What are the most effective ways to answer behavioral interview questions?
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Behavioral interview questions are designed to assess how you have handled specific situations in the past, and what skills, attitudes, and values you have demonstrated. They are often based on the STAR method, which stands for Situation, Task, Action, and Result. To answer them effectively, you need to prepare relevant examples, structure your responses, and communicate your message clearly. In this article, you will learn some tips on how to do that using motivational interviewing techniques.
Motivational interviewing is a collaborative and goal-oriented approach to help people change their behavior by exploring and resolving their ambivalence. It is based on four principles: expressing empathy, developing discrepancy, rolling with resistance, and supporting self-efficacy. Motivational interviewing can help you answer behavioral interview questions by showing that you understand the perspective of others, that you can align your actions with your values, that you can overcome challenges and adapt to feedback, and that you can empower yourself and others to achieve positive outcomes.
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Joris Plu √
Mind(set) Changer Teaching
What I have learned over the years is to be honest. Say the way you feel, what you know or do not know. Be who you are. And this is a message to the interviewer and the one being interviewed. Eventually... even when you hide things, emotions, knowledge or whatever... it will all work against you in no time. And then you have to work, live through the days with not feeling ok. Just be you is for me the bottom or top layer, depends how you want to see it, of every interview or just normal talk with another person.
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Olivia S.
Director | Rehabilitation Counsellor | Career Counsellor
From a career counselling perspective, motivational interviewing is a highly effective technique that empowers individuals to navigate critical career transitions. By employing this collaborative and goal-oriented approach, career professionals can guide their clients through the process of self-reflection and decision-making. It's a method rooted in empathy, allowing career seekers to understand their own desires and concerns, ultimately leading to more informed and purposeful career choices. Also, the emphasis on developing discrepancy enables individuals to align their career aspirations with their core values. This is valuable in today's dynamic job market, where finding fulfillment and purpose is a priority.
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In order to prepare for behavioral interview questions, the STAR method is an effective way to identify and organize your examples. To do this, first review the job description and identify the key skills and competencies that are required. Then, recall specific situations from your previous work, education, or volunteer experience where you have demonstrated those skills and competencies. For each situation, write down the details such as the context, task, action taken, and result achieved. Ensure that your examples are relevant, specific, and concise. Avoid vague or general statements, and emphasize your own contributions and achievements.
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Olivia S.
Director | Rehabilitation Counsellor | Career Counsellor
Mastering the STAR method is crucial for behavioral interviews. Start with a thorough review of the job description to identify key skills. Then, recall specific situations from your past experiences to demonstrate those skills. For each situation, outline the context, task, action, and result. Emphasize relevance, specificity, and conciseness. This approach showcases your qualifications effectively.
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Caio Belonci
Founder at Laser Boss | Medical Student | Public Counselor and Municipal Manager | Master Black Belt Six Sigma | Coach and Manager | IT Support | 3D Designer | SAS Programmer | CAD and Digital Manufacturing
When preparing examples, it’s essential to follow a structured approach. Firstly, you should identify the purpose behind them. What specific point or concept are you aiming to illustrate or explain? Once you’ve clarified the purpose, select the most appropriate type of example to illustrate your point. This could range from anecdotes and case studies to statistics or other relevant forms. Next, gather the necessary data to substantiate your point. This might entail conducting research, analyzing existing data, or seeking insights from experts in the field. With the data in hand, it’s time to craft the example. This could involve weaving a narrative, creating visual aids like charts or graphs, or developing a detailed case study.
When answering a behavioral interview question, you want to follow the STAR method to structure your response. Begin by briefly describing the situation or context of your example. Give some background information that explains why it was important or challenging. Then, explain the task or goal you had in that situation. Describe the action or steps you took to complete the task or achieve the goal. How did you approach the situation? What skills, tools, or strategies did you use? How did you collaborate or communicate with others? Finally, summarize the result or outcome of your action. What did you accomplish or learn? How did you measure your success or impact? How did you receive or give feedback? Utilizing these tips can help ensure that your response is structured and comprehensive.
