MightyRecruiterSmall Business Tips: Becoming a Behavioral Interviewing Ace
As a hiring manager, you will probably be responsible for conducting numerous interviews. You may think it will be pretty easy to find who is most qualified out of a group, but the truth is that if you do not ask the right kind of questions, all the applicants will likely look the same to you. There are various small business tips out there for having excellent interviews, and one of the best ones out there is to ask behavioral interview questions.
What Is Involved With Behavioral Interviewing
Behavioral interviewing differs slightly from traditional methods in that you are asking candidates to give stories that give a solid example of them demonstrating a certain skill. You are forcing the interviewee to become a storyteller and provide insight into his or her work history. For example, if you run a retail store, you can ask something like, ïWe get unruly customers every so often. Can you describe an incident where you had to deal with a difficult customer, and how did you resolve itï This requires a lot more details to answer than if the employer were to simply ask, ïCan you handle conflictï Instead of an applicant just telling you what you want to hear, you are forcing him or her to prove that they have the experiences you are looking for.
Advantages Behavioral Interviewing Has Over Other Styles
Some small business tips to utilize include avoiding asking questions that can be answered in just a few words. For example, you are probably familiar with the basic interview questions:
-What is your greatest strength
-What are you most passionate about
-What is your greatest weakness
-Do you have leadership skills
These types of questions can be answered in a few words, and chances are that every candidate will just tell you what you want to hear. If you run a store and ask an interviewee what his or her greatest strength is, then he or she will likely say something along the lines of being a people-person, communication skills or something else that would be relevant in the industry you are in. If everyone gives the same basic answer, then you are not going to know who is best qualified for the job. Behavioral interview questions force the applicant to dig deeper, and the applicants will stand out more in your mind afterward.
Telling Stories and Spotting Lies
There are various small business tips out there on finding the best workers for your company, but the easiest way to see if someone has the skills they say they have is to ask them to give a specific story. Anyone can say that they handle stress well, but if you present a question asking the person to talk about a time they were placed under extreme pressure, then you will get a more honest response. Additionally, this is a great way to see if someone is lying about having experiences. It is possible that some people will make up a story on the spot to appease you, but you should ask follow-up questions to see if they are actually giving a true story. Some applicants may trip up if you ask for details, and this is a great way to spot someone who is just trying to tell you what you want to hear.
Sample Behavioral Interview Questions
There are some small business tips that should be used depending on the specific business you run, but here are some basic behavioral interview questions you should think about asking:
-Discuss a time when you had to juggle multiple responsibilities at the same time. How did you manage your time, and did you complete everything on time
-What lessons did you learn from your biggest failure professionally
-Talk about a time when you had to work in a group. How did you divide the responsibilities, and was everyone content with their role
-What methods have you used in the past to motivate and encourage your co-workers
-What is the riskiest action you have ever taken at work Did you succeed
-What do you believe is the most important attribute of a leader When have you displayed this quality
-Describe a time when you had to resolve a conflict between you and a co-worker. What caused the conflict, and how did you overcome it
-What are the three biggest accomplishments you are most proud of
-Tell us about a time when you had to go beyond your normal job description to complete a task.
Mighty Recruiter has numerous other small business tips that will prove to be incredibly helpful as you develop your company.