You may do a lot of interviewing and use a variety of methods and styles. Interviewing people is very time- and energy-intensive, so using the best techniques is important to find the best candidates for your company, and to reduce your stress or frustration with the interview process. Let’s dive into “Behavioral Interviewing”.
What is Behavioral Interviewing?
Behavioral interviewing is an approach to interviewing candidates that is built on the concept that past behavior is a good predictor of future actions and successes. This technique involves asking specific behavior-based questions instead of general or generic questions that are used in most interviews, and get to the candidate’s true skills, abilities and attitudes. The ultimate goal with behavioral interviewing is to hire the best candidates with the greatest qualities you are looking for. This interview techniques helps you find the best fit between the person and the company.
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The interview should be constructed around four basic areas: structure, focus, resources, and responses. Behavioral-based interviews are very structured and do not stray off into informal or conversational areas. The focus is how a candidate achieved what they have accomplished in the past instead of what they have accomplished. It’s easier for the person to tell you what they did and not as simple to explain how they did it. Did they have a challenging experience at work and how did they deal with it? Most traditional interviews rely on a resume and job description, but the behavioral interview relies on a detailed list of competencies required to be successful at the job. These are the resources. In terms of responses, the traditional interview elicits responses based on the candidate’s thoughts, feelings, opinions, perspectives and other subjective information. On the other hand, the behavioral interview attempts to uncover the facts about a candidate’s past performance and predict how they will perform in the new position.
Benefits of the Behavioral Interview
You may see how the two styles of interviews are different and how the behavioral interview may have more benefits versus the traditional interview. Some experts argue that the behavioral interview is superior and should become the gold standard because it is much more accurate in finding the best people for the organization and provides deeper and more meaningful information to the interview when making a hiring decision. The behavioral interview is more objective than subjective. It provides consistency in questioning and concentrates only on the competencies required by the position. It can provide you legal protection because it provides a script that treats all candidates the same. It may be the best interview for retaining talent because you hire the best qualified people right from the start, and these kinds of employees usually stay with the organization. This interview literally allows you to uncover the essence and substance of the candidate. It gets to who they are and how they have come this far in their career. The interview is also beneficial for organizational clarity, meaning that your list of competencies is already prepared and now you can highlight exactly what kind of person will strengthen your team.
Final Words on the Behavioral Interview
I know a lot of HR directors, administrators, and other professionals who dread interviewing people. It takes a lot of time and effort and can be rather stressful at times. And, after spending all that time with candidates and hiring them, they leave! What a waste of time! Next time, try the behavioral interview. It might be the right tool to help you match competent people with the right position and build a better team.
(NOTE: Considering an Online Learning Solution? Find out how Collins Learning can help you recruit and retain valuable employees.)
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