What makes a truly successful employee?
The answer to this question is undoubtedly multi-facetted. But one thing is for sure: there’s a lot more to a successful employee than the qualifications on their resume.
So many employers say that an employee’s behavior in the workplace is just as important as their skillset and work experience. Even when an individual possesses all of the required qualifications and skills for a job, it’s equally important that they’re able to work well with your current team.
For this very reason, more and more employers have started integrating behavioral interview questions into their repertoire. Behavioral interviewing—unlike more typical, generic, questions—gives you the opportunity to dig deeper into a candidate’s personality and gain a better sense of how they conduct themselves in a professional setting.
Here are some of the top behavioral interview questions to help you get started.
Give me an example of a goal you’ve achieved and how you achieved it?
Employers can learn so much from the way in which a prospective employer answers this seemingly simple question. First of all, their answer will help you determine whether or not the person is goal oriented. If they struggle to come up with a time when they achieved a goal, this might be a red flag. You’ll also want to observe whether they credit other people for their success, or if they choose to take all of the credit themselves.
When you’ve encountered a difficult situation with a co-worker? How did you handle it?
What’s good about this question is that there is no right or wrong answer—a common trait of most behavioral interview questions. From the way that they answer, you should get a good sense of whether the person is a team player. Pay extra close attention to their tone on this one. Do they sound hostile about the situation or resentful of the co-worker? Does this seem like a person who is potentially difficult to work with?
What would you do if you disagreed with your boss on an important professional issue?
Again: this question really forces the candidate to think about his or her response as there is no clearly defined right or wrong answer. Different companies are looking for different things when it comes to opinionated employees. In some work environments, calling your boss’ actions into questions would be seen as a great thing. In others it might look defiant and out of line. For most it’s more likely to be somewhere in the middle. But by listening to the person’s response, you should be able to discern whether or not their disposition will be a good fit for your company.
For more great tips on how to ask behavioral interview questions, Contact PrideStaff Las Vegas.
