This interview technique is quickly becoming a favorite among employers. You will know you are in a behavioral interview when the interviewer starts asking you for specific examples of past performance.

The basic premise driving behavioral (competency-based) interviews is that an applicant’s recent, relevant past performance is the best predictor of future performance, in a similar environment. You can rest assured that a behavior-based interview question is directly linked to an important task or essential function of the position. (more…)

Question:

I have been through two grueling interviews in the last week. The interviewers asked really [probing] questions like, “Tell me about a time when you failed to meet a deadline,” and “Give me a specific example of a time when your associates criticized your work in front of others.”

I was caught off guard by these types of questions. I expected more traditional questions like the ones found in two of the books I recently purchased on interviewing which proved to be of little use in these interviews. I became defensive and blew the interview. Is this a form of stress interviewing and how can I prepare for it? (more…)