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Recruiting Strategies: Getting to Know the "Real" Candidate

Behavioral questioning comes as close to real-life situations as possible. It is a chance to see someone's mind operate without the memorized, rehearsed interview for which they have prepared. This allows you to evaluate their off-the-cuff responses as opposed to the well-polished answers to conventional questions such as, "Where do you expect to be in five years?" It tests competencies such as analytical and judgment abilities, along with a variety of communication skills, including articulation and active listening. Additionally, it often helps the candidate better understand the job itself.

More sample questions:

• Give an example of an occasion when you used logic to solve a problem.
• Give an example of a goal you reached and tell me how you achieved it.
• Describe a decision you made that was unpopular and how you handled implementing it.
• Have you gone above and beyond the call of duty? If so, how?
• What do you do when your schedule is interrupted? Give an example of how you handle it.
• Have you had to convince a team to work on a project they weren't thrilled about? How did you do it?
• Have you handled a difficult situation with a co-worker? How?
• Tell me about how you worked effectively under pressure.

This technique does have its risks and downsides....it is time-consuming and will sometimes make a candidate uncharacteristically nervous, not giving you an accurate picture of their full potential. Monitoring the time closely and carefully selecting only a few behavioral questions should keep this method of interviewing effective. Also, make it clear to the candidate that there are no right or wrong answers to these questions. I recommend incorporating behavioral questions along with traditional methods of interviewing to achieve a well-thought-out hiring process.