What Can Behavioral Interview Questions Tell You?

When hiring IT candidates, it’s natural to focus on the specific technical skills the position requires, but don’t underestimate what can be learned from behavioral interview questions.

Employees are more than a bundle of technical competencies, and by assessing their answers to behavioral questions, you’ll learn if they have the qualities that will make them valuable assets to your team, if they will thrive in your organization, and if they are likely to stay for the long term.

The best way to predict future performance is by assessing prior actions. That’s where behavioral interview questions come in. Here’s how it works. Rather than taking a candidate’s word that he is a team player or handles stress well, you ask for specific examples that demonstrate these traits.

Try asking questions like these:

• Describe how you handled a difficult challenge at work.
• Talk about a time you were assigned a task without enough information to complete it.
• Discuss how you set and achieve goals.
• Tell me about a time when you were under a great deal of pressure at work and how you dealt with it.
• Describe a time when you failed at a work task. What happened and what did you learn?

The answers to these questions will tell you how well the candidate will fit into your work environment and if hiring them is the right decision. Is the applicant self-directed and goal-oriented? Will he/she ask clarifying questions to ensure tasks are performed successfully? Can the applicant thrive in a fast-paced or team-oriented environment?

Kepp in mind that behavioral interview questions shouldn’t replace traditional interview questions. A candidate with a great attitude and work ethic still needs to have the technical skills to perform the job effectively. But by getting specific examples of how they perform on the job, you can select a candidate with both the hard and soft skills your company expects from their employees.

Looking for the Right Tech Talent?

To find technical candidates with the skills, experience, and behavior your organization needs, contact the experts at INSPYR Solutions. We help employers like you find the right people quicker.