19 behavioural interview questions

and how to answer them

By | November 20, 2013

This article is based on the eBook “Interview Secrets Exposed”

It is estimated that 80% of the interview is made up of behavioural

questions. This type of interviewing is based on the philosophy that
your past actions and behaviours will be a good indicator of your
future behaviours. Therefore, how you acted towards certain
circumstances in your previous job is a reliable indicator of how you
will act in your new job. In this article weʼll take a closer look at these
behaviour type questions – with preparation tips and examples.

What are behavioural questions

These types of questions differ from standard interview questions as

they focus more on experiences, behaviours, knowledge, skills and
abilities. Rather than the standard question of “Do you have
leadership skills” a behavioural question is more likely to be “Give me
an example of your previous role when you displayed leadership
abilities.” As the interviewer has already determined which skills are
necessary for the role, it is important that you are prepared for these
questions.

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 The best way to begin studying for these questions is to look at the
job description. The list of skills that they require are the skills they
will more than likely focus on. When the job description mentions
they require a person with good teamwork skills or negotiation skills,
it is more than likely that this will be turned into a behavioural
question to see if you really do possess these skills.

Find all the answers in this free ebook

Interview Secrets Exposed

Welcome to the ultimate Interview E-book. In this book you will learn
all the secrets you need to know to help nail your job interview and
get the job.

How to answer behavioural questions

The best way to answer a behavioural

question is to use the STAR format.

Situation: The interviewer wants you to

present a recent challenge and situation in
which you found yourself.

Task: What did you have to achieve? The interviewer will be looking
to see what you were trying to achieve from the situation.

Action: What did you do? The interviewer will be looking for
information on what you did, why you did it and what the alternatives

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 were.

Results: What were the outcomes of your actions? What did you
achieve through your actions and did you meet your objectives?
What did you learn from this experience and have you used this
learning since?

How to nail the behavioural interview

1) Take a blank piece of paper and write down between 10-20

examples from your education, work experience, community work,
charity etc. of where you added value in a positive way.

2) Now using the STAR format write out the Situation, Task, Action,
Result

Example question: “Give me an example of a time when you set a

goal and were able to meet or achieve it.”

Situation: My role as project manager was to ensure that projects

are completed on time and on budget.

Task: My last role involved combining three office spaces into one.
With a tight deadline of 90 days and dealing with multiple
contractors from different companies, I knew it was going to be a
struggle to complete the job in time. I set the goal of having
everything completed within 80 days to give us 10 days at the end to
make final corrections.

Action: By dividing all the different contractors into three main

teams and having three project managers controlling the three
teams, I was able to create a more efficient and effective work
timetable and ensure that downtime was kept to a minimum.

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 Result: As a result of this more efficient working time we completed
the job on time and reduced costs by 15%. This new way of dividing
contractors into smaller teams has now been implemented into
standard work procedure and seen a reduction in overall costs.

19 of the most asked behavioural questions

Describe a time when you were faced with a stressful situation

and how you overcame the situation

Provide an example of when you showed initiative and took the

lead

Tell me about a situation where you have had to speak with an

unhappy customer

Give me an example of a time when you motivated others and

how this led to a positive outcome

Give an example of a goal you set and how you reached it

Describe an instance when you had to think on your feet to

make a split second decision

Describe a situation where you knew your boss was wrong –

how did you handle it?

Describe a major change or adjustment to your job and your

reactions to the change

Tell me about a time when you encountered conflict in the

workplace and how you handled the conflict

Provide an example of when you had to go above and beyond

your normal duties in order to get the job done

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 Describe a time when you put the needs of your workmates
before your own when completing a task

Provide an example of a problem you had with a co-worker or

boss and how you resolved it

Provide an example of a time when you felt you were able to

motivate

Describe a time when you did not put in 100% into your job or
performance and what you did about it

Tell me about a time when you had to solve a problem with very
little guidance or direction

Tell me about a time when you went overtime on a deadline

What is the biggest contribution you made in your current role?

What are you most proud of in your working career?

Discuss a setback you have overcome in the last 12 months

If you would like to learn more about what it takes to properly

prepare for an interview, then start by downloading and studying the
free eBook “Interview Secrets Exposed” written by Gavin F.
Redelman from RedStarResume.

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