Behavioral Questions

Behavioral questions are easy to answer with a little preparation.

Begin by analyzing the job for which you are interviewing to determine the type of skills required. Review and categorize your background (work, volunteer, farm experience, education and training, etc.) to determine the skills that you possess. Prepare examples using the ‘STAR’ method—describing the Situation (brief overview), your specific Task, the Action you took and the Result. Be prepared for probing questions that the interviewer may use to further explore your answer.

Make sure that you understand the question before you answer. If not, ask for clarification.

Use ‘I’ when answering. It is appropriate to describe the Situation using ‘we,’ but talk specifically about what you did when describing the Task, Action, and Result. Do not be modest!

Speak honestly about what you did in a certain situation. Exaggerating will likely be exposed when the interviewer asks probing questions. If you cannot think of an answer, tell the interviewer. Often he or she will help you to think about the question in a different way or may cue you by referring to your resume. Remember, the interviewer wants to see you at your best. You may also ask to come back to the question—not a perfect solution, but better than dead air. If you prepare well there are very few questions that will stump you.

Sample Behavioral Questions by Skill/Trait

Analytical/Problem Solving

• Tell me about a time when you had to analyze information and make a recommendation.
• Describe an instance when you had to think quickly to free yourself from a difficult situation.
• Give an example of when you identified potential problems and resolved the situation before it became serious.
• Tell me about a situation where you had to solve a difficult problem.

Communication

• Give me an example of a time when you were able to successfully communicate with another person with whom you didn’t see eye to eye (or vice versa).
• Tell me about a time in which you had to use your written communication skills in order to get a point across.
• Describe a situation where you were able to use persuasion to convince someone to see things your way.
• Give me a specific example of when you had to handle an irate customer.

Creativity/Innovation

• Tell me about a problem that you solved in a unique or unusual way.
• Describe the most significant or creative presentation/idea that you developed/implemented.
• Tell me about a time when you created a new process or program that was considered risky.
• Give me a specific example of a time when you came up with an innovative solution to a challenge your company, class or organization was facing.

Decision Making

• Tell me about a difficult decision you had to make within the past year.
• Give an example of a time when you had to make a decision without all the information you needed.
• Discuss a time when you had to make a quick decision.
• Give me an example of a time when there was a decision to be made and procedures were not in place.

Goal Setting

• Give me an example of an important goal that you set and tell me how you reached it.
• Tell me about a goal that you set and did not reach.
• Describe a specific goal you set for yourself and how successful you were in meeting it.

Flexibility/Adaptability

• Tell me about a time when you had to adjust to changes over which you had no control.
• Tell me about a time when you had to adjust to a classmate’s or colleague’s working style in order to complete a project or achieve your objectives.
• By providing specific examples, demonstrate that you can adapt to a wide variety of people, situations and/or work environments.
• Tell me about a situation when you had to be tolerant of an opinion that was different from yours.

Integrity/Honesty

• Tell me about a time when you experienced a loss for doing what is right.
• Give a specific example of a policy you conformed to with which you did not agree.
• Tell me about a specific time when you had to handle a tough problem that challenged fairness or ethical issues.
• Tell me about a time when you challenged the status quo to do what you felt was right.

Interpersonal

• Give me an example of when you had to work with someone who was difficult to get along with.
• Describe a situation where you had a conflict with another person and how you dealt with it.
• Tell me about the most difficult challenge you faced in trying to work cooperatively with someone who did not share the same ideas.

Leadership/Initiative

• Tell me about a time when you were able to provide a co-worker with recognition for the work they performed.
• Describe a leadership situation that you would handle differently if you had to do it over again.
• Tell me about a time when you were in a leadership role and were faced with resistance.
• Tell me about at time when you showed initiative and took the lead in a team project.

Organization/Time-Management

• Describe a situation that required you to do a number of things at the same time.
• Give me a specific example of a time when you were unable to complete a project on time.
• Give me an example of a recent assignment that required the greatest amount of effort with regard to organization.
• Tell me about a time when you got caught up on the details of a project.

Strength/Weaknesses

• Tell me about a time when you did not live up to your full potential.
• Describe for me a time when you failed at something and how you responded.
• Tell me about a time when you missed an obvious solution to a problem.

Teamwork

• Tell me about a time when you worked on a team and a member was not doing their share of the work.
• Tell me about a time when you had to work in a team in which the
• members did not get along.
• Describe your involvement with a team project.
• Give me an example of a time when you were working on a project and the others disagreed with your ideas.

Probing/Follow-up Questions

• What steps did you take?
• What action did you take?
• What happened after that?
• What did you say?
• How did he/she react?
• How did you handle that?
• What was your reaction?
• How do you feel about that?
• What was the outcome?
• Were you happy with the outcome/result?
• What did you wish you had done differently?
• What did you learn from that?
• How did you resolve that?
• What was the outcome of that?
• Why did you decide to do that?
• What was your logic?
• What was your reasoning?
• Who do you think was at fault?
• Where were you when this happened?
• Who else was involved?
• What time was it?
• How did you prepare for that?
• What was your role?
• What obstacles did you face?
• What were you thinking at that point?
• Lead me through your decision-making process
• Tell me more about our interaction with that person.
• Why?
• How?
• When?
• Where?
• What?

Content gathered from the following sources. Used by permission.
1) University of South Carolina, Career Center, Career Center Handouts, Interviewing. [Online] Available: August 21, 2002
2) Michigan State University, Human Resources. Behavioral-Based Interview Questions. [Online] Available: October 26, 2000
3) University of Maryland – Robert H. Smith School of Business, Society for Human Resource Management Student Chapter. Sample Behavioral Interview Questions Grouped by Skill. [Online] Available: March 21, 2000