Unlocking Candidate Potential: The Power of Behavioural Interviewing

Behavioural interviewing is a strategic hiring approach that examines a candidate’s past behaviours in specific situations to assess their potential future performance

CREDIT: This is an edited version of an article that originally appeared on SME News

In contrast to traditional interview questions that often delve into hypothetical scenarios, behavioural interviewing revolves around exploring real-life situations and experiences the candidate has faced. These types of interviews offer valuable insights into the candidate’s soft skills, work ethic and adaptability, providing a comprehensive understanding of their potential performance in the role and compatibility with your team.

Practical application

This approach enables interviewers to evaluate how candidates have applied their skills in practical contexts, providing insight into their proficiency, problem-solving abilities, and potential performance in the role. By focusing on competencies like teamwork, leadership, communication and adaptability, interviewers can assess a candidate’s suitability and effectiveness within their organisation.

Character insights

Assessing behaviour also yields valuable insights into a candidate’s character, work ethic, and interpersonal skills, which are often as crucial as technical abilities in determining their overall suitability for the job. Some employers may complement this approach with psychometric testing for a more comprehensive evaluation.

Question examples:

Can you provide an example of a time when you had to make a difficult decision quickly? What was the situation and how did you handle it?

Describe a project where you had to collaborate with multiple teams or departments. What challenges did you face and how did you overcome them?

Can you give an example of a time when you had to adapt to a significant change at work? How did you handle the transition?

Monitoring the performance of candidates hired through behavioural interviews is essential. By comparing key hiring metrics before and after implementing this approach, businesses can assess its effectiveness and make informed decisions about their hiring practices.

Managers should track the performance and accomplishments of candidates hired using this approach. Evaluate their progress in roles and their impact on achieving business objectives. Gather and analyse feedback from both interviewers and candidates to assess the overall candidate experience. This will determine if the process has become more efficient and effective, and whether there has been a reduction in time to hire.

By consistently monitoring the performance of hires made through this approach and gathering feedback from all stakeholders, organisations can refine their hiring processes, enhance candidate experiences, and ultimately drive better business outcomes.