How to Handle Behavioral Interview Questions

Behavioral interview questions are common once the hiring manager has determined you have the basic skills and experience to do the job. The reason is that they want to gain confidence that you would be a good fit for that team and that organizations’ culture. That boils down to how you are likely to handle problems and conflict and how you tend to communicate. The STAR method is effective when answering behavioral interview questions, aka called competency-based interview questions. Your answers will provide insight into how you’d behave or react in a specific situation. Applying the STAR technique during a behavioral interview gives employers more context about the:

Situation: What situation or challenge did you face?

Task: What task were you involved in? What were your responsibilities and goals?

Action: What actions did you specifically take to achieve the task? How did you contribute to your team’s efforts?

Result: What was the outcome of your actions? How did it benefit your company? Can it be quantified?

Other benefits of using the STAR framework to answer each behavioral question:

• It conveys to the hiring manager you’re well-prepared for your interview.
• Demonstrates how you’ve made positive contributions in your previous roles.
• Shows you have the relevant experience and qualifications to excel in the position.

Frank Manfre www.frankmanfre.com/career-coaching