How to Develop a Behavioral-Based Interview
Steps 1-3
Following is a description of the process used to create structured behavioral interview questions. We recommend that a group of people highly familiar with the position perform the steps together to promote objective and balanced thinking, and to generate more thorough information.
Step 1. Identify what you are
looking for by completing a job analysis and/or reviewing a recently
updated position description.
Behavioral-Based Interview questions should be based on a current position description resulting from job analysis. The information about the position should include the work performed, as well as the competencies necessary to successfully complete the most important work.
From the competencies listed as critical, identify those which are required upon entry to the position. Interview questions should only assess those competencies which will not be learned on the job during a probations/training period.
Note to readers: A&I-HRD classification consultants and the workforce planning coordinator are available to assist you in performing job analysis and to teach you how to revise and update a position description questionnaires and draw out critical competencies.
Step #2. Write behavioral
questions to gather information.
For each key competency, create a question by describing a job-related scenario in which the competency is demonstrated. This may be done by describing in detail actual events that have occurred on the job (referred to as critical incidents), or by describing in more general terms situations that routinely happen on the job. The method chosen will often depend on the competency, the level of the position, and whether you wish to measure specific behaviors demonstrated, results, or both.
For example, if one of the position’s key competencies is “ability to mediate disputes,” you may seek to know the associated behaviors a candidate has demonstrated. You may ask a question such as:
“This position serves as a facilitator or coordinator of special projects and committees. In this role, you need to resolve differences of opinion among committee members regarding project issues. Please describe a situation in which you faced a similar challenge. Include the type of project and the differences of opinion. Be specific about the actions you took and what you said when resolving those differences.”
This type of question should elicit detailed statements about behaviors the candidate has demonstrated when mediating disputes. You can then compare those behaviors with those you value most.
Alternatively, if a key competency is “ability to manage multiple priorities,” you may seek to know generally whether or not a candidate possesses that competency at the proficiency necessary for the position. You may be looking for specific actions and reasoning behind those actions, and the final outcome of the scenario you describe. (Only measure outcomes if the candidate had control over the end result.) You may ask:
“Tell us about a time when you were required to complete multiple assignments in the same time period. How did you handle the situation? Please be specific about the number of assignments, the actions you took, the reasons for those actions, and the result.”
This type of question should elicit enough detail to give you a good indication of the candidate’s ability to manage multiple priorities. It will also provide you with information about the level of difficulty or complexity the candidate has handled, which may be compared to that of your position.
No matter the method you choose, the questions should ask candidates to provide details about times when they demonstrated the competency you are trying to measure. Avoid the temptation to bundle up too many questions in one, as candidates may overlook part of the question if it is too long or complex. If a question does have multiple parts, you may make this explicit by stating the various parts separately (e.g., This question has three parts. The first part…). Examples of behavioral questions and the competencies they measure may be found near the end of this web-guide at Examples of Behavioral-Based Interviewing Questions.
Step #3. Identify what constitutes
successful demonstration of the competency.
Rating or scoring criteria is essential to a structured behavioral interview. Instead of relying solely on subjective and vague terminology such as “poor response,” “average response” and “excellent response,” the rating guide for structured interview questions should contain the specific behaviors, proficiency levels and/or criteria of an appropriate response.
For each question, identify the key behaviors or criteria that separate an excellent performance of the competency from a poor one. These statements will be used by interviewers to rate candidates’ responses, so the language should be clear, simple, and straightforward. Using the mediation example from Step 2, the group may decide (based on the actual job) that behaviors which indicate excellent performance of the competency would include:
-
Directed discussion toward identifying common interests and possible solutions;
-
Involved all parties in development of alternatives that fulfilled their interests and needs;
-
Helped all parties understand the key issues from others’ perspectives; and,
-
Resolved the differences in a way that each person felt his or her concerns were respected and addressed.
The group should also identify behaviors and proficiency levels which indicate adequate and inadequate performance of the competency. This allows interviewers to match candidate responses to a full range of behaviors.
The managing multiple priorities example from Step 2 may have very different rating criteria. For this competency, the criteria that demonstrate proficiency may include:
-
Worked concurrently on four or more assignments;
-
Most or all of the assignments were of a complex nature and required thought and diligence to handle appropriately;
-
All of the assignments were completed on time;
-
Candidate employed sound rationale for the actions taken and for the method used to prioritize assignments; and,
-
All parties involved (supervisor, customer, co-worker) were satisfied with the results.
In this example, the interviewers are looking for signs that the candidate has successfully managed multiple priorities in a situation very similar to that encountered in the vacant position. It differs from the previous rating criteria in that the specific actions and rationale are not spelled out for the interviewers.
This is one way that the rating information may vary from question to question to meet your particular needs. The key is to have clear, relevant statements describing what you seek to use to measure the competency. The statements will allow interviewers to anchor the responses and assign scores.
Take me to Steps 4-6>>>