Interview Behavior Related Questions

Behavior Related Questions – When we go for an interview there are a lot of interview questions which are asked and we need to be prepared for all of them. We should just not know the answers, but we should answer them in a way that is different from others.

In the blog, let us just see the questions which are related to behavior and what answers we should give if these questions are asked.

Some things to keep in mind while answering the question are:

Be honest and give a true reply to all the questions which are asked. Be the person who you are in the reality while answering the questions also.
Keep in mind the job profile and company while giving the answers.
Be careful about what you share as there is no need to share the things which put you in a bad light.
Demonstrate self-knowledge which is a sign of maturity and for this, you need to know yourself well.
Keep a track of your tone and attitude as what you say is important, but how you say is more important. Also, be positive while giving the answers.
These questions relate to your behavior so, no answer is right or wrong here.
Follow the STAR or SHARE technique to answer behavior related questions.
Prepare ahead of time and make a note of all the important points which may help you to answer these questions.
Prepare specific examples as per the situations or questions.
Take your time answering a question to think of an appropriate story with all the minute details.

There can be many behavioral interview questions, but a few of the important questions which are asked are: Behavior Related Questions

Tell me about a time when you handle a challenging situation.
Tell me about a time when you made a mistake. What did you do to correct it?
Tell me about a time when you were in conflict with a peer and how the situation was resolved.
Tell me about how you work under pressure.
Give me an example of a time you made a decision that was unpopular and explain how you handled implementing it.
Behavior Related Questions
Share an example of how you were able to motivate a coworker, your peers or your team.
Tell me about a goal you set and reached and how you achieved it.
Tell me about the last time your workday ended before you were able to get everything done.
And
Tell me about a goal you failed to achieve.
Tell me about a time when you handled a challenging situation.

Let us check the way answers should be given for behavioral interview questions.

Tell me about a time when you handled a challenging situation.

As per the question, the interviewer wants to know how do you handle stressful situations when the situation arises. You need to give examples of when you successfully solve the problem to overcome a challenge. It can be when you made a mistake in handling the challenge, but then you learned later from the experience and you get to know what you would do differently next time. Behavior Related Questions

Example: “When my previous company’s manager went on leave because of an emergency and we were in the middle of a project with large sponsors for the upcoming conference. I was given the task of putting together the things for the presentations of the project to get the sponsors in our favor and I only had little information. And I just took this as a challenge and called a meeting with members of our team and jotted down all the necessary selling points that would impact the sponsors. I presented the same to the sponsors. The result was we got the project from the sponsors. I’m proud of the results we achieved when we worked together.” Behavior Related Questions

Tell me about a time when you made a mistake. What did you do to correct it?

First of all, understand one thing the interviewer understands that everyone makes mistakes. Secondly, they want to know how you took over that situation and the best way to do is quickly take full responsibility for the mistake, and tell them how you worked hard to correct it and took steps to minimize the chances of repeating the mistake.

Example: “As a sales representative, I misquoted the price for a particular product. I realized the mistake, I was scared but I went directly to my manager and explained what happened. He appreciated my honesty and suggested that we will take care of the same, but I should keep the words given to the customer. I spoke to the customer directly and explained what happened and that the quoted price was actually higher than my original estimate, but that we would be happy to waive the setup fee. The customer understood the situation. After this, I printed our price sheet to have it quickly at hand and implemented a new process for quoting estimates, one in which I checked the final estimate before sending it.” Behavior Related Questions

Tell me about how you work under pressure.

This question is basically asked by the interviewer to see how well you work under pressure and what strategies you have used in the past to handle the pressure. It is important to know the way you handle stress at a job. The best answer will give an example, specifying how you managed a high-pressure situation successfully.

Example: “I was working on a large project that my team was suppose to complete for the client in 60 days. But, the client want it to be do in 45 days and we need to speed up our work without compromising on other projects. We had a team meeting and worked out a solution. We shifted lower-priority tasks until we complete our project within the new deadline that added extra hours to our workweek. I also took it as a challenge by my team to complete the project in 45 days and as a reward, we were promise two days of extra leaves. Our team get the job do in 42 days.”

Tell me about a goal you set and reached and how you achieved it.

This question is ask as the interviewer wants to see how you plan to achieve a goal. The best answer is one where you tell about taking a goal, create a plan and follow the necessary steps to achieve it. Try to use an example where you set your own goal, especially a big goal, and took the necessary steps to reach it.

Example: “In my last company, I was responsible to manage all social media content. One quarter, I set a stretch goal to increase conversions to our website by 75%. I just planned it by breaking it down into weekly goals and researched what other brands were experimenting with. I noticed they were using videos and seeing great engagement from their customers, so I asked my boss if we could do a low-budget test. She gave me a go-ahead, so I produced a video cheaply in-house that double the engagement. We normally saw on our social channels during the first week. With the new strategy, I not only met my stretch goal, but I also exceeded it by 5% of total conversions by 80% over the quarter.”

Tell me about the last time your workday ended before you were able to get everything done.

This question is ask by the interviewer to know about your commitment, work ethic, prioritization skills, and ability to communicate. You should understand the first thing that the interviewer doesn’t expect much but they do want to see a level of dedication to get your job done. The best answer would be by telling him that you work late to finish your work or you came early the next day or set your priorities accordingly.

Example: “I was working on a large project that my team was supposed to complete for the client in 60 days. But, the client wanted it to be done in 45 days and we needed to speed up our work without compromising on other projects. We had a team meeting and worked out a solution. We shifted lower-priority tasks until we complete our project within the new deadline that added extra hours to our workweek. I also took it as a challenge by my team to complete the project in 45 days and as a reward, we were promise two days of extra leaves. Our team get the job do in 42 days.”

Tell me about a goal you failed to achieve.

This question is ask by the interviewer to know how you handle disappointment or failure. They would also like to see how you handled the time when it’s time to give up, to accept that something didn’t work, and move forward. The best answer would be where you tell about setting a big goal, but didn’t achieve it and took responsibility. Also, learn from the experience. The best way is to tell what you learn from it and what you would do differently next time, something about yourself, what motivates you, or what is truly important to you.

Example: “I was working with a start-up where our goal was to create content that would educate parents about how important it is to spend time as a family around the dinner table. But, we were never able to figure out a way to monetize the business. We conducted a poll with our audience and tried many different things, but we did not get success. However, I learned a lot from the process. I develop many skills and realize I’m good at shifting direction when something isn’t working. I realized, I don’t let defeats discourage me for long. Each time something didn’t work, I picked myself back up and moved forward.”

These questions may be asked differently, but you need to understand the question properly and then you need to answer them considering the answers mention above using the STAR or SHARE technique. These answers if given correctly not only have a good impression of yours on the employer, but it will also increase the probability of your selection.

And, who does not want that?

All of us right. So, make sure you are prepare and you know the answers but also remember that you are just not giving an answer which is mugge up. It should be given with the presence of mind and taking due care of what is ask.

About the Author: Anju Jindal

Anju is a trainer, entrepreneur, and career growth specialist who helps students, working professionals, women, and Job seekers to reach out to their goals by implementing a Career Growth plan