Welcome Participants to Behavioral Interviewing Workshop Presenters: Ja Rita Johnson Regetta Nobles Moderator: Regina Green

Tips on Preparation for Experienced-Based (Behavioral) Interviews

You arrive 15 minutes before your scheduled time. The clock ticks ever so slowly. Your mind is racing as you reflect on what you’ve done to prepare, the books you’ve read, the wisdom you’ve received from others. Now, it’s your turn. The door opens and the panel asks you to come in. You meet them. After you’ve told them about yourself you begin to feel totally unprepared. The questions are strange….

This workshop is designed to assist you in the preparation of and participation in a behavioral interview. During this session you will find the definition of a behavioral interview and its comparison to a traditional interview and become more familiar with the behavioral interview process. You will also be provided tips to remember that will assist you in having a successful behavioral interview.

Remember, you are not alone in this process. You can obtain assistance from your manager, coworkers, friends, members of the Career Management and Learning Centers (CMLC’s) and members of the AIM Organization.

The purpose of the interview is: To get to know more about you To see if you demonstrate the necessary competencies/skills To assess your potential to perform effectively in the position To see if you are a good fit for the job To hear you tell how you have performed various skills To assess how your previous experience fits with the position To promote yourself

What are behavioral interviews? Based on the "Behavioral Consistency Principle" which states that past behavior and performance predict future behavior and performance. Focus on experiences and competencies that are job related. Include work experience, activities, hobbies, volunteer work or school projects as examples of your past behavior.

Why behavioral interviews? Focus on actions & behaviors Get into job skill specifics Demonstrate Skills & Abilities Elicits details of behaviors and outcomes Is more structured and concentrates on areas important to the interviewer Minimizes personal impressions Provides a systematic process Shows a good match between the job & the candidate Does away with hypothetical questions Increased success rate for hiring the right person for the job Decreased bias

Behavioral vs. Traditional Interviews Typical interviews: May be unstructured and inconsistent across interviewees May use leading questions that hint at the answer the interviewer is seeking from the way it is phrased Behavioral interviews use: Questions that seek demonstrated examples of behavior from your past experience and concentrate on job related competencies

What is Evaluated? Technical Competencies Experience, knowledge, skills or abilities that are job specific (PD identified by nouns) General Transferable Skills Non-technical skills that can be transferred from one job to another (communicating, managing, analyzing or organizing) (identified by verbs) Adaptive or Self-Management Skills Personal characteristics such as team player, self-directed, dependable (identified by adjectives) Management/Leadership Competencies Experience, knowledge, skills or abilities needed to accomplish business results or outcomes such as leading change, leading people (identified in combinations of verbs and nouns)

How Skills Are Selected A Subject Matter Expert (SME - a person who understands the job), or group of SME’s, reviews the position descriptions, critical elements and business measures to identify critical skills for the position.

How Skills Are Evaluated The interviewer or panel uses a numerical scale to indicate the presence of the competency. This is determined by: Actions described by you Relevance of your descriptive example to a skill Behavioral examples of how you demonstrated the competencies relevant to the position Level of your personal involvement How well your competencies match with those needed for the position Outcome of your actions

How to Prepare Following are a few suggestions on how to prepare for a behavioral interview: Obtain a copy of the position description (P.D.) and competencies for the job. Study them carefully to identify technical and management/ leadership competencies for the job. List them. Review your back ground to determine which of your knowledge, skills, and abilities apply to the position for which you are interviewing Compare the two lists to identify how your past experience relates to the new job. (If you don’t have a skill match, reassess if this is the right job for you.) For each skill match from item #3 above, list a minimum of three situations wherein you have taken actions that demonstrate that skill (utilize the SHARE model)

As you think about these situations analyze: Who was involved? What did you do? Or what problems did you encounter When did it occur? Where did it occur? Why was it important? How did you handle it? What problems did you encounter? What was the outcome of your actions? Support your situations with examples demonstrating your strengths, what you learned, and how it fits into your career goals.

Tips for Interview Preparation Prepare your answers utilizing the SHARE model S – Situation (What did you accomplish?) H – Hindrance (What obstacle did you face?) A – Action (What action did you take?) R – Result (What was the outcome?) E – Evaluation (What was learned?) Be certain that your examples are pertinent to show impact Turn negatives into positives Use examples that demonstrate to the panel that you are the best candidate for the job Conduct an informal interview with someone who holds a similar position Be specific, avoid generalizations Be prepared to discuss your job related errors and what you learned from them

The Behavioral Interview Process Introduction Meet the panel - panel may describe the type of interview they’ll be conducting Be ready to discuss who you are. Include: Brief chronology of your work history, i.e., how did you get where you are now What do you do now Why do you want this job How does this job fit into your career goals Personal information if it enhances your employability

The Behavioral Interview Process (cont.) Be prepared to validate or clarify information on your application Be prepared to answer behavioral interview questions Tell me about a time when… Give me an example of when you… Walk me through a situation when… Describe… Be prepared to answer probing or follow-up questions that ask you for reflection, results/outcomes of your actions, and what you’ve learned. Be prepared to ask the panel questions that are relevant, or for which you need to know the answer now or the answer will help you decide about the job. Thank the panel for their time. Reiterate your interest in the job.

