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When you interview candidates, you have many options, including behavioral interview questions. This is a popular method to help managers determine if someone will fit the job and the organization. You may wish to try them out, but what exactly are they?

If you’re ready to test out these behavioral interview questions, the first step is getting candidates to interview. ZipRecruiter also has a resume database that allows you to search for potential employees! You can get started with ZipRecruiter for free.

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What Are Behavioral Interview Questions?

People understand what technical interview questions do–they help a manager figure out if you have the needed skills to do the job. These are necessary. You don’t want to hire a computer engineer who has no coding ability whatsoever. But, behavioral questions take a lot at how the person will do the job.

They focus on candidate behavior. They can be done either in person or via video interview, but they should be an essential part of most job interviews. As a manager, you’re looking not only for skills but for character traits. You can teach skills more easily than you can teach behavior.

There is an infinite number of possibilities and what you do depends on the nature of the job. Assessing how someone works with other people is critical for a front-line management job. However, personality skills aren’t all that important for a position where the employee works from home and emails in weekly reports.

Regardless of the position, here are some excellent questions to start with and what to look for in an answer.

Top Behavioral Interview Questions

Here are some of the top behavioral interview questions to ask.

Have you ever worked with someone who was dishonest? How did you handle this?

Of course, someone may answer that they haven’t worked with a dishonest person. In that case, you can ask them what they think they might do. Here are some things you are hoping to see in an answer:

• What their relationship was with the employee (coworkers have less responsibility than managers for addressing problems).

• Did they follow company protocols?

• Did they fix the problem immediately and help eliminate the situation in the future?

Tell me about a time you faced a challenge at work. How did you overcome it?

With this question, an answer of “I’ve never faced a challenge” is a huge red flag. Here are vital things to look for:

• Acknowledgment of their part in the challenge. (That is, they don’t blame other people for everything.)

• Attitude and willingness to change.

• What skills and behaviors went into overcoming the challenge.

• How they used this to help them grow, rather than as a source for complaining.

Tell me about a time you went above and beyond to help a coworker.

In this, you’re looking for someone who is a team player. If they cannot come up with a time they helped someone else at work, that’s a red flag. 

Have you worked on multiple projects? How did you prioritize?

For this question, listen to how the candidate decides to prioritize their work. Did they discuss what should be prioritized with their manager?

How do you handle meeting tight deadlines?

With this question, learn how well a candidate works under pressure. Do tight deadlines stress them out? Do they thrive in high-stress situations?

How do you handle it when your schedule is interrupted?

In this, you’re looking for how adaptable your candidate is. Can they still get work done if they are interrupted? Or does it ruin their whole day? How do they handle unexpected things?

What do you do if you disagree with a co-worker?

Look for how the candidate responds to conflict and handles issues in the workplace.

What do you do if you disagree with your boss?

Learn how your candidate handles conflict with a superior.

How do you handle it when there’s a conflict among team members?

This question allows you to see how your candidate handles conflict with team members. Can your candidate address issues as they arise?

What is your most career important accomplishment? Why?

This question gives you insight into the candidate’s drive and motivation. What’s important to them?

Talk about a time when you had to work closely with someone whose personality was very different from yours.

Learn how your candidate deals with diversity and how they solve problems.

Give me an example of a time you faced a conflict while working on a team. How did you handle that?

This question digs into how your candidate handles conflict. If they say they have never had conflict, that is likely a red flag.

Tell me about a time you needed to get information from someone who wasn’t very responsive. What did you do?

In this question, you’re learning how much influence your candidate has over others. This question also looks at their communication and problem-solving skills.

Tell me about a time you had to be very strategic in order to meet all your top priorities.

For this one, you’re looking at how your candidate juggles tasks, priorities and how they communicate. This question also digs into time management.

Describe a long-term project that you managed. How did you keep everything moving along in a timely manner?

For this question, how does your candidate stay on track to meet a deadline? How do they handle following up? How do they deal with delays or when things don’t go according to plan?

Sometimes it’s just not possible to get everything on your to-do list done. Tell me about a time your responsibilities got a little overwhelming. What did you do?

How does the candidate set priorities? How does the candidate communicate that he/she is overwhelmed and has too much on his/her plate? Listen for how the candidate addressed similar situations in the past.

Tell me about a time you set a goal for yourself. How did you go about ensuring that you would meet your objective?

Look for how the candidate goes about setting goals and a plan to achieve their goals. Do they have specific steps to help them achieve their goals?

Give me an example of a time you managed numerous responsibilities. How did you handle that?

Look for how the candidate prioritizes their responsibilities.

What To Look For In Responses to Behavioral Interview Questions

Behavioral questions should add value. Questions should relate to the job at hand, and you should have a clear idea of the type of thing you are looking for. You’ll be looking for different behaviors in someone in sales than you will for an accountant. You don’t want to see whining, blaming others, and lack understanding about solving problems.

Keep in mind that people who are not neurotypical may answer questions differently than you might expect. That’s okay! The question is, will they be a good fit for this job, not some other job. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

What are the top 10 behavioral questions in an interview?

There are no top 10–they depend on the position, but the above gives you a good start.

How do you prepare for a behavioral interview?

Take a look at the above questions or Google some specific to your field and practice talking about your answers. Make some notes about situations you can use to answer the questions.

What are good behavioral interview questions?

Good behavioral questions let a manager know how a job candidate will act in similar situations. They can help you assess fit for a position.

What is the STAR method when interviewing?

This is an acronym for: 

• Specific situation

• Task

• Action

• Result of the situation you are describing. 

This is an excellent acronym to remember whether you are the interviewer or the candidate! You can answer every behavioral question with the STAR method

The Bottom Line

Hiring managers can use behavioral interview questions as one tool for evaluating candidates. Prepare questions that will help you assess a candidate for specific positions. Make sure you know what you’re looking for and take advantage of this valuable tool. ZipRecruiter can help with all of your hiring needs. If you are ready to add to your team, consider listing your job opening on ZipRecruiter!