Behavioral Interviewing

Have you ever wondered, while interviewing a candidate, how will you suspend your own personal biases during the interview? Well, if you have, you might want to read on and learn how to do just that.
Behavioral interviewing is a relatively new mode of job interviewing. Employers such as AT&T and Accenture (formerly Andersen Consulting) have been using behavioral interviewing for 15 years, and because increasing numbers of employers are using behavior-based methods to screen job candidates, understanding how to excel in this interview environment is becoming a crucial job-hunting skill.
What is Behavior Based Interviewing? Behavior-based interviewing focuses on your past experiences, behaviors, attitudes, personal skills and capacities that are job-related. It is based on the belief that past behavior and performance predicts future behavior and performance. You may use work experience, outsides activities, hobbies, volunteer work, school projects, family life as examples of your past behavior. However we suggest to focus on job related performance as much as possible.
Behavioral Interviewing Questions. This is the key to matching behavioral interviewing questions with specific soft sills or competencies. Below is a short list of 22 competencies with their definitions, suggestions for effective interviewing hints and a sample question for each.
1. Conflict Management: Addressing and resolving conflict constructively.
o Listen for proactive identification and resolution of concerns and issues.
o Sample question: "Describe the most difficult conflict you've ever had to manage."
2. Employee Development/Coaching: Facilitating and supporting the professional growth of others.
o Listen for a belief in the potential of others and promoting of learning and development.
o Sample question: "Describe your personal experience with a mentor or coach."
3. Interpersonal Skills: Effectively communicating, building rapport and relating well to all kinds of people.
o Listen for self-awareness, understanding and an ability to communicate effectively with others regardless of differences.
o Sample question: "Describe the most difficult working relationship you've had with an individual."
4. Teamwork: Working effectively and productively with other.
o Listen for a strong commitment and contributions to team members working towards a specific goal.
o Sample question: "Give me an example of one of the most significant contributions you made as a member of a high performing team."
5. Self-Management: Demonstrating self-control and an ability to manage time and priorities.
o Listen for composure, assertiveness and emotional stability.
o Sample question: "Give me an example of when you were able to meet the personal and professional demands in your life, yet still maintained a healthy balance."
6. Empathy: Identifying with and caring about others.
o Listen for genuine caring, compassion and initiative in assisting others without expectations of rewards.
o Sample question: "Give me an example of when you identified with someone else's difficulties at work."
7. Planning/Organizing: Utilizing logical, systematic and orderly procedures to meet objectives.
o Listen for logical, organized and systematic approaches.
o Sample question: " Describe the most complex assignment or project you've worked on."
8. Customer Service: Anticipating, meeting and/or exceeding customer needs, wants and expectations.
o Listen for extraordinary efforts in responding to customer needs and wants to insure satisfaction.
o Sample question: " Give me an example of when you went out of your way for a customer."
9. Written Communication: Writing clearly, succinctly and understandably.
Look for clear and understandable knowledge or written communication.
Sample question: "Give me an example of something you wrote for work that was effective in achieving a communication goal."
10. Presenting: Speaking effectively to small and large groups.
o Listen for awareness, accuracy and composure.
o Sample question: " Describe a situation when you had to give a presentation to a group of people you have never met."
11. Persuasion: Convincing others to change the way they think, believe or behave.
o Listen for persistence, determination and a "never-give-up" attitude in efforts to meet goals.
o Sample question: "Describe a situation where you were able to convince others to your way of thinking."
12. Goal Orientation: Energetically focusing efforts on meeting a goal, mission or objective.
o Listen for the ability to maintain their direction in spite of obstacles in their path.
o Sample question: "Give me an example of the most significant professional goal you have met."
13. Flexibility: Agility in adapting to change.
o Listen for a positive attitude towards lots of activity, multi-tasking and change, in general.
o Sample question: "Give me an example of when you were forced to change priorities or direction."
