How To Ask Questions In A Behavioral Job Interview

How you ask your questions in a behavioral job interview is critically important if you're going to get the maximum relevant information in the minimum about of time.

Your interview questions should be open-ended. That is, questions that can't be answered with a simple yes or no. Open-ended questions require the applicant to elaborate and share meaningful information.

"Can you handle working under pressure?" is a leading, close-ended question that can be answered with a simple yes or no - and who in their right mind would answer no?

"How do you feel your personality changes working under pressure?" is an open-ended question that requires the applicant to explain how. Most open-ended questions begin with "how, why, what, when, describe for me, or tell me," - all of which ask for elaboration.

Go From Generalities To Specifics

Ask layers of questions in your behavioral interviews around themes, going from generalities to specifics. A useful method of questioning that's sometime called the funnel technique is where you begin with a broad question about the candidate's work history, then ask increasingly specific questions that focus in on revealing details.

Envision a funnel or cone standing on its tip, with questions first establishing the broad body of information, then becoming more sharply focused as you descend through the facts.

For example, take some noteworthy accomplishment on their resume and ask them to tell you how they did it. Their answer not only reveals content, but shows how they organize their thoughts to accomplish an objective.

It gives you a frame of reference to ask increasingly specific questions beginning with "how, why, where..." so the candidate clarifies details as you layer question upon question.

Going from generalities to specifics asks the candidate to state their answer to the general question before the more specific probing may reveal your intent. It helps get at the truth behind the candidate's initial answer.

Always look for an internal consistency in the answers when going from generalities to specifics in a behavioral interview. Beware when this type of probing reveals a different impression than the answer to the first general question, or the first reading of their resume.

You Will Often Need To Dig For Specifics

Remember, you don't have to accept an candidate's first answer to any of your questions. You'll frequently have to dig to get answers that are specific and meaningful rather than answers that are general and vague.

If something doesn't sound quite right, if there's some skittishness or reluctance to answer a particular inquiry... or if the non-verbal signals say something different than what you're hearing, pursue it by simply asking "Tell me more about that," or mirroring back their statement followed by a pause.

Use Of The Pause In Behavioral Job Interviews

One of your most powerful techniques for uncovering information that sometimes yields surprising results is the use of a pause or silence in the interview. It can feel awkward and may make the applicant feel threatened, but don't be compelled to speak right after hearing something you'd like to know more about.

A pause generates psychological pressure to fill the gap. Without words, silence asks "What else do you have to say about that?" Simply nod. Show you're listening and with them, waiting for a point to be elaborated on more fully.

Experienced behavioral interviewers tend to pace the interview slowly as a conscious technique. The use of a pause or silence can reveal meaningful things that otherwise might not have been spoken.

Hypothetical Questions

Hypothetical or situational questions can be useful in revealing how an applicant thinks. Take a particularly difficult problem they're likely to encounter on the new job, and ask them how they'd solve it.

Unlike questions a well prepared candidate may know from studying interview books, hypothetical questions are much more difficult to anticipate and can be very good for getting gut level responses.

In fairness, be careful to keep hypothetical questions realistic and close to an actual situation they'll face on the job.

Self-Assessment Questions

Self-assessment questions can be good for getting a balance between positive and negative information about a job applicant. Self-assessment questions ask "What is your best... What are you most proud of..." first allowing the candidate to shine - followed by a query about "What was your worst... what do you know you need to work on..." types of questions.

Losing Control Of The Behvioral Job Interview

A problem you'll probably encounter asking open ended questions is that it can lead to the candidate taking control of the behavioral job interview and taking too long to answer questions. If you have a candidate who tends to ramble in response to questions there are some easy ways of handling that.

You can say "You know, that's interesting..." and direct the interview to another subject. Or you can interrupt the job applicant and state, "You know with the time remaining, I think it would be a good idea if we moved on to another subject, don't you?" You can bet the candidate will agree.


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Author of Hiring The Best People, Steve Penny has been asked to speak on Behavioral Job Interviews at the largest human resource conferences in the world. Videos of this presentation and 7 Ways To Motivate People That Don't Cost A Penny may be viewed at http://hiringthebestpeople.com