Getting the Right Fit with Behavioral - Based Interviewing
More and more companies are vying for top talent in a competitive marketplace, and each has unique needs. The challenge is finding a way to screen candidates to reveal the one who is the best fit for your team. Karen Wise, owner of Karen Wise HR Services, Inc., recommends behavioral-based interviewing to assess applicants effectively and reduce turnover.
Basic interviewing helps determine if candidates possess the skills necessary for a position. Behavioral-based interviewing targets the “’how’ factor,” says Wise. “It gets to how a candidate did something.” And this helps employers assess how the job seeker will approach work as a new staff member.
According to Wise, behavioral-based interviewing begins with the resume. As employers comb for facts, they should make note of phrases like “good communication skills,” “detail-oriented,” etc. Then, they should construct questions around those skills to find out exactly how the candidate used them. For example, an interviewer might ask, “How did your attention to detail help you accomplish a work goal at your last job?” Responses will give insight into the thinking behind the application of skills and help employers determine if a prospect’s approach fits with the company culture.
Wise believes behavioral-based interviewing is a two-part process. First, it’s important to set a “structured interview.” This means working up a series of questions that can be asked by multiple people in the company. Then ask all interviewees to rate the respondent’s answers using a pre-determined scale, such as 1 – 5, or “poor, average excellent.” After the candidate leaves, the interview team pools results to see which candidates are taking the lead and if any concerns are coming up. “Everyone has their biases,” says Wise, “so this approach creates more validity in terms of hiring.”
The second part of the interview is the behavioral side. Here, Wise suggests setting up questions about hypothetical or past situations and seeing how the candidate responds. For instance, employers might ask, “How would you go about tackling a task you had never done before, like learning a new piece of software?” Wise says it’s also important to ask about mistakes. “We all make mistakes,” notes Wise, “but how we handle can them can make a huge difference in the outcome.” Interviewees can ask job seekers about something that didn’t go as they wanted at a past job and what steps they took to in this situation.
While behavioral-based interviewing gives employers concrete information about how a candidate will fit with a business, it doesn’t replace mandatory questions about education, background, etc. Nor does it replace techniques designed to test skills, aptitudes or personality types. But blended with these other hiring techniques, behavioral-based interviewing can help employers find the best addition for their team.
Karen Wise is the owner of Karen Wise HR Services, Inc. located at 361 6th Ave., Tierra Verde, FL, 33715. 727-867-2844, 727-422-7334. |