14. Continuous Learning: Taking initiative in learning and implementing new concepts, technologies and/or methods.
o Listen for a positive attitude towards self-improvement, learning and the application of knowledge.
o Sample question: "How do you keep current on what's going on in your field?"
15. Personal Effectiveness: Demonstrating initiative, self-confidence, resiliency and a willingness to take responsibility for personal actions.
o Listen for a strong sense of self, personal responsibility, courage and resilience.
o Sample question: "What do you think has enabled you to meet your goals?"
16. Problem Solving: Anticipating, analyzing, diagnosing and resolving problems.
o Listen for an analytical and disciplined approach to solving problems.
o Sample question: "Describe a situation when you anticipated a problem."
17. Negotiation: Facilitating agreements between two or more parties.
o Listen for seasoned expertise in negotiating "win-win" agreements.
o Sample question: "Give me an example of when you were able to facilitate a "win-win" agreement between two or more adversarial parties."
18. Management: Achieving extraordinary results through effective management of resources, systems and processes.
o Listen for shrewd business sense, understanding of operational issues and an ability to improve the bottom line.
o Sample question: "Describe the largest budget you've ever developed and had responsibility for managing."
19. Leadership: Achieving extraordinary business results through people.
o Listen for an ability to obtain the trust, commitment and motivation of others to achieve goals and objectives.
o Sample question: "If you have held a leadership position in the past, draw the organizational chart above and below your position to illustrate the scope of your leadership responsibilities."
20. Decision Making: Utilizing effective processes to make decisions.
o Listen for an ability to make timely decisions under difficult circumstances.
o Sample question: "Give me an example of when you had to make a quick decision when the risk of making an error was high."
21. Futuristic Thinking: Imagining, envisioning, projecting and/or predicting what has not yet been realized.
o Listen for optimism, predictions and a commitment to future possibilities.
o Sample question: "Describe a situation when you were correct in seeing a future trend that others didn't."
22. Creativity/Innovation: Adapting traditional or devising new approaches, concepts, methods, models, designs, processes, technologies, and/or systems.
o Listen for "out-of-the-box" thinking and unusual approaches.
o Sample question: " Describe a work situation when you adapted a concept, design, process or system to meet a need."
Be sure to probe for as many details and specifics as possible such as names, dates and other verifiable information. Skilled interviewers will also ask candidates for their thoughts or feelings about a situation to gain further insight.
How Can I Prepare for A Behavioral Interview?
o Be familiar with the type of positions for which you're applying.
o Reflect on your own background. What skills do you have that relate to the job you are applying for?
o Think of examples from your past experience where you demonstrated those skills. How can you give an example about your use of particular skills or knowledge?
o Be prepared to provide examples of when results didn't turn out as you planned. What did you do then? In hindsight, what would you do differently?
o Identify two or three of your strengths and determine how you will convey these assets during the interview.
o Once you land your desired position, keep a personal achievement diary to help document demonstrated performance.
How Do I Prepare For a Behavioral Interview If I Am The Interviewer or Company Hiring?
o If the job could talk; what would it say? About:
o The behaviors of the person who will always be able to deliver superior performance?
o The attitudes of the people doing the job?
o The attributes or soft skills needed for superior performance?
o Job Benchmarking with a system such as Trimetrix, reveals why, how and what an individual can contribute to a job.
o It identifies a complete hierarchy of competencies or personal skills. It allows you to clarify any position issues. It prioritizes and validates the competencies required.
o This can be done for any:
o Leadership/Management Exempt position
o Professional Exempt position
o Hourly non-exempt position
o Anytime you need an unbiased opinion about whether someone is right or wrong for the job, the computer will analyze the input of up to ten respondents to identify the importance of the 23 soft skills competencies.
o Where can you do this...through the Internet! Have up to ten respondents identify the importance of the 23 soft skills competencies and then see how your candidate matches up.

