Best Ways To Ask Questions In A Behavioral Interview

Best Ways To Ask Questions In A Behavioral Interview

How you frame your questions in a behavioral job interview is crucially important if you're going to get the maximum relevant information in the least 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."Are you able to handle working under pressure?" is a leading, close-ended question that can be answered with a simple yes or no. And no one in their right mind in a job interview 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 In Your QuestionsAsk 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 and get the facts.For example, take a noteworthy accomplishment on their resume and ask them to explain to you how they did it. Their answer not only reveals content, but shows how they organize their thoughts.It gives you a frame of reference to ask increasingly specific questions beginning with "why, how, where..." so the applicant clarifies details as you layer question upon question.Going from generalities to specifics has the applicant state their position to the general question before the more specific probing may reveal your intent. It helps get at the truth behind the applicant'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.Dig For SpecificsRemember, you don't have to accept a job applicant's initial answer to any of your questions. You'll frequently have to dig to get answers that are specific and useful rather than answers that are general and vague.If something doesn't sound quite right, if there's some waffling or reluctance to answer a particular question... or if the non-verbals say something different than what you're hearing, dig deeper by simply asking "Tell me more about that," or mirroring back their last statement followed by a pause.Use Of The Pause In Behavioral Job InterviewsOne of your most powerful tools for uncovering information that sometimes yields surprising results is the use of a pause or silence in the behavioral interview. It can feel awkward and may make the candidate feel threatened, but don't feel 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 QuestionsHypothetical 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, always be very careful to keep hypothetical questions realistic and close to an actual situation they will be facing on the job.Self-Assessment QuestionsSelf-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 Job InterviewA problem you'll probably encounter asking open ended questions is that it can lead to the applicant taking control of the behavioral interview and taking too long to answer questions. If you have an applicant who tends to ramble in response to questions there are some easy ways of handling it.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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