Behavioural interview questions are questions that focus on a candidate’s past behaviour or experience rather than hypothetical situations. They are designed to help the interviewer understand how a candidate has handled specific situations in the past and how they may handle similar situations in the future.
Here are some tips on how to answer behavioural interview questions:
- Prepare: Review the job description and identify key skills and experiences the employer is seeking. Think of examples from your past experience that highlights those skills.
- Use the STAR method: Structure your answers using the Situation, Task, Action, Result (STAR) method. Describe the situation you were in, the task you had to complete, the action you took, and the result of your action.
- Be specific: Provide specific examples of your past behaviour rather than speaking in generalities.
- Highlight your strengths: Use your answers to highlight your strengths and how they can benefit the employer.
- Stay positive: Even if you are describing a difficult situation, focus on what you learned from the experience and how you grew as a result.
- Be concise: Keep your answers concise and to the point.
- Ask for clarification: If you don’t understand a question, ask for clarification before answering.
Examples of behavioural interview questions include:
- Tell me about a time when you had to work on a project with a tight deadline.
- Describe a situation where you had to work with a difficult coworker or team member.
- Can you give me an example of a time when you had to make a difficult decision?
- Tell me about a time when you had to solve a complex problem.
- Describe a situation where you had to adapt to a new work environment.