The premise behind behavioral interviewing is that the most accurate predictor of future performance is past performance in similar situations. Behavioral interviewing, in fact, is said to be 55 percent predictive of future on-the-job behavior, while traditional interviewing is only ten percent predictive.
Good luck with the process of Behavioral Interviewing and Well-Run Concepts encourages you to use the Behavioral Interviewing questions provided in this article to get you started.

Article Source: ezinearticles.com

The 8 Most Critical Job Interview Tips

Have you ever viewed a job listing and said to yourself "That's my next job. This is perfect for me because I am a great fit for this role." Shortly thereafter, you apply for the position. Not long after, you interview for the role and then the hiring manager goes radio silent on you. You think to yourself, "What happened?" You thought you were the perfect match for the position. "What could have possible gone wrong?" This happens all the time.
The results you got had very little to do with your skill set and ability to perform in the role at a high level. Instead, it had EVERYTHING to do with your technique and approach before and during the interview. Your body language, attitude, and overall confidence speaks louder than anything you express verbally during the interview.
At some point, this has more than likely happened to all of us. The key is to learn these simple solutions to ensure you are prepared the next time you interview for another position.
Here are 8 CRITICAL Interviewing Techniques:
Common Courtesy: Do NOT chew gum during the interview. This seems silly to even have to mention but it happens often. Be on time. Arrive no more than 10 minutes before the interview time. Do not be late but being early can also put the hiring manager in a crunch. Do your homework. You should have researched the company, position applying for and even the hiring manager. Respect their time and title by being prepared.
Tone of Voice: Speak with confidence and authority; do not mumble under your breath. Hold your head up high and speak with clarity. Always pronounce words fully and enunciate. Slang and profanity are NEVER an acceptable form of communication.
Eye contact: Do not look away or stare at the wall, especially if you have an international accent eye contact is critical, it is much easier to understand the words when looking directly at someone.
Posture: Do not slouch, sit up straight and push your shoulders back. Sit still do not fidget, tap tour fingers or talk with your hands it is distracting and annoying. Do not shake your legs or put your hands behind your head like you are about to break out into abdominal crunches (this too has happened).
Facial Expression: This is one of my personal favorite tricks of the trade. It works every time, smile as you talk and see how he or she reacts to you, the mood changes!
Optimism vs. Pessimism: Don't talk about how you were laid off or that everyone was fired and no one was happy at company XYZ. Explain things briefly and move on to more positive subjects. See the glass half full, not half empty.
Handshake: Extend a strong firm grip with confidence. Again, this is a key non-verbal expression and great first impression. This is another one of my personal favorites!
Presentation: Make sure you dress accordingly. Most of the time it will be a professional suit but it could be a uniform depending on the job. Just make sure it is clean, pressed and spotless. Shine your shoes, clean your nails, and have breath mints. As Richard Bolles, the famous author of "What Color is your Parachute" wrote (I am paraphrasing) "it was the dragonflies that killed the interview." If you haven't read this book, I highly recommend it. It is a timeless classic for all job-seekers.
If you apply these concepts, you will have the tools that you need and almost immediately see better results when you go for your next interview.

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What to Expect on a Screening Interview

Large Organizations will usually subject their prospective employees to a two-step interview process. The first one is a screening interview and the 2nd a selection. Screening interviews serve to weed out all the applicants except the truly qualified. These live interviews can take place at the place of employment, a job fair, a college career service or an employment service.
You will notice that more and more companies rely on technology such as telephone or online webcam interviews to screen those applying. This is done as a cost-cutting method to make sure they have the best candidate before investing too much time.
The person handling the screening is usually someone from human resources or even a third-party independent recruiter. He or she will quiz all the applicants and either dismiss them or move them on to the next phase. The individual who makes the final selection is usually the boss or department manager to whom the new employee will report to.
Keep in mind that the screeners are more experienced in the interview process than the selectors since they have normally studied and practiced interviewing strategies. In fact, serious screeners look at their craft as an art form. Their aim is to gather facts from you and to keep out prospects that aren't qualified at all or who are qualified, but have a bad employment history. These screeners are professionals at finding out your weaknesses as well as any reasons why you should be kept out of their company.

But take note that screeners are there to determine whether you have the minimum qualifications for the position or not. They want to have questions answered regarding your job history, your salary history and requirements, whether you can do the job or not, work history gaps. They will quiz you to see any inconsistencies on your resume and find out about your character - what kind of person you are. Are you trustworthy, reliable? Are you a team player. They are usually concerned with one thing, are you qualified? They try to come to this conclusion by reviewing your experience, skills, education and track record.

