Over my career, I have found spending extra time on interviewing is SO important. Really good people are out there, but you need to find out how they actually work. A tool I use is called “behavioral interviewing.” Not that I am a revolutionary here, but I am surprised how frequently the interviewer (HR and non-HR) and the interviewees lack familiarity with behavioral interviewing and its value.
Behavioral Interviewing is a technique where the interviewer asks the interviewee to recount previous experiences in response to questions. When the interviewer uses behavioral interviewing, he/she must control the interview. The interviewer must:
- Ask the questions properly to obtain behavioral information from the interviewee.
- Ensure the interviewee responds appropriately to the questions
- Be prepared with follow-up questions to get further behavioral information.
So how does it work?
The interviewer asks questions in the following manner:
” Tell me about a time when you . . .”
“Give me an example of a project [task] where you . . .”
“Tell about an experience in your past where you had to . . .”
From these questions, the interviewer will learn of times when the interviewee demonstrated (or did not demonstrate) the specified behaviors. The questions should be crafted to get information on the desired behaviors.
As mentioned earlier, the interviewer must be careful in accepting responses from the interviewee. Frequently, the answers from the candidate will not be the recounting of experiences but rather answers such as “I would” or “I believe.” You, as the interviewer, must stop such answers and ask for a “specific time when . . .” and drill into the answer for more detail. Remember, you are attempting to determine how the individual will handle (or has handled) specific situations or people.
When you receive an answer from the interviewee, you have a great opportunity to use the interviewee’s words in your next question to either dive deeper or position your next question. I refer to this technique as “conversational interviewing” because you are carrying on a “conversation” by using “their words” in your questions. Several things happen here – 1) your credibility increases as the interviewer knows you are listening, 2) you put the interviewer at ease using their words, and 3) the interviewer will engage because they feel heard. Think about it – you like when people use your descriptions, your terminology, or “words” in regular conversations; imagine an interviewer doing it – – powerful!
Behavioral interviewing – a powerful tool for the interviewer!
Next time, I will discuss how behavioral interviewing is a powerful tool for the interviewee!
Until next time.
Dr. Dave