Behavioral Interviewing

Let’s face it.. recruiting top talent is an on-going challenge! It doesn’t matter how long one has been recruiting and scouting talent; it’s always a struggle to find candidates with the right skills, industry background and fit for your company. In addition, getting the offer out and accepted in a timely manner before applicants are off the market can make anyone anxious.

The best way to tackle recruiting and retaining staff is applying behavioral interviewing techniques to your hiring process. Behavioral interviewing is the belief that past performance is the best predictor of future performance. This technique requires the applicant to respond with specific examples and past experiences rather than a “canned” answer or a “yes” or “no”. It is a useful tool for examining what happened in the past by having the applicant describe the details and situation and is considered to be more difficult to “make-up”. Typical behavioral-based questions sound like “Tell me about a time when…”, “Give me an example of…” and “Please describe how/when…”. This allows the applicant to give concrete examples so that the interviewer can gain a better understanding of the situation and behaviors.

Behavioral interviewing is the belief that past performance is the best predictor of future performance.

The behavioral interviewing technique has been studied, evaluated and practiced since 1970 and is the main element of the selection strategy at some high-profile companies across the globe. It is a time-tested methodology for improving hiring results. The technique does more than determine what an applicant says they will do, and instead focuses on what they have already done to help them become successful in their career.

When an applicant starts to tell a behavioral or situational story, the interviewer should investigate further for more depth or detail by asking questions such as:

• What were some of your tactics or strategies to gain resolution?
• Tell me more about your meetings with the team and what type of buy-in did you get?
• Can you lead me through your process with that task?

If the applicant conveyed the story and seemed anything less than honest, the response will not hold up through the additional probing questions. Interviewers use this technique to evaluate the applicant’s experiences to determine their potential for success. Therefore, applicants on the job market today should be prepared to give direct examples from their career path.

In closing, the primary lesson is that hiring decisions should not be biased or based on a gut feeling or first impression, regardless of how impressive the applicant seems. There are plenty of behavioral based interview questions you can find online today to help give you a jump start before your next hire!

Renee Pauley is a Acquisition Lead at HealthEdge. She has experience with high volume recruiting for multiple disciplines. Accustomed to an average of 30+ open requisitions within both start-ups and organizations with 500+ employees.