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During a job interview, it is likely that you will be asked behavioral interview questions. What are behavioral job interview questions, and what’s the best way to answer them?
Behavioral interview questions are designed to give hiring managers insight into your behavior, personality, and character. These questions also help gauge how you might perform on the job because they generally require you to discuss how you have handled work-related situations in the past.
Find out more about this type of interview question and review the most common behavioral interview questions employers ask. Plus, get tips on how to prepare and respond smoothly when you’re asked to give examples of how you handle workplace situations.
Behavioral job interview techniques are used by all types of companies. Unlike traditional job interview questions that ask you to describe what you did in a role or to share qualifications, these questions seek concrete examples of skills and experiences that relate directly to the position.
Behavioral questions allow employers to gauge how you would respond to a specific workplace situation and how you solve problems to achieve a successful outcome. These questions often ask you to reflect on challenging situations, professional achievements, or examples of teamwork.
Behavioral interview questions are generally formatted by presenting a situation, inquiring about what action you took to respond to something similar in the past, and what the result was.
The interviewer will ask how you handled a situation, and you will need to respond with an explanation of what you did. The logic is that your success in the past is a positive indicator of your success in the future.
Here are some common behavioral interview questions you may be asked during a job interview. Review the sample responses and consider how you would answer the questions.
As you can see from the sample responses, it's important to be ready with specific examples and anecdotes.
While you don't need to memorize answers, have a sense of what experiences you would share and how you would describe them to the interviewer. You'll want your examples to be both clear and succinct.
What They Want to Know: If you’re being considered for a high-stress job, the interviewer will want to know how well you can work under pressure. Give a real example of how you’ve dealt with pressure when you respond.
I had been working on a key project that was scheduled for delivery to the client in 60 days. My supervisor came to me and said that we needed to speed it up and be ready in 45 days while keeping our other projects on time. I made it into a challenge for my staff, and we effectively added just a few hours to each of our schedules and got the job done in 42 days by sharing the workload. Of course, I had a great group of people to work with, but I think that my effective allocation of tasks was a major component that contributed to the success of the project.
What They Want to Know: Regardless of your job, things may go wrong, and it won’t always be business as usual. With this type of question, the hiring manager wants to know how you will react in a difficult situation. Focus on how you resolved a challenging situation when you respond. Consider sharing a step-by-step outline of what you did and why it worked.
One time, my supervisor needed to leave town unexpectedly, and we were in the middle of complicated negotiations with a new sponsor. I was tasked with putting together a PowerPoint presentation just from the notes he had left and some briefing from his manager. My presentation was successful. We got the sponsorship, and the management team even recommended me for an award.
What They Want to Know: Nobody is perfect, and we all make mistakes. The interviewer is more interested in how you handled your mistake or error than in the fact that it happened.
I once misquoted the fees for a particular type of membership to the club where I worked. I explained my mistake to my supervisor, who appreciated my coming to him and my honesty. He told me to offer to waive the application fee for the new member. The member joined the club despite my mistake, my supervisor was understanding, and although I felt bad that I had made a mistake, I learned to pay close attention to the details so I can give accurate information in the future.
When you're answering interview questions about mistakes, keep the focus on what you did after the mistake to fix the situation (or ensure it wouldn't be repeated). Plus, make sure to reference mistakes that are minor and wouldn't cause an interviewer to think twice about you as a candidate.
What They Want to Know: With this question, the interviewer wants to know how well you plan and set goals for what you want to accomplish. The easiest way to respond is to share examples of successful goal setting.
Within a few weeks of beginning my first job as a sales associate in a department store, I knew that I wanted to be in the fashion industry. I decided that I would work my way up to department manager, and at that point, I would have enough money saved to be able to attend design school full time. I did just that, and I even landed my first job through an internship I completed the summer before graduation.
What They Want to Know: The hiring manager is interested in learning what you do to achieve your goals and the steps you take to accomplish them.
