Behavioral Interviewing

Employers typically focus on one or two types of questions during interviews: behavioural and knowledge-based. Understanding these question types can significantly enhance your preparation for meetings.

In larger or medium-sized companies, it’s common to be interviewed by multiple people, each equipped with a list of questions. Many of these questions are behavioural and often begin with phrases like, “Tell me about a time when…” While it may seem that the employer is delving into your history and how you manage situations, the underlying intent is to assess your past behaviour as a predictor of future actions and how those behaviours could benefit the organization.

Common questions of this type are:

• Tell me about a time when a customer insisted on speaking to your supervisor.
• Tell me about a time when people you supervised were fighting.
• Tell me about a time when you had to stay at work late to prepare a report or presentation.
• Tell me about a time when your job duties changed without any notice.
• Tell me about a time when you had to deal with an employee who was rude or late for work all the time.
• Tell me about a time when you had more than three phone lines on hold and people waiting at the counter.

GOS Method

A great method is to use when preparing your answers is GOS, where you outline a Goal, Obstacles, and Solution. Here’s an example:

“We had a problem with serving customers on time (Goal). We either left them on the phone too long when they wanted to order, or we had line ups that were so long at the counter, customers were leaving (Obstacles). To overcome the problem, I… (Solution).”

Be sure to detail how you overcame those obstacles, including figures or numbers whenever possible.

Knowledge Questions

In addition to behavioural questions, you will often encounter knowledge-based questions during interviews. These questions typically focus on what you know or understand in a broader context.

Knowledge questions might begin with phrases like, “Tell us what you know about…” They can cover various topics, including your industry, recent advances in your field, significant projects, or changes in the economy, among others. Being prepared to discuss these areas can demonstrate your expertise and awareness of the current landscape in your profession.

Other Options

In other interviews, you may be asked to prepare a presentation or audition for the interviewer to watch. This is common for people in artistic work (such as music, dance, art, and photography) as well as teaching, training, some computer fields, and the service industry (table setting in a big hotel, for example).