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Caio Belonci
Founder at Laser Boss | Medical Student | Public Counselor and Municipal Manager | Master Black Belt Six Sigma | Coach and Manager | IT Support | 3D Designer | SAS Programmer | CAD and Digital Manufacturing
During my previous job, I was responsible for leading a sales team. We needed to increase sales by 20% in the next quarter. I organized a meeting with the team to discuss our goals and identify areas for improvement. Then, I developed an action plan to improve our sales skills and increase customer satisfaction. We conducted weekly training sessions and implemented a new customer management system. At the end of the quarter, we exceeded our sales target by 25% and received positive feedback from customers about the quality of our service.
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Stephanie Arnold, SHRM-CP, SHRM-TA
Senior Talent Acquisition Partner #HiringTopTalent *** Grow Your Career and Help Create a Healthier & Safer World at STERIS ***
If you aren't already familiar, the STAR stands for situation, task, action, and result. The method of interviewing is meant to help you best structure your answers to questions. One of the benefits of the STAR method is that it can help you provide clear and concise answers. Be specific, but don't get caught up in the details.
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Using the STAR method to structure your response is not enough. To communicate your message clearly and convincingly, employ motivational interviewing techniques to express empathy, develop discrepancy, roll with resistance, and support self-efficacy. Additionally, use positive and confident language to convey your message without minimizing or undermining your achievements. Examples and evidence are also important for supporting your message. Provide specific details, numbers, or facts that demonstrate your results or impact. Anecdotes or stories can illustrate your skills or competencies, and quotes or testimonials can validate your feedback or recognition.
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Mirthe Levels
We value People and Technology at ALTEN
During the interview itself, it's probably difficult to remember all the details you prepared, and that's fine. However, to still make sure you stay on track while giving your answer, it will help you if the examples you chose are centered around what you did. To help emphazise this, make sure you speak in the first person to highlight your own actions and contributions. This prevents you from accidentally giving too broad of an answer which tells the interviewer nothing about what type of person you are.
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Joris Plu √
Mind(set) Changer Teaching
Communicating is being you. Not being trained how to communicate. How can you bring a unique message from yourself towards another person or a public when you are trained how to do this. I understand that you need some guidance in how to present yourself and that is ok... but I always tell my clients to be as close as possible if not totally... yourself. And this stands apart from of course the technical information you need to give during a conversation. But yes, communicate with your heart, with the person who you are.
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To be confident and prepared for behavioral interview questions, it's important to practice and improve your answers regularly. Review your examples and responses to make sure they are relevant, specific, concise, and structured. Don't forget to update them as you gain more experience or achievements. Get feedback from someone you trust, such as a friend or mentor, and make any necessary changes. You can also record yourself answering the questions and listen to your tone, pace, and clarity. Alternatively, practice with a partner or in a mock interview and ask for their feedback.
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Stephanie Arnold, SHRM-CP, SHRM-TA
Senior Talent Acquisition Partner #HiringTopTalent *** Grow Your Career and Help Create a Healthier & Safer World at STERIS ***
I've found it helpful to practice with a friend. Role playing is always a good idea. I'm also a fan of using voice memos on your phone to recording yourself. Being prepared with a few solid examples will go along way in helping you feel and come across as confident during your interviews. Wishing you all the best!
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Nicholas E.
I have personally found it helpful to record yourself answering specific questions or asking the specific questions. Creating even a mock interview session, recording it and having the partner give you feed back. Then allowing yourself to re watch it, to notice possible changes you need to make for yourself, while taking your partners feedback into consideration. Having a partner can help with practice especially, if you encourage them to do more improv based responses, to truly build on that clinical expertise.
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Joris Plu √
Mind(set) Changer Teaching
Honesty. One word but so important. Whatever you tell people in whatever manner, be honest. Be you in every moment. Try not be someone you are not. It will turn against you soon enough.
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Ian Smith
Mental Health Counselor | CBT Counselling, Case Management
Fail (First attempt in learning), it's that simple, make mistakes, learn from these. We can't be the best at everything, if we try and fail then learn we can at least understand how far we can go until we develop a new style of communicating or working well with others.
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