What are behavioral interview questions?
Behavioral-style interview questions aim to predict a candidate’s future performance by assessing past behavior. These questions typically involve interpersonal matters, leadership attributes or how a candidate acts under pressure.
Behavior-based interviewing questions are more specific than standard interview questions. They help you learn more about the skills and qualities that are relevant to many positions, such as problem-solving and resilience.
“Employee success is more often defined by workplace behaviors rather than technical product delivery. These questions can help find the applicant best aligned to your company.”
—Joe Scotto, HR leader
18 behavioral interview questions to ask candidates
Consider incorporating these behavioral interview questions into your hiring process to make more informed hiring decisions:
1. Could you describe a complex problem you solved at work and your approach to finding a solution?
This question helps a candidate demonstrate their problem-solving skills and ability to handle challenges. It uncovers their role in arriving at the solution, whether they proposed it or followed an existing process.
2. How did you learn from a mistake you made at work?
This question helps reveal whether the candidate can learn from their mistakes. A strong answer demonstrates they are honest about errors and can reflect on them to improve future performance.
3. Can you describe an unanticipated challenge you’ve faced at work? How did you handle it?
Unexpected events often occur in business. Asking candidates how they overcame such challenges lets you evaluate their ability to adapt and reprioritize tasks under stress.
4. When did you last ask a colleague or supervisor for feedback? How did you implement it?
This question helps determine if a candidate values feedback and is eager to learn from others. Willingness to consider others’ perspectives shows positive leadership and readiness to apply feedback.
5. Can you describe a time when you had to learn something new? In what ways did you approach the process?
Ask this question to determine if a candidate values developing new skills. A thoughtful answer demonstrates motivation to learn, awareness of their own areas for growth, and how they incorporate practical learning strategies.
6. How have you pitched an idea to a colleague? What was the outcome?
This behavioral interview question assesses the candidate’s confidence and persuasiveness when communicating with colleagues or managers, as well as their willingness to share ideas openly. These qualities are valuable in sales, customer service, client relations or management roles.
7. Have you ever had to complete a task under time pressure? How did you handle it?
When candidates explain their strategy for handling tight deadlines, employers can better understand their discipline, ability to work under pressure, and how they use organizational skills to manage projects. This can be a valuable question to ask candidates if deadlines are typical in your business.
8. How do you deal with frustrated clients?
Interacting with clients is common, especially in customer service and sales roles. The ability to resolve client issues shows professionalism and patience.
9. Can you share an example of how you handled a conflict at work?
It’s important to evaluate if candidates can effectively manage workplace conflict. This question helps interviewers gauge how candidates handle disagreements and high-stress situations.
10. If you had the chance, what’s the one thing in your professional career that you would handle differently?
Interview questions often reveal a candidate’s qualities and accomplishments, but you can also learn a lot based on missed opportunities. This question lets candidates demonstrate self-awareness and the ability to learn from experience.
11. When you’re in a leadership role, how do you motivate team members?
Leadership roles often require motivating employees. Learning how someone encourages others can showcase their interpersonal skills and ability to foster a culture of innovation. This helps determine if their leadership style fits your company.
12. Can you share an experience when you had to deal with a high-stress situation? How did you manage?
This question helps assess how a candidate handles high-pressure workplace situations. Since new employees may encounter various demands, it’s helpful to understand their stress management strategies.
13. Can you tell me about a time when you set a goal for yourself? How did you achieve it?
Applicants who set goals often have strong organizational skills and career focus. This question lets candidates demonstrate how they set goals and stay motivated to achieve them.
14. What’s your proudest achievement as a professional? Why is it important to you?
This question allows the candidate to discuss how they apply their skills to achieve success. It also demonstrates the types of projects they find fulfilling and their approach to growth.
15. Can you tell me about a time you worked with a colleague who communicated differently from you?
Every employee communicates differently based on their expertise, experience and diverse perspectives. This question helps uncover how a candidate adapts to different communication styles in the workplace.
16. Can you give me an example of a time you went beyond expectations to meet a customer’s needs?
When hiring for customer-facing roles, ask this question to gauge how the candidate values customers and the steps they take to ensure positive customer experiences. This clarifies their approach to both internal and external customers.
17. Can you tell me about a previous leader you worked with? What did you like about their management style?
Most companies have organizational hierarchies. This question helps determine how a candidate prefers to be managed. It may also reflect the management style they prefer to use in leadership roles and how they would fit with the existing manager.
18. Can you tell me about a time you faced a difficult decision at work that required you to consider multiple perspectives?
Asking about difficult decisions assesses a candidate’s ability to navigate complex situations, weigh perspectives and consider outcomes. It can reveal how they approach challenges, their decision-making process and their commitment to integrity and fairness.
Why use behavioral-style interview questions?
Behavior-based interviewing complements any skills-first hiring program. These types of questions focus on finding candidates with the right skills instead of relying heavily on education or past job titles. This approach can help employers identify qualified candidates who may have gained valuable experience through nontraditional career paths or transferable skills.
Tips for asking effective behavioral interview questions
Consider these tips when conducting an interview:
- Focus on skills-based hiring: Identify the most important skills for the role, then ask behavioral questions that assess them.
- Be consistent: Ask each candidate the same questions to apply consistent judgment. Consider using interview scoring sheets to keep the process fair and objective.
- Ask open-ended questions: Behavioral questions are thought-provoking, so keep them open-ended to get direct answers with fewer follow-ups.
Reviewing behavioral interview questions helps you assess candidates based on their previous actions. By focusing on skills such as problem-solving, adaptability and integrity, you can make better hiring decisions and find candidates who fit your role.
