Take Guessing Out of Hiring the Right Candidate

CultureFitTechnical Recruiting

3 Behavioral Interview Questions

Many job applicants know employers will use behavioral interview questions to help them assess how a candidate might approach certain situations. Behavioral interview questions help determine not only whether candidates are a good cultural fit, but also whether they fit the business needs of the organization, and possess the required core competencies.

However, answers to these types of questions will not be universal for all companies.  Since the specific needs of each organization differs greatly, a smaller company may find an interviewee’s answers to be well suited to their organization, while a larger corporation may deem the same answers to be less than ideal.  In using behavioral based interview questions, an organization increases the likelihood of receiving honest and revealing answers, allowing them to have a much better chance of identifying potentially great employees.

However, organizations do not have unlimited time to run through a list of 100 questions to ask a candidate, which is why we at CultureFit have compiled three starter questions that will help you pinpoint that ideal candidate:

1.  Describe a difficult situation you faced and how you handled it.

  • While it’s important to listen to how the candidate handled the situation; you must also ask for the thought process behind their actions, and how they like to approach difficult situations in general.
  • This question may help you understand if the candidate is collaborative. Did the candidate seek out feedback from others to help find an answer to the problem? Did that collaboration help to develop a possible solution, allowing them to implement a viable solution? Or is the candidate the type of person who will proactively research the right solution independently.

2.  Describe a situation where you worked under a tight deadline.

  • You are allowing them to tell a success story that demonstrates how they organized their workflow, dealt with pressure, and navigated through competing priorities.
  • You are also able to see if the candidate tried to extend the deadline, asked for additional help, and most importantly, did they fully commit their own time to meeting the deadline!

3.  Describe a time where you had to work with a difficult manager/client.

  • This answer can demonstrate a candidate’s behavior toward authority, communication, and problem solving.
  • Can they keep their personal feelings out of the mix? A good candidate will demonstrate emotional maturity and professionalism above all else.

There isn’t a right or wrong answer with a behavioral interview.  The goal to this approach is to gain a more reliable understanding of how the candidate approaches a variety of situations, which provides insight on their skill sets as well as a profile of how that individual will function in the role being filled. There are many more behavioral questions that should be asked to disseminate the best qualified candidate.  Check out this article from The Muse or, let one of our IT staffing experts at CultureFit help you find that top-tier talent you seek.

CultureFit is a full service Technology Staffing and recruitment firm for corporate cultures that value organizational fit, employee satisfaction, and an extremely high level of technical IT skills.