Structured Behavioral Interview Questions For Three Valuable Traits

Behavioral interviewing is a popular technique for screening candidates. The prominence of this method is due in large part to its ability to more accurately predict candidate performance. Here are several structured behavioral interview questions that can be used to assess three traits frequently considered essential for job success.

Problem solving

1. Give me an example of the kind of problems that were the biggest challenges on your most recent job. How exactly did you handle that problem? What steps did you take?
2. Tell me about a time on your last job where you had to make a critically important decision without an opportunity to check with your supervisor. How did you proceed to make it? What was the result?
3. Tell me about the accomplishment you are most proud of on your current or last job? Give me the details on exactly how you proceeded to make it happen.

Integrity/Morality

1. Did a supervisor ever tell you to do something that you knew was absolutely wrong or unfair? What did you do or say? If such a situation arose how would you handle it?
2. Tell me about a time when you felt justified in failing to include something on an application for employment. What was the context or the situation that led you to that belief? Was the truth discovered later? What happened? If you have never failed to include all items or past experience, what is the basis for your belief that future employers have a right to know.
3. Tell me about a time when you listed an accomplishment as your own but failed to disclose that you worked with a team. What will your coworkers say about your level of input and support on specific projects you worked on?

Adaptability

1. Tell me about a situation on the job where things went totally wrong and you were considered to have failed. What did you do or say? What have you learned from that experience?
2. Tell me about a specific thing, process or skill set you had to learn how to do over the last year or two? How did you plan to learn it while keeping up with production expectations?
3. What types of people have you had to adjust to on the job over the last several years? Have you ever had to work with someone who just rubbed you the wrong way? How did you handle that?

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