Behavioural Interview Questions.

Interviews can be daunting, and there can be times when answering the questions asked by hiring managers or recruiters can render us speechless because of our nervousness. However, when you know what questions are commonly asked and you are well-prepared, the answers can fall out of our month effortlessly. Behavioural interview questions are such interview questions that you can answer easily as long as you already have a well-constructed answer. Here, we shall discuss behavioural interview questions and share with you some commonly asked interview questions and answers for your reference. What Are Behavioral Interview Questions? Behavioural questions are the questions interviewers ask the candidates to see how they handle specific workplace situations and challenges. Also known as situational interview questions, these non-technical based questions solely focus on you and your approach to challenges in a workplace. Why Do Interviewers Ask Behavioural Interview Questions? Your answer will be able to tell the interviewers how you handle certain situations, your character traits, your problem-solving skills, your time management skills, and how well you can work under pressure. For instance, in behavioural questions, the interviewer can ask you to tell them about the time you were able to work during a crisis or give you hypothetical scenarios that you have to try to resolve. As the answers are based on your experience, skills and traits, the interviewer will get to know how well you will fill in the position and the company. Also Read: Why should We Hire You How To Answer Behavioral Interview Questions The best and easiest way to construct answers for behavioural interview questions is to use the STAR method. Construct your answer following the STAR method as shown below. Situation: Describe the situation. Task: Talk about the task or project handed to you. Action: Talk about the actions you took to execute the task. Result: Mention the result of your action and overall outcome. 25 Behavioral Interview Questions 1. Tell me about a time you identified a problem and the steps you took to improve or resolve the problem. 2. Give me an example of how you handled a challenge in a workplace. 3. Tell me when you made a mistake in your work and the steps you took to correct it. 4. Talk about a time you had to work under pressure (whatever the reason may be). 5. Tell me about a time you completed a project under a tight deadline. 6. Tell me about a time you and your colleague had a conflict. How did it get resolved? 7. What is your long-term goal? How do you plan to achieve it? 8. Recount a time when you identified a new or different approach to address a problem or a task. 9. What do you do when a team member doesn’t complete their task in time? 10. How do you deal with difficult customers/clients? 11. Talk about a time you managed a long-term project and the actions you took to ensure that it ran smoothly. 12. Tell me about a time when you had to manage multiple projects. 13. Describe a time when you exceeded your boss’s expectations to complete a project or task. 14. Describe a time when your manager/supervisor/boss gave you too much work to be completed under a tight deadline. 15. How do you deal with a subordinate whose work performance is poor? 16. How do you encourage and motivate your subordinates or team? 17. Tell me about a time you had to make a tough decision at work? 18. What do you do to ensure that a customer is pleased with your service? 19. How did you settle into your last job, and what did you do to learn the ropes? 20. Tell me about a time you had to demonstrate your leadership skills. 21. How do you convince customers to buy the products you are selling? 22. Recount a time when your team or company had to undergo changes. Tell me how it impacted you and how you adapted. 23. Give me an example of a time when you misunderstood a task assigned to you. 24. Tell me about a time you had to collaborate with someone who was completely different from you. 25. Describe a time when you had to deal with an irate client. Also Read: Why do you want to join our company Behavioural Interview Questions Sample Answers Here, we will divide the questions and sample answers into four parts for your better understanding. You will notice that we have implemented the STAR method in how we structure most of the answers. Part 1: Behavioural Interview Questions And Sample Answers|Teamwork Question 1 What do you do when a team member doesn’t complete their task in time? Sample Answer When I worked at ABC Company, I led a team of 6, and the deadlines for each project were usually tight. I remember this new person in the team was rather tardy. He always came in late, and on almost every project, he asked for extra time to complete his task. Normally, I don’t micromanage my team. But when a time-sensitive project was handed to us, I knew I had to do something to keep him on track. So, I would check in on his progress daily and ask him if he needed any assistance. Needless to say, he did not enjoy the way I pushed him. However, he did manage to submit his work on time. Not only did we manage to submit the project a day before the deadline, but because of my nagging and check-ins, the person never missed his deadlines again.” Question 2 Tell me about a time you and your colleague had a conflict. How did it get resolved? Sample Answer “When I worked for Akal Infosys back in 2016, I worked in the recruitment department. We had to source, screen and call candidates every day. There was a girl in our team who was, at times, rather rude to the candidates. She called to the point that many of them would just hang up midway through the calls. If any of us went directly to the boss, we knew she would feel reprimanded. So, I talked to her, and she did not take it well. A week later, with no improvement on her part, I thought of taking another approach to speak to her. I invited her out for lunch, during which I tried to find common interests we may have. Once I found one, the conversation flowed smoothly. Gradually, I brought the subject up, and we had a productive discussion. She even asked me for guidance, which I was happy to lend her. Long story short, she was among the top performers within six months. To this day, we still keep in touch, and she still comes to me whenever she needs advice or someone to talk to.” Also Read: How to Answer “What motivates you ?” Part 2: Behavioural Interview Questions And Sample Answers|Time Management Question 1 What is your long-term goal? How do you plan to achieve it? Sample Answer “As I am a fresher, my goal is first to develop my hard skills through my work and enhance my soft skills by taking an online leadership and management course during my free time. When it comes to my long-term goals, I want to gradually climb the ladder of success. 