Screeners are basically gatekeepers who want to avoid being criticized for letting in the wrong person. They are looking for straight facts, so it is wise to keep your answers straightforward and to the point. Save the song and dance bit for the selection interview. As long as you don't give the interviewer huge reasons to show you the door, you should expect to move you right along.

Don't be apprehensive if feel for some reason you and the screener don't see eye to eye on everything. Remember, they are in human resources and as long as you are not vying for a position in that department, you should be safe. You don't have to work with that person directly. Remember, give them just the facts!

Shayne has been writing articles for nearly a year. His newest interest is in children's to

Article Source: ezinearticles.com

What Your Interview Body Language Reveals About You

Poor body language can derail an interview regardless of how confident and well-spoken you are. Body language is as much a part of your communication style as what you say verbally - it's really about how you say it. Impressions are made within seconds of reviewing body language.

Consider the first step to entering an interview - the handshake. While it may take less than 10 seconds to complete a handshake, in that time, the interviewer has already developed an impression of your character based on eye contact and the firmness of your shake. A weak handshake and lack of eye contact can leave the impression that you are timid and insecure. A sincere and firm handshake with eye contact expresses professionalism and confidence. An overpowering handshake with a fixed gaze may come across as overconfident and arrogant. So, be cautious with your next handshake and start the interview off with a positive impression.
Body language is present from head to toe. Consider the following:

Posture: Whether you are sitting or standing, your posture projects a level of confidence and engagement in the conversation. When one slumps, it implies to the interviewer a lack of confidence and interest. Sitting stiff as a rock implies nervousness and it creates an uncomfortable situation for building rapport. Sitting at the tip of the chair implies you don't want to be there. Lying back on the chair with your ankle on top of your other knee may come off appearing unprofessional and too relaxed. In general, crossing your arms and legs may be interpreted as building a barrier.

To project professionalism, confidence and engagement, consider sitting on the chair with your lower back touching or close to the back panel while leaning 10 degrees forward. Keep your hands relaxed in your lap and feet grounded on the floor. When standing, avoid crossing your arms or placing them in your pockets. The point is to project a balanced posture that is not limp or overly stiff.
Eye Contact: Eye contact allows you and the interviewer to connect beyond words alone. However, there is a fine balance between good eye contact and when eye contact becomes a weird gaze or stare that can make the other person feel uncomfortable. When you stare without having breaks in between, a casual conversation can come across as a lecture.

Whether you are listening or speaking, maintain eye contact with your interviewer for a couple of seconds at a time (no more than 7 to 10 seconds) and then glance away before returning eye contact again. If you are looking down to take notes, look up occasionally, especially when it appears a special point is being made or when you are asked a question.

Voice: Speed, tone and pitch combined presents an impression. Talking too fast can be hard to understand and appear as nervousness. When your tone projects apology or defense, you can come across as unconfident and insecure. When you don't make changes between your tone and pitch, you can sound monotone, making it more difficult for the other person to stay engaged.
Learn to take control of your voice. If you are nervous, it can come across in your pitch so take a breath to help you relax before speaking. Be conscious of your tone and pitch to offer variation and to help emphasize certain points.

Bobble head: Some people have a tendency to bobble their head as a gesture of agreement, but when you nod in excess during a conversation, it becomes a distraction and can be interpreted as though you are agreeing on everything for the sake of wanting to please. You can lose credibility in such instances.
To avoid appearing like a bobble head, nod occasionally to show you are still engaged and have control over how you nod. You can also tilt your head slightly to the side as though you are trying to listen more carefully as another way to show you are engaged.

Extremities: There are people who do certain things out of habit, such as flaring arms while talking, twirling hair, playing with a pen in hand, rocking back and forth on a chair and shaking or thumping their feet. Many of these actions occur unconsciously, however, these are distractions to the person you are speaking to and may be perceived as signs that you are bored or have trouble focusing. Some people also touch their nose or face frequently when they are nervous. An interviewer may perceive this as a sign that you are not being totally honest.
Be conscious of what you do with your hands, legs and feet and that will help you take control of your movements.

Be aware of your own body language and also read your interviewer's body language to give you hints about how she is responding to you. The interview may start off very formal, but as you both become acquainted with one another, the mood may relax and you may adapt your body language to reflect what you sense from the interviewer.

