Interviewing for Jobs & Internships:

Behavior-Based Interviewing

W hile there is still merit in preparing responses to that “magic list” of the 50 most-asked interview
questions, more and more employers are beginning to utilize an interview technique called behavior-
based interviewing (BBI) as their preferred way to assess the qualifications of job candidates. Simply put, BBI
encourages applicants to describe situations in which they have utilized skills and abilities similar to those
required in the job for which they are applying.

The success of BBI for both employer and candidate is based upon a simple premise: past performance is the best
predictor of future performance. If a candidate has successfully utilized a particular skill in the past, chances are
that s/he will do so in the future. Furthermore, the more recently and frequently the behavior has been
displayed, the greater the likelihood that the knowledge and skills will be exhibited on the job. Also, the BBI
gives you the opportunity to display personal and performance attributes needed to succeed in the position
as well as within the particular culture of the organization. Both the recruiter and the candidate need to
prepare well, and then perform well to get the most out of the behavior-based interview.

V The Approach Behavior-based interviewing requires a structured procedure. It is an approach that

involves a prescribed method of questioning and a predetermined set of questions. It closes in on a
scientific evaluation of the answers and hence, of the candidate. The interviewer will ask questions
targeted at a specific behavior, asking the candidate about particular situations or experiences that s/he
has had. However, it is unlikely that the interviewer will ask about a specific behavior or quality directly.
Candidates, in turn, offer behavioral examples from almost any life experience. For example, current or
previous employment, internships, volunteer activities, class projects, involvement in campus organiza-
tions, hobbies and leisure time, or even family life. Whatever they choose, success depends upon two
components:
v Articulating examples which best illustrate what they can do for an employer.
v Telling “stories” with a beginning, middle, and end. Candidates must identify the problem or task for
which they were responsible, tell what they did, and describe the results.

Essentially, a complete answer to a behavior-based question has three parts:

v Situation: briefly set up the situation, setting and perhaps timeline.
v Task: explain the task that you needed to complete or the problem that needed to be solved.
v Action: elaborate on the actions you took to finish the task, solve the problem, or bring resolution.
v Result: close by explaining the outcome or result of your efforts. Quantify outcomes if possible.

The candidates who do best under these conditions are those who have anticipated the questions (or at
least the topics) and have prepared and practiced their responses. Through asking probing questions and
listening attentively to candidates’ behavior descriptions, employers can find out a person’s level of compe-
tency as it relates to the job under consideration. The result is a composite picture of the candidate’s
performance abilities that allows a valid comparison with other candidates competing for the job.

The following are examples of BBI questions which focus on ten performance attributes that employers
frequently try to assess during an interview. Other attributes include: critical thinking, quick study, creativ-
ity, proactive approach, goal setting/achieving, commitment to task, organization and planning, thorough-
ness, dealing with ambiguity, assertiveness, team building, and interpersonal flexibility.
over V
Career & Community Learning Center COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS
135 Johnston Hall, 612-624-7577, www.cclc.umn.edu The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer. This material is
available in alternative formats upon request. Please contact Career and Community Learning
Center, 612-624-7577.
V Behavior-Based Interview Questions

P roblem Solving
When was the last time you solved a difficult problem
that would have significant impact? What was the situation?
Oral Communication
Describe a time when you had great difficulty
communicating your thoughts clearly to another person or
How did you go about analyzing the problem? What addi-
group. What was the situation? What message were you
tional information did you gather? What alternative solutions
trying to convey? Where did the difficulty in communicat-
did you consider? Tell me how you implemented your
ing effectively lie? What did you do to get your point
solution. What was the outcome?
across more clearly? What was the outcome?

Decision Making
What was the most difficult decision you have made in
the last six months? What was the situation? What made it
Conflict Management
Tell me about a time when you voiced a concern or
disagreement to a co-worker, supervisor, or professor.
difficult? What factors or variables did you consider? What
Where did the disagreement originate? What did you say to
did you decide? What was the result?
the other person? What was his/her reaction? What was
the outcome of the disagreement?
Initiative
Describe your best example of taking the initiative to
do something that needed to be done, even though it
wasn’t really your responsibility. What was the situation?
Coordinating/Leading Others
Tell me about a situation in which you had to
coordinate several people to achieve a goal. What
What circumstances required you to act? What actions
prompted you to take the lead? How did you go about
did you take? What impact did your initiative have on
coordinating and leading the group? How did they re-
the situation?
spond? What tools did you use to measure the progress of
the group? What was the outcome?
Achievement Drive
Describe a situation in which you believe you were
effective in achieving an aggressive goal. What caused you
to work hard to meet this objective? What methods or
Managing Stress
Describe your most disappointing experience. How
did you cope with it? What did you do to move beyond it?
skills did you use to meet your goal? What were the
results? What feedback did you receive?
T echnical Expertise
Tell me about a time that you were effective in putting
H andling Details
Tell me about the most significant project you have
worked on in which it was crucial to keep track of details
your technical expertise to use to solve a problem. What
was the problem? In what ways did you draw upon your
technical knowledge to solve it? What was the outcome?
while still managing the “big picture.” What was the
project? What skills did you utilize in managing it? How
did you make sure the work got done? How did you keep
focused on the overall goal of the project while still
managing all of the specific parts? How did the project
turn out? What feedback did you receive on your man-
agement of the task?

Career & Community Learning Center COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS

135 Johnston Hall, 612-624-7577, www.cclc.umn.edu The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer. This material is available in
alternative formats upon request. Please contact Career and Community Learning Center, 612-624-7577.