Ask And Ye Shall Receive:
Harnessing the Power of Behavioral Interviewing

Ever wish you could determine a job applicant's ability to make sound decisions, cope with stress, or deal with difficult personalities ... before you hired him or her? If so, behavioral interviewing techniques could be the next best thing to a crystal ball in improving your hiring process.

Relatively new, behavioral interviewing is a process whereby employers closely examine a candidate's past behavior, on the premise that it predicts his or her future behavior. It's getting a lot of traction these days, as employers know that a bad hire can cost far more than just time and money.

Here's how it works. Let's say John Smith, an accountant with solid credentials and a pretty good work history, applies for a job as controller at your organization. On the surface, he is smooth, affable and "ready to get started." You like him, and he explained his work history to you satisfactorily. He went to the same school as your daughter, so there was even a bit of easy, pleasant chit-chat.

What you don't know is that John has a bad temper, is verbally abusive and was asked to resign from his last position. Since the finance group is one of your hospital's best run departments, good communication skills and the ability to get along well with others are skills your new controller must possess.

Using behavioral-based questions might very well uncover John's darker side. A good way to start would be, "John, tell me about a time when you had to reprimand an employee." Since John is a bully, he will more than likely respond without thinking that his actions are about to be scrutinized. "I had an accounts payable clerk who was a real loser–she couldn't do anything right," explained John. "I often had to tell her to redo her work."

"I bet that was frustrating," you probe. "What did you do to help her improve?"

"There was no help for her! Honestly, one day, I was so tired of her mistakes, I told her to leave on the spot. I run a tight ship and usually don't tolerate mistakes. She had her chance, and she blew it." John smiled, assuming you would be impressed with his no-nonsense style.

Just using the word "loser" should be enough of a red flag to take John out of the running, but as you see, he digs the hole deeper as he continues to talk, revealing his total lack of empathy. If we look closely enough, we can even get a glimpse of his hot temper.

In contrast, an interviewer using a more 'traditional' style might have asked open-ended questions, such as "Why did you leave your last employer?" and "What were your accomplishments in your previous position?" But that approach would likely have done little to uncover candidate John's bad temper. Needless to say, employers are turning to behavioral interviewing techniques more and more–because it works.

After determining the "behavioral specifications" for your next hire, consider some of the following questions:

To Assess the Candidate's Communications Skills:

• Describe a situation in which you used persuasion to successfully convince someone to see things your way.
• Give me an example in which you used your presentation skills to influence someone's opinion.

To Assess the Candidate's People Skills:

• Describe a time when you were faced with a stressful situation that demonstrated your coping skills.
• Give me an example of how you dealt with an abusive patient who was obviously scared and in pain.
• Tell me about your collaboration style–do you prefer to work with others in a group, or one-on-one ... and why?

To Assess the Candidate's Problem Solving Skills:

• Give me a specific example of your use of judgment and logic in solving a problem.
• When did you last have to make a split decision? What was the outcome?
• Tell me about a situation when you missed the obvious solution to a problem.

To Assess the Candidate's Dedication:

• Tell me about a situation in which you missed a deadline, and what you did to resolve the issues that arose as a result.
• Give me an example of an unpopular decision you had to make and carrying it through.
• How do you balance work, and what's important to you outside of work? Is balance attainable?

Behavioral interviewing is a great way to take some of the guess-work out of the hiring process. Determine first what characteristics and skills are most critical to the open position, and develop your questions accordingly. The quality of your inquiries will have a significant impact on the overall success of your organization's recruiting program.