When I started working for XYZ Company, I wanted to achieve the Employee of the Month title. It was a motivational challenge, and not all the employees took it that seriously, but I really wanted that parking spot, and my picture on the wall. I went out of my way to be helpful to my colleagues, supervisors, and customers—which I would have done anyway. I liked the job and the people I worked with. The third month I was there, I got the honor. It was good to achieve my goal, and I ended up moving into a managerial position there quickly. I think my supervisors appreciated my positive attitude and perseverance.
What They Want to Know: Sometimes, management must make difficult decisions, and not all employees are happy when a new policy is put in place. If you’re interviewing for a decision-making role, the interviewer will want to know your process for implementing change.
Once, I inherited a group of employees when their supervisor relocated to another city. They had been allowed to cover each other’s shifts without management approval. I didn’t like the inconsistencies. Certain people were being given more opportunities than others. I introduced a policy in which I had my assistant approve all staffing changes to make sure that everyone who wanted extra hours and was available at certain times could be utilized.
What They Want to Know: Many jobs require working as part of a team. In interviews for those roles, the hiring manager will want to know how well you work with others and cooperate with other team members.
During my last semester in college, I worked as part of a research team in the History department. The professor leading the project was writing a book on the development of language in Europe during the Middle Ages. We were each assigned different sectors to focus on, and I suggested that we meet independently before our weekly meeting with the professor to discuss our progress and help each other out if we were having any difficulties. The professor really appreciated the way we worked together, and it helped to streamline his research as well. He was ready to start on his final copy months ahead of schedule because of the work we helped him with.
Highlight key teamwork skills (like communication) in your answer to interview questions about teamwork. Avoid critiques of teammates even if you're explicitly asked about situations where collaboration was a struggle.
What They Want to Know: With this question, the interviewer is seeking insight into how you handle issues at work. Focus on how you’ve solved a problem or compromised when there was a workplace disagreement.
A few years ago, I had a supervisor who wanted me to find ways to outsource most of the work we were doing in my department. I felt that my department was one where having the staff on the premises had a huge impact on our effectiveness and ability to relate to our clients. I presented a strong case to her, and she came up with a compromise plan.
While questions about problems revolve around something negative, aim to keep your tone and response positive. Look for ways to describe how you handled the problem.
What They Want to Know: Do you have strong motivational skills? What strategies do you use to motivate your team? The hiring manager is looking for a concrete example of your ability to motivate others.
I was in a situation once where the management of our department was taken over by employees with experience in a totally different industry as part of an effort to maximize profits over service. Many of my co-workers were resistant to the sweeping changes that were being made, but I immediately recognized some of the benefits and was able to motivate my colleagues to give the new process a chance to succeed.
What They Want to Know: Can you handle difficult situations at work, or do you not deal with them well? The employer will want to know what you do when there’s a problem.
When I worked at ABC Global, it came to my attention that one of my employees had become addicted to painkillers prescribed after she had surgery. Her performance was being negatively impacted, and she needed to get some help. I spoke with her privately, and I helped her arrange a weekend treatment program that was covered by her insurance. Fortunately, she was able to get her life back on track, and she received a promotion about six months later.
Learn as much as you can about the company and the role. The more you know about the job and the company, the easier it will be to respond to interview questions. Take the time to research the company before your interview, and review the job posting so you’re as familiar as possible with the role.
Match your qualifications to the job. To help you prepare for a behavioral interview, review the job requirements, and make a list of the behavioral skills you have that closely match them. Here's how to match your qualifications to the job.
Make a list of examples. Interviewers develop questions to determine how successful a candidate will be, given the specific tasks of the job. Obviously, you want to present your experiences as clearly as you can, using real examples and highlighting situations where you were successful.
Learn how to use the STAR interview technique to give well-thought-out and complete answers.
Be ready to share a story. You may be asked variations of the questions listed above, but if you prepare some stories to share with the interviewer, you’ll be able to readily respond.
During a behavioral interview, you'll be presented with a possible situation and then asked how you have responded to similar situations in the past. This situation might be a challenging project, disagreeing with a colleague, prioritizing multiple projects, and so on.
For interviewers, your responses to behavioral questions supply concrete evidence about your skills and on-the-job behavior. This can help them predict how you'll perform in the role at hand. Employers will be looking for candidates who can demonstrate the skills needed in the role and give a clear, succinct response.