There is no absolute rule around body language, but it would be wise to avoid any chance of being misinterpreted. You can properly prepare your body language before heading into an interview by watching yourself in the mirror act out how you introduce yourself and speak. Another helpful way is to have someone interview you and video record the entire session. Review how you present yourself and become aware of problem areas to adjust before your interview.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Second Interview: What Happens After The First Interview?

Getting a second interview is typically your goal when you attend a first interview.
Unless the job you're applying for has a one-interview process to be followed by a job offer to the successful candidate, you will most likely be trying to get invited back for a second interview.
For more senior positions you might even come back for a third and subsequent interviews. Sometimes companies have processes in place that result in multiple interviews for potential employees.
What actually happens in the second interview of course largely depends on what happened in the first interview.

Often, the first interview is a Human Resources (HR) interview. This is when you get interviewed by a member of HR to determine whether or not you are someone who would fit with their company.
The HR interview might focus on what some job searchers often sarcastically refer to as "touchy-feely" questions but don't treat this interview as a joke.

You might be surprised at the power that HR wield in some companies. I've seen some HR staff turn down job candidates even when the hiring manager liked them.

Also, don't expect to be able to go into the HR interview and "wing it." In other words, make sure you prepare for this interview as you would any other interview.

If your first interview was with the hiring manager, the second interview might be a more in depth discussion with the same hiring manager and/or you might meet up with one of their peers (ie. another manager) or perhaps you'll meet up with people you'd be working with should you get the job.
In this case, the questions you face tend to be more in depth than before. At this point, the company has shown interest in you so they will want to gain more information about you and your suitability for the job.
You also need to gain more knowledge about the company and the people you'd be working with.
Some companies might hold a panel second interview where you get interviewed by several people at once. I've experienced this several times myself.

When you're leaving the first interview try to get a sense as to what the next step in the process is.
If you find out that you have been invited to a second interview try to find out who you'll be meeting with and what each person does. This will help you get a better sense of what the second interview will entail and what you will need to prepare for.

Article Source: ezinearticles.com

Top 10 Job Interview Strategies That Guarantee Success in Your Interviews

Job interviews can be a mystery. But you can find success if you follow the right job interview strategies. The following 10 tips are the best job interview strategies to follow if you want to ace your next interview.
10 Best Job Interview Strategies

1. Study the company
One of the best job interview strategies that most candidates ignore is to study the current events of the company. Knowing what the current events of the company is important so that you can ask pertinent questions. Doing so will show the interviewer that you have done your homework, and also have a genuine interest in the company. This strategy will definitely help your job interview.

2. Know your resume
As a candidate, you should be very familiar with your resume. In any job interview, anything on your resume is at the interviewer's disposal. Implementing this job interview strategy will help build credibility with your interviewer. Speaking intelligently about each of your previous positions will help do this, and is one of the best job interview strategies to follow.

3. Prepare an interview emergency kit
Many candidates don't properly prepare for a job interview. Getting together a "job interview kit" is a great job interview strategy to follow. Suggested items for the kit include extra copies of your resume, directions to the office, a bottle of water, eye drops, pens, and notepad. But you should only bring the extra copies of your resume into the office with you, preferably in a portfolio.

4. Study job description
After landing an interview, you need to study the job description to truly understand what the interviewer is looking for. If the description calls for attentiveness to detail, you will want to tailor the discussion accordingly. Knowing this, you can navigate the interview and discuss examples from previous jobs that will exemplify this trait. Do this for all significant traits or qualities that you identify in the job description. This is one of the best job interview strategies I have used, and know that it can bring you success.

5. Build rapport
You know the saying, "There's never a second chance to make a first impression/" That holds very true in the case of job interviews. That is why building rapport is such an important job interview strategy. Shake hands, make eye contact, and smile. Put those three together when you first meet your interviewer and it will set a positive tone for the rest of the interview.

