really? How did she respond to that?"
• “Why did you approach it that way?”
• "What made this situation different?”
• "How did everything work out?"

Behavioural questions also provide an opportunity for you to connect with a candidate meaningfully. Don’t be afraid to be honest about your current situation if it’s similar to one that a candidate has related. That way, you and the job applicant can have a fruitful brainstorming conversation, which can also be insightful.

Typical responses to behavioural questions should follow the STAR format: Situation, Task, Action, Result. Candidates should be able to describe the situation they were in, explain the task they needed to complete, the specific actions they took to complete the job and the results of those efforts.

I also like to have candidates reflect on what they have learned or have done anything differently in hindsight, demonstrating their self-awareness and growth mindset.

Here are some questions I like to ask:

Of the projects you’ve worked on, which are you most proud of?

This is a great way to kick off the conversation as it leads on a positive note and gives me a view of how the candidate thinks and what they value.

Which was the most challenging?

This is one of the most important questions I ask. The specific challenge is rarely essential. I’m looking for how they recognised that they were facing an uphill battle, how they sized it up, and how they achieved success.

Please provide an example that shows where you successfully made a case for your idea. What was the opposing argument?

 A lot of our work is subjective, so a candidate must be able to show why they've made confident and clearly articulated choices to their colleagues.

When was the last time you changed your mind about something important?

It allows you to see how — and if — the candidate's belief system or set of core values has changed. How did a significant experience or impactful person shift the candidate’s worldview?

Can you talk about how you used data in your last product launch?  How did this change the design?

This question is a great way to get a signal on a candidate's comfort around research and research methods.

Like everything, behavioural interviewing is a skill that takes practice to perfect. There are so many good questions to ask, but remember, these questions are not as important as the conversation that follows. Digging deeper into the story will give you valuable insights into how a candidate creates value and how they might bring that into your company.