7 Behavioral interview questions and examples
During a job interview, you’ll likely be asked behavioral interview questions that explore how you handled a circumstance in the past and make predictions about how you’d handle a situation similar to it in the future. Learn the common categories of behavioral interview questions so that you are prepared with suitable answers.
In this post, we’ll go over some sample behavioral interview questions, give you examples of the right responses, and explain how to react in a way that will make a good impression on your potential employer.
What are questions concerning conduct during interviews?
Behavioral interview questions gauge your actions and reactions in a certain work environment or situation. They are widely used by employers to evaluate your skills and personality qualities, including problem-solving, first-rate customer service, critical thinking, and communication.
The best answers to the following questions are organized using the STAR format:
- Situation: Share a professional experience example that pertains to the problem.
- What was your duty in this circumstance?
- What actions did you take to handle the circumstance?
- What impact did your activities have?
examples of behavioral sciences interview questions and responses
Here are a few standard behavioral interview questions and some sample responses. Learn what each one does and what skills and qualities they put to the test. To create your STAR method-based effective answers, use the following:
1. Please mention an instance in which you and a teammate disagreed. What strategies did you use?
This query will likely be asked during a job interview for a position in a team environment. It aims to assess your ability to resolve disputes amicably and your regard for your teammates. In your response, think about mentioning a time when you and a coworker couldn’t agree on how to solve a problem or ran into personal difficulties.
An illustration would be, “At LabCorp Inc., my team was in charge of a project with a tight deadline. I had a specific vision of how it should be done, and the group seemed to agree with me. However, there was a difference of opinion from one person, which led to conflict. If we were to complete the project on time, I knew I had to find a way to incorporate this guy. I spoke with him privately over lunch and made an effort to understand his perspective.
I was able to think of a solution that we could offer to the other team members. He said he would be fine with it even though that was not exactly what he wanted. The group was accommodating, and we worked together to do the job on time.
2. Describe a time when a mistake you made had a bad effect on a client. How did you resolve the problem?
Use this query when applying for employment with client- or customer-facing responsibilities. This is a great opportunity for you to show that you can think critically under pressure and give first-rate customer service. You can use it to show that you’re sincere and capable of taking ownership of your mistakes.
Example: “At Coppa’s Restaurant, a patron at one of my tables placed an order for our signature salad. At that table, I was the waitress. I neglected to inform the kitchen staff that she claimed to be allergic to peanuts and didn’t want any.
Fortunately, she caught the error when I brought the plate out before she started eating. She appeared to be really upset. Because I was the waiter, I had to satisfy the client. I apologized to her and gave her a discount on her next lunch as my way of making up for my mistake; she gladly accepted it.
3. Talk about a time when you had to manage your time to complete a task. What approach did you use?
This question could come up when you’re interviewing for a variety of jobs. You have the chance to demonstrate your time management skills. Include information in your response about the methods and tools your company uses to stay on track and maintain track of deadlines.
For instance, Broad Idea Magazine often released jumbo-sized special editions. In order to be included in the upcoming special edition of the quarter, I had to submit three 2,000 word stories to my editor. Due to a number of production delays that were beyond my control, I had just two weeks to write them. During the following two weeks, I created as much time in my schedule as I could for research, writing, and editing. My ability to organize my time well allowed me to complete the narratives three days earlier.
4. Describe an instance where you failed. What did you learn?
Another popular behavioral interview question that assesses your moral integrity is this one. You can also discuss any potential weaknesses you may have and how you plan to or have already begun to overcome them.
At Bright Star Shipping, for example, a multi-million dollar contract was up for bid. My team needs to put together a sales presentation. We allowed other tasks to take up our time despite having a week to prepare it. As a result, we had to end the presentation quickly, which was clear. There were mistakes throughout the text, the graphics were sloppy, and the facts were incorrect. We were unable to get the business since the client was unimpressed.
That experience taught us all to prioritize our work better and to try to reassign other chores when we need to focus on one particular project.
5. Give an example of a time you went above and beyond the call of duty. What occurred, why did you do this?
Giving a specific instance of when you chipped in to help a client, a customer, your team, a boss, or another employee will help you answer this commonly asked question. This is an illustration of how dedicated you are to the success of your group, business, and team members. It also serves as an example of values like teamwork, honesty, and charity.
For instance, “Last summer, senior representatives from H.B. Bank paid a visit to our regional office.” Our management asked that my team create a report, replete with spreadsheets and a PowerPoint presentation, to highlight our performance over the preceding 12 months.
Our team member who was in charge of creating the spreadsheets became sick the week before and was unable to complete the task. My manager said he would do it, but before to the visit, he had been staying late at work to finish projects.
I offered to work on the spreadsheets in addition to my other responsibilities. I finished them, despite the fact that it took me a few late nights. The meeting with senior management went well. They were impressed by the materials we provided. My boss openly acknowledged my dedication and thanked me for going above and above.
6. Describe a time when you needed to motivate your coworkers.
This question is probably going to be asked during an interview for a leadership role, such as a supervisor, manager, shift leader, or project manager. Use this question as a chance to showcase both your team-building strategies and your capacity for inspiring others.
Example: “The morale of several teams was impacted by the merger that Yan, Inc. experienced last year. Our team’s new management gave us assignments that we weren’t familiar with. I noticed a drop in our general productivity and felt I had to do something to change our perspective on the situation.
So I called a meeting and urged the group to take advantage of the learning opportunities and see this as career advancement. As we made our way around the room, each member in the group described how the event had benefited them personally. Following that, the environment got better, and the positive vibes increased engagement and productivity.
7. Describe a circumstance in which you were forced to carry out a work for which you lacked the necessary skills. What strategies did you use?
This question assesses your ability to overcome challenges and grab teaching opportunities. You can use your response to demonstrate how you handle being given tasks for which you lack knowledge or experience and how you use the challenge as a springboard for professional growth.
I had been working at PhiBeta Software as a Visual Basic developer for four years when they decided to switch from Visual Basic to Java. The majority of my colleagues programmers could easily convert because they were familiar with Java or other related languages. But I had only ever studied VB and COBOL.
I had the option of leaving PhiBeta and looking for another job, but I genuinely liked working there and the people were supportive. In addition, PhiBeta was a small company and lacked the resources to support training. To help our team migrate our existing code base to Java, I proactively registered in a Java class at the neighborhood community college and acquired some books. Soon after that, I was able to do so.