6. Make eye contact
Making positive eye contact is one of the best job interview strategies to follow. Eye contact is one of the strongest forms of nonverbal communication. A person's qualities and personality can be detected simply based on eye contact. Making direct eye contact communicates confidence and high self-esteem, two key qualities employers look for in candidates.
Thus, it is very important that you make eye contact when you first meet interviewer and shake hands. And during the interview, it is important to make eye contact, not only when you talk, but also as you listen. Simply doing this job interview strategy will greatly help your chances of success in an interview.

7. Body language
Just as eye contact speaks volumes about you, so does your body language. Proper body language conveys confidence and high self-esteem. During the interview, things like sitting up straight with your chest out and keeping a pleasant demeanor on your face will project confidence. The interviewer will be aware of this, and it will help you stand out in his/her mind.

8. Display your skills with concrete examples
When it comes to discussing their skills, many candidates make the mistake of "telling" instead of "showing." One of the best job interview strategies is to use concrete examples to demonstrate their skills to the interviewer. For example, if one of your skills is successfully handling multiple tasks at once, providing an example of how you do that will help paint a picture for the interviewer. It also gives the interviewer something to "hold on to" once the interview is over, and helps him/her remember you when it comes to decision time.

9. Be yourself
A common mistake that many candidates make is not being themselves. Some feel that they need to fit a certain mold and act accordingly. This will only end up hurting both parties in the end when your "true" personality comes out. You will be surprised how easy it is to detect insincerity during an interview. Thus, it is important to be professional, but also maintain your true essence. When you do this, your sincerity will be picked up by the interviewer. This is one of the best job interview strategies to implement, and will go a long way in determining your success.

10. Follow up quickly
After the job interview, send a thank you note to the interview. These days, an email is fine, but traditionally a handwritten card is sent. Whatever method you choose, do it promptly after the interview. The correspondence should be sent the next day after the interview. Many hiring decisions are made quickly these days, so timeliness is very important.
You now have 10 of the best job interview strategies to follow. There are many aspects of a successful job interview, but if you implement these 10 best job interview strategies listed above, your chances of success will skyrocket!

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Job Interview Preparation Similar to Game Preparation

Effective preparation for a job interview starts with a lot of the same things that go into getting ready for a game, match or race. Much as an athlete studies the game film and tendencies of the opposition, wise job seekers study up on all the information available on the company that will be interviewing them.
Just as it is important for an athlete to know his or her opposition's tendencies, a good interviewee must anticipate what the company is looking for, and be prepared to show how they will fill that need. Obviously, the more you know about the company's practices and tendencies, the better able you will be to show them how hiring you will benefit them.

Obviously, a good place to start is the company's website. Make sure and read everything including press releases and all the mundane and seemingly unimportant information there. By reading all of it, you will likely begin to get a feel for the company's values and an understanding of how it operates. You never know where you will find that nugget of info that gives you the edge over the competition. Read over the website several times, for the same reason athletes and coaches review their game films repeatedly, because they don't want to miss anything and neither do you.

Another way teams and athletes gain an advantage is by studying how other teams or players were successful against their upcoming opponent. You can do this by reading articles about the company's competitors various strategies. Perhaps you will even stumble across a piece of information there that the company has overlooked, and use that to your benefit in the interview. Any advantage you can exploit is crucial in the competitive environment we live in today.

Finally, but only after you have done all your research on the company, you can begin to prepare yourself mentally for the interview. With all the knowledge you have at your disposal, begin to visualize the actual interviews you will be going through with the company. Have fun with it and try and cover every angle. Imagine the interview being conducted by a variety of different people: old, young, male, female, tall, short, fat, skinny, etc. The more situations you put yourself through in your imagination, the less likely you will be nervous or thrown by whatever ends up happening in the actual interview.

Most of my clients have had remarkable success using visual rehearsals, and the more you use them the more effective (and fun) they become for you. I have staked my professional life on the notion that preparation is the key to success. Anxiety and nervousness are what you feel when you are not properly prepared. If you focus on the fundamentals of your preparation you will more than likely end up getting the results you are hoping for a lot sooner. My most successful clients focus on the process and their preparation, not winning or losing.
So focus on getting ready for the interview, not getting the job, and you will likely experience similar success in your endeavors.

Article Source:ezinearticles.com