Interview Tips Be prepared Practice (schedule a mock interview) Dress appropriately Arrive on time Listen to the question and answer what is asked Take your time responding to the questions Ask for clarification if you don’t understand the question Be aware of your tone of voice, speak up Be aware of your body language Be assertive and promote yourself Highlight your strengths Avoid criticizing your co-workers or supervisors

Behavioral Interviewing List of possible questions Attention to Detail Describe a project you were working on that required attention to detail Communication Describe a time when you had to communicate under difficult circumstances. Conflict Management, Relationship Management Describe a situation where you found yourself working with someone who didn't like you. How did you handle it?

Behavioral Interviewing List of possible questions (cont.) Continuous Learning Describe a time when you recognized a problem as an opportunity. Coping Describe a situation where your results were not up to you supervisors expectations. what did you do? Describe a situation in which you were required to work under pressure. What did you do? Creativity, Communication Tell me about a time when you developed a lesson, workshop, or briefing and presented it to a group.

Behavioral Interviewing List of possible questions (cont.) Customer Service Describe a situation in which you demonstrated an effective customer service skill. Decision Making Give an example of how you reached a practical business decision by reviewing all the facts. Decisiveness, Coping Tell me about a time when you had to stand up for a decision you made even though it made you unpopular. Leadership Describe a time when you exhibited participatory management.

Behavioral Interviewing List of possible questions (cont.) Negotiating Tell me about a time during negotiations when your perceptiveness allowed you to make sense of another person's behavior. Planning, Organizing, Goal Setting Describe a time when you had to complete multiple tasks. what method did you use to manage your time? Planning, Prioritizing, Goal Setting, Resource Management, Decision Making Describe a situation when you had multiple projects to complete with minimal human and fiscal resources. What did you do? How did you make decisions?

Behavioral Interviewing List of possible questions (cont.) Resource Management Describe a situation when you capitalized on an employees skill. Team Work Describe an instance when you participated on a team that had a successful outcome. Problem Solving Describe a time when you analyzed data to determine multiple solutions to a problem. What steps did you take? Note: Be aware that when being asked a behavioral question, your response as well as the questions could apply to more than one skill.

Glossary of Terms Adaptive/Self-Management Skill Personal characteristics; such as team player, self- directed, dependable. (Identified by adjectives) Behavioral Interview An interview based on the "Behavioral Consistency Principle" which states that past behavior and performance predict future behavior and performance. It focuses on experiences, behaviors, knowledge, skills and abilities that are job related. It includes work experience, activities hobbies, volunteer work, or school projects as examples of your past behavior. Chronology Experiences, actions, events, facts, etc. in the sequence in which they occurred. (I.E. date, time)

Glossary of Terms Competency Knowledge, skills and abilities required to perform a specific job. Critical Skills Essential knowledge and experience in performing a task of the job. General/Transferable Skills Non-technical skills that can be transferred from one job to another such as communicating, managing, analyzing or organizing. (Identified by verbs) Hypothetical Question A questions that usually asks if and what you would do in a situation. Informational Interview Interview conducted to gain information about a particular job.

Glossary of Terms Leading Question Question that hints at the answer the interviewer is seeking from the way it is phrased. Probing Question Question that allows the interviewee to provide details about knowledge, skills, and abilities Results/Outcome End products of actions taken in a situation. Skill Ability to use knowledge and experience in performing a task. Skill Match The association of previous experiences with potential job requirements.

Glossary of Terms Spontaneity On the spur of the moment, impromptu, not rehearsed. Subject Matter Expert (SME) A person who understands and has the ability to determine critical skills for a specific job Technical Skills Knowledge that is task specific, usually identified in a position description. (Identified by nouns) Theoretical Questions Questions that use scenarios to determine how you would behave in response to a given set of facts. (Are sometimes referred to as hypothetical.)

References and Internet Websites Resources ehaviorallnterviewing.html http;\\ htrn#ccOSl5Z http;\\ &/Hobehavior.html ETSfbehavioraI~html#I