What is Behavioral Interview Techniques?

Behavioral Interview Techniques are widely used by HR professionals and managers to assess a candidate’s past behavior in specific situations as an indicator of their future performance. This method is structured, practical, and focused on real-life examples.

✅ What Is a Behavioral Interview?

A behavioral interview asks candidates to describe past experiences that demonstrate specific competencies, such as teamwork, leadership, problem-solving, or conflict resolution.

📌 Premise: "Past behavior is the best predictor of future performance."

🛠️ Key Technique: The STAR Method

Behavioral answers should follow the STAR structure:

STAR	Meaning
S	Situation – Describe the context or background.
T	Task – What was your responsibility or challenge?
A	Action – What actions did you take to address it?
R	Result – What was the outcome or result of your actions?

💬 Sample Behavioral Interview Questions by Skill

Competency	Sample Question
Teamwork	"Tell me about a time you worked successfully in a team."
Leadership	"Describe a time when you had to lead a project or a team under pressure."
Problem-Solving	"Can you give an example of a difficult problem you solved at work?"
Time Management	"Tell me how you handled multiple deadlines at once."
Conflict Resolution	"Describe a situation where you had a disagreement with a coworker. How did you resolve it?"
Adaptability	"Tell me about a time you had to adapt to a significant change at work."
Customer Focus	"Share an experience when you turned a dissatisfied customer into a satisfied one."

🎯 Why Behavioral Interviewing Works

Focuses on real-life evidence, not hypotheticals

Reduces bias and subjectivity

Encourages consistent evaluation across candidates

Helps identify soft skills, not just technical ability

🧩 Best Practices for Interviewers

✅ Before the Interview

Identify core competencies required for the role

Prepare STAR-based questions for each skill

Use a rating scale (e.g., 1–5) for consistent scoring

✅ During the Interview

Probe deeper: “What exactly did you do?”

Don’t settle for general answers — ask for specifics

Allow silence — give candidates time to think

✅ After the Interview

Compare responses to scoring criteria

Avoid comparing candidates to each other — rate them against the role requirements

Document responses clearly and fairly

⚖️ Behavioral vs Traditional Interviews

Aspect	Behavioral Interview	Traditional Interview
Focus	Past experience	Hypothetical or general ability
Structure	STAR format	Unstructured
Objectivity	High	Low
Prediction Power	Strong	Weak

📌 Final Tip:

Encourage candidates in advance to prepare examples using the STAR method. For internal interviews or promotions, behavioral interviews are extremely effective in revealing leadership potential and cultural fit.