10 to 12 years from now, I see myself in a mid-level management position.” Question 2 Tell me about a time you completed a project under a tight deadline. Sample Answer “Normally, unless I am given a deadline from my supervisors, I try not to commit to one as I work better without time constraints. But, this one time, a colleague of mine had to call in sick, and his project came to my desk. So, I was quite tense with two projects in my hand and the new one with a deadline. I knew I had to complete both projects at all costs within five days. The first thing I did was talk to my manager and ask to reduce my daily target so that I could focus on the two projects at hand. He agreed, and I made a timetable to complete at least 20 per cent of both projects within four hours a day and then spend the remaining four hours focusing on reaching my daily targets. Thankfully, I could complete both projects on time, and my supervisors impressed me with my time-management skills.” Also Read: Types of Communication Part 3: Behavioural Interview Questions And Sample Answers|Adaptability Question 1 Recount a time when your team or company had to undergo changes. Tell me how it impacted you and how you adapted. Sample Answer “I am a goal-oriented person who likes to meet deadlines. In 2012, when I was working in Akal Infosys, our team leader left suddenly, and as I was the senior-most person in the team, I was given the role of an acting team leader. After being promoted to team leader to ensure that projects were delivered on time and without error, micromanaging became my safety net. After a while, I realised that, although we always met the deadlines, it killed creativity and limited the team’s self-worth. So, I started to put more faith in my team’s ability and started a project management system to oversee the project’s progress. It proved to be very helpful for them and myself, so much so that I became the team leader.” Question 2 How did you settle into your last job, and what did you do to learn the ropes? Sample Answer “My previous job was my first, and as a fresher with little to no experience in customer service, it was quite a challenge. Although we were trained for a few weeks, speaking to a real customer was much different from when we had to speak to our trainers during mock calls. I had difficulties meeting my daily targets for the first month, and I knew I had to do better. So, I went to my team leader and asked him for his help. We planned for me to come in early and listen to recorded calls before my shift started. After listening to many calls for almost a month, I gradually learned where I had to improve. Within a month, I was able to meet my daily targets, and it was not long before I was among the top performers.” Also Read: Types of Interview Part 4: Behavioural Interview Questions And Sample Answers|Leadership Question 1 Tell me about a time you had to demonstrate your leadership skills. Sample Answer “Leadership skill is one thing that runs in our family. In our final year of college, I remember helping one of our batchmates who was about to drop out to graduate. He was a smart person who was always a topper in our class. I noticed that he became aloof and that he was stressed or depressed. So, I approached him, and he told me about how his dad became ill and that he would have to drop out to cover the bills as they did not have medical insurance, I devised a plan to do a piece about his hardship and publish it in our department magazine. He agreed. I wrote his story and asked the magazine editor to publish it, omitting the person’s name. Within a week, many students and even professors sent donations to the editor and me. We handed them to the person who is now a graduate like me. The department magazine now has a page for needy students. It was a rewarding and wonderful experience and achievement.” Question 2 How do you deal with a subordinate whose work performance is poor? Sample Answer “One of the first things I learned when I was given the opportunity to manage a team was that people have their own ways of doing their jobs as everyone has different personalities and traits. So, unless the situation calls for it, I give my team the freedom to work on their own terms as long as the tasks are completed on time and done well. However, there are times when they lag, or the work is not up to mark. For instance, there was this new joiner who could never meet his daily targets despite his time and effort. My door was always open for anyone who needed help or assistance, yet this person never reached out to me or any of the team members, including the buddy I assigned to him. So, I decided to sit down and talk with him after a while. It turned out that he had social anxiety disorder and was too afraid to ask anyone for help. After learning this, I did everything in my power to make him feel welcome and at home by checking on him and his work progress as often as I could. Once he was comfortable with me, he gradually became comfortable hanging out with the other team members and, needless to say, so did his work performance.” Tips To Prepare For Behavioural Interview Questions Take a pen and paper and jot down all situations wherein you had to use your skills and abilities to solve or improve problems or challenges. For instance, you can write about the time you had to work under pressure or meet unrealistic deadlines. You can even write about your accomplishments, such as winning the employee of the month and what it took to take you there. This way, you will have a story to tell no matter which behavioural interview questions you are asked when the time comes. Follow the STAR method to construct your answer. Don’t exceed more than 3 minutes to answer the question verbally. The night before the interview, practise your answer aloud. You can ask a family member or friend to conduct a mock interview. You could even stand in front of a mirror. Practising will give you confidence. Dress to impress. Unless you are specifically told about the dress code for the interview, always assume that it is formal or semi-formal. Remember that behavioural interview questions are designed to gauge your abilities and skills as a person when faced with certain crisis situations or challenges. So, be prepared to have a compelling story with a situation, task, action and results (STAR). We hope this guide on how to answer behavioural interview questions assists you in formulating the most effective answer and that our behavioural interview questions tips help you in acing your upcoming interview. We will leave you here with our best wishes. Good luck!