Have you got those questions in an interview which starts with- tell me about a time…, or describe a situation in which. Was it easy for you to answer them or were you stuck as you could not think of an example? Behavioral questions are super common in interviews, and if you haven't encountered them, buckle up as they are the favorite type of question of recruiters, and they are becoming increasingly popular. They stress a lot of people out as what if you’ve never encountered them.
What are behavioral interview questions?
These are questions that ask you to provide examples of past experiences to demonstrate your skills and qualities. These questions aren't about your skills on paper, but the idea is that past behavior is the best predictor of future performance. They're designed to see how you'd react in similar situations at the new company or a new role. They also provide the recruiter into your brain as to why you do what you do. For instance, you might be asked, 'Can you give me an example of a time when you had to solve a difficult problem or tell me about a time when you handled a difficult customer issue; what happened and what did you do?
Recognizing behavioral questions is pretty straightforward. They often start with phrases like 'Tell me about a time when...', 'Describe a situation where...', or 'Give an example of...' these are dead giveaways for you. Essentially, if the question is asking about your past experiences or how you handled specific situations, it's a behavioral question.
Now, let's talk about the techniques you can use to answer these questions. There are several methods and acronyms, but the most popular ones are the STAR method, the CAR method, and the PAR method. There are similarities between all three of them, and we’ll talk about all of them in detail.
The STAR method is the most popular one and stands for Situation, Task, Action, and Result. It's a structured way to ensure your answers are concise and cover all the important points.
Situation: means helps you set the scene. Here, you explain the context.
Task: Then, you describe your responsibility or the challenge you faced.
Action: In the action step, you’ll detail the steps you took to address the task.
Result: Lastly, you share the outcome or what you achieved.
The CAR method is similar to the STAR one, and stands for Context, Action, and Result. I personally like the CAR method as it's a bit more streamlined but follows the same principle; it combines the first two steps, Situation and Task, from the STAR method into one- the context part. So, in the
Context: part, you’ll provide background information and the challenge. In
Action: stage, please explain what you did. And in the
Result: step, Highlight the results- what was the outcome.
Finally, the PAR method stands for Problem, Action, and Result. Again CAR and PAR methods are almost the same; only the first letter of the acronym is different but means the same thing.
Problem: Describe the issue or challenge.
Action: Explain the actions you took.
Result: Share the outcomes.
While all these methods are effective, the STAR method is used by the recruiters themselves and is widely regarded as the best technique because it's comprehensive and easy to follow; it also keeps your answer clear, concise, and focused on your strengths and accomplishments. Let's go through a few examples to see it in action.
So, here’s the question: "Tell me about a time you faced a challenging deadline."
So, when you share information about the situation, provide a bit of background information. E.g., you can start by saying- Sure! (Situation) At my previous job at Xplore technologies, I was the lead engineer and also the project manager for website developments. (you see, by providing a bit of background information, you're helping the recruiter, this person sitting in front of you to visualize the situation you were in; when you say the name of the company or the department, it helps them to anchor their thought process.
Add information such as how many people were on the team- you see small details like this helps to get their heads around the situation and paint a picture). You can then go on and add- We were launching a new product website with a tight deadline.
Then give them the task- As the lead engineer, it was my responsibility to ensure the site was functional and bug-free, and delivered in 2-weeks time. Now add why this two weeks time frame is a critical piece of information. So, you can say- normally we take a month to launch such a heavy website as there are other projects running at the same time. This will help the recruiter understand that the pressure was high. So, in the action step, you can add- I communicated the pressure to my team, held daily meetings to track progress, and prioritized tasks to meet the deadline here. The recruiter obviously wants to know what you did but also wants to know your thought-process behind it. So give the why behind that action as it helps them connect the dots.
Always, remember to give the result in the end; some people forget to give the result and the recruiter is left thinking, so what happened in the end. Again, don't end the result by saying things like- i felt good about it or we ended up working on a professional level- such information is not concrete. So, what kind of questions can you ask yourself to come up with the result- ask yourself- were the managers pleased by the outcome; did the sales go up by 25% and such questions. In our example, we can share the result by saying that we successfully launched the website in 12 days and within budget, exceeding client expectations.
As you can see, this resembles a lot like you telling a story or an essay- it has a starting point (where you give the background information, the context), then the middle part (where you share what you did; that’s the spicy part) and lastly, you end with the result which is the outcome; how did it end.
So, how do you know what kind of behavioral questions they’ll ask? Dissect that job description and think of questions that will be based on it. So, if the job description says that you must be able to deliver exceptional customer service, you better have examples of how you exceeded your customers' experience in your previous job.
But what if you've never encountered a situation similar to the behavioral question being asked? Here's what you can do:
Be Honest: It's okay to admit you haven't faced that exact situation, but
Use a Similar Experience: Draw on similar experiences from other areas of your life, such as your school projects, volunteer work, or personal challenges.
Explain Your Approach: now, in extreme scenarios in which you never encountered that situation, describe how you would handle the situation if it arose. This shows your problem-solving skills and ability to think on your feet.
So, let's look at an example in which you’ve had no work experience and how you can structure it.
Question: "Tell me about a time you showed leadership."
STAR Answer:
"Absolutely! (Situation) During a high school group project, some team members weren't pulling their weight. (Task) I recognized the need for leadership and took the initiative to organize meetings, delegate tasks, and motivate the team. (Action) Through open communication and positive reinforcement, I ensured everyone contributed. (Result) We finished the project on time and received a high grade."
Here are a few more tips in handling “tell me about a time” kind of questions.
Do not shy away from asking for clarification if they ask you a very broad question. E.g., give me an example of when you handled a conflict? Ask them if they’re interested in knowing about an internal conflict or one with a customer. This will show to the interviewer that you want to answer the question in the best possible way.
Prepare a bank of at least 4 to 5 examples that can be used for different questions. Attached is a pdf document that you can download and it will help you get started
Do not give generic answers as to what you usually do in such situations. E.g., how did you handle a new joiner to your team. Rather than saying that you’ve been handling new joiners for a really long time and xyz is what you usually do, give ONE example only
Lastly, practice saying those answers out-loud at home or ask a friend or a family member to act like an interviewer. The more you’ll practice, the easier it will become for you to be in a flow. You see, practice makes things permanent.
Mastering behavioral questions can significantly boost your confidence in interviews. Practice using the STAR method, prepare your stories, and remember, every question is an opportunity to showcase your abilities and fit for the job. If you found this video helpful, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and click the bell icon for more career tips and advice. Please share your interview experiences in the comments below as I’d love to hear them.
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