[Image by Gerd Altmann of Pixabay]
Do you believe the past predicts the future? That’s what’s behind asking behavioral questions when you’re conducting an interview.
According to a post from LinkedIn, asking behavioral questions assists you in hiring high-potential candidates. As we know, interviewing skills are not that easy to develop and are considered to be a form of public speaking. As a person conducting an interview, it’s imperative to ask the right questions vs. any questions.
Let me give you an example. Say you want to see how your prospective candidate responds to collaboration. Here are some behavioral questions from LinkedIn you may wish to consider:
- Give an example of when you had to work with someone difficult to get along with. How did you handle interactions with that person?
- Tell me about a time you were communicating with someone who did not understand you; what did you do?
- Tell me about one of your favorite experiences working with a team and the contributions you made.
- Describe the best partner or supervisor you’ve worked with. What part of their management style appealed to you?
- Can you share an experience where a project dramatically shifted direction at the last minute? What did you do?
According to LinkedIn, there’s a 65% chance that teams who collaborate will stay with a company as compared to more isolated peers.
Part of asking solid behavioral questions includes the ability to listen closely to a candidates responses.
We all know it can be quite costly to bring on a new hire so it pays to do it right the first time. When you do, you’re helping the applicant as well as your company to thrive.
I recommend taking notes on each applicant and asking each person the same questions. This will make a comparison easier to accomplish. Remember to practice aloud the questions you plan to ask. An interview is two-way, meaning you’re conducting the interview however the applicant is also interviewing you.