Behavioral Interviewing

First impressions are important.

o Arrive a f,ew minutes (3-5min) early. Arrive in the building with enough time to
locate where you are going.
. Be well groomed and professionally dressed.
o Speak confidently.
o Display a positive attitude.
o Maintain appropriate eye contact.
Behavioral Interviewing
o You will be asked specific questions about past behaviors in specific situations.
They are looking for behavioral stories. (The theory is that past behavior tends to
predict future behavior)
o The candidate will do most of the talking.
. There is not a "correct" answer to the question.
. The interviewer may ask probing questions if necessary to better understand your
thinking process in the situation.
o Interviewer is looking for specific qualities sometimes referred to as "Key
Attributes".

Ke;'Attributes
As you tell your story to answer the questioirs asked, the interviewer will be looking for
comments that support key attributes. Example:
Does the candidate accept ideas and help from others (classmates, coworkers) to
accomplish school/work goals?

Does the candidate show a willingness to share credit with others?

Does the candidate seem to have ability to work with different personalities? (Show
empathy, sense of humor, willingness to laugh at self etc)
Other key attributes include: adaptability/flexibiiity, analltical skillslcritical thinking,
acc;rJracy, attention to detail, customer focus, able to anticipate needs, communication,
patient safety etc.

The Story
The story you tell must have a beginning, middle, and end.

Beginning: Briefly describe the background for the situation. What exactiy was the
problem or task at hand?
Middle: Include What/How/When and any specific steps you took. Why were your
actions important?

End: What were the results of your action? What was the outcome? How were others
affected and what did you leam?

Sample Question

We all have bad days. Teli me about a time when you had a bad day at work or at
school. What happened?

2.

Have you ever worked with a team/group where one of the members was not

pulling his//her weight? What did you do?

3.

When you work or go to school with others, there are those who you really enjoy
working with and those very few that can be a bit more difficult/challenging to get
along with. Tell me about a difficult/challenging person you have worked
with/gone to school with. What was the situation, and how did you handle it?

4.

When working on repetitive tasks, it is easy to lose concentration and miss

important details that could cause problems later. Tell me about a time this
happened to you. What did you do? How did it tum out?

5.

Describe a time you identified an error or mistake before it became a major

headache. What was it? What did you do? What was the outcome?

6.

Give me a time you had to make a quick decision to assist a patient. What did
you do? How did it turn out?

7.

Tell me about a time when you were asked to make a decision and you
have all the facts. What did you do? What was the outcome?

8.

Tell me aboui a time you had to prioritize rnultiple demands on youl'tinre due to
school work, muitipie patient needs or multiple life demands. How did you figure
out your priorities? What was the outcome?

9.

Tell me about a time when you had to go above and beyond the call of duty in
order to get ajob done.

didn't

10. Tell me about a time when you failed to meet a deadline. What things did you
fail to do? What were the repercussions? What did you learn?
End of Interview
. You will likeiy be asked if you have any questions
c You may be asked to share something that you want them to know about you.