The Behavioural Interview

With all the emphasis on presentation, first impressions and giving the “perfect" answer its no wonder some people think interview success is about smooth talking your way to the job. A behavioural interview is all about how you actually perform. It’s designed to allow the interviewer to decide whether or not you are capable of doing the job, by finding out if you have demonstrated you have what it takes in the past.

Why do Interviewers use the behavioural interview?

Indicator of future performance

The emphasis of the questions is on how you have faced previous challenges. Employers want to know your track record, because your previous behaviour is the most reliable indicator of future performance. If you’ve done it before, you can do it again, for them.

Focus on competencies

Similar to the structured interview the focus is on the core competencies. The purpose of interview questions is to assess you in these areas.

Proof is truth

It’s what you do actually do that counts, not what you think or say! This type of interview is an antidote to the smooth talking candidate who pulls the wool over the interviewer’s eyes. It gives increased reliability in finding the right person for the job

The following are your challenges to succeed in the behavioural interview;

Prove it

You need to show the interviewer you have the competencies for the role. The first step is to make sure you know what they are looking for. Think about what it takes to perform the role. Do your background company research to make sure you are prepared.

Match the traits

How will you show you are the right candidate? By demonstrating you have the core competencies of course. To do this you need to connect the dots between your work experience and the job you want. When did you demonstrate the key competencies? How did you do it?

Focus on delivery

Once you have matched your experience with the competencies for the role you need to be able to tell your story effectively and get your message across to the interviewer. Knowing how to give answers is massively important. Practice using the star technique to describe your key career achievements.

To learn how to give great answers - click here

Click here for part 2; Behavioural Interview Tips

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