How many times have you stated, “If I had only known that about Jane I never would have hired her?” If not you directly, how many times have you heard hiring managers use the same phrase? More times than not this or a similar phrase comes to light once a newly hired employee reacts to a situation in an unacceptable or unprofessional manner. Often times their reaction may result in a loss of business or severely damage customer relations with a major client. At the very least their reaction will cause some employee relations damage within your organization.

Utilization of the concept of behavioral based interviewing can go a long way towards identifying unacceptable traits or behavior patterns in potential employees. Behavioral based interviewing is a structured series of questions designed to examine an applicant’s past behavior in situations similar to those on the job. It is based on the theory that the best predictor of future behavior or performance is past behavior or performance in similar circumstances. Questions asked during the interview process are probing in nature and ask for specific examples of past experiences. The goal of behavioral based interviewing is to obtain a clear picture of how an applicant actually behaved or performed in a specific scenario.

The key to successfully conducting behavioral based interviews is the pre-interview preparation. There are 3 steps that need to be taken:

• Predetermine the skills, knowledge, and attributes necessary for the position.
• Identify the vital behavior area
• Develop a list of standardized situational based questions.

Determination of the skills, knowledge, and attributes should begin with a review of the job description for the vacant position. This review should also incorporate your organization’s preferred management style and any other vital traits.

While not all inclusive, the following behaviors can be identified through the interview process:

Adaptability
Communication Skills (Both oral and written)
Decision Making
Flexibility
Initiative
Leadership
Problem Solving
Teamwork
Time Management

Here are a few examples of behavioral based interviewing questions:

Behavior Area – Decision Making
Describe a recent unpopular decision you made. What was the result?

Behavior Area – Teamwork
Tell me about a time you had a conflict with a team member and what did you do in that situation?

Behavior Area – Initiative
What did you do to prepare for this interview?

Behavior Area – Time Management
Tell me about a time when you failed to meet a deadline. What things did you fail to do? What did you learn?

Taking the time to thoroughly interview applicants will pay dividends in the long run by eliminating the number of “wrong hires”. Recruitment costs can add up quickly so invest your time and energies into improving your interviewing process and techniques. Your organization will be able to make the “right hiring decisions” and spend more time and energy on improving business operations and increasing profits.