Top 7 behavioural interview questions and answers: In this job interview post, you will learn brilliant answers to seven (7) common but really difficult behavioral interview questions.
If you have an interview coming up anytime soon for any role or company, read this post well because the answers here will help you easily beat the competition.
Top 7 Behavioural Interview Questions and Answers
Whenever you answer behavioral interview questions such as, tell me about a time when you worked under pressure, Tell me about a time when you made a decision with limited information, and tell me about a time when you had a conflict with a co-worker.
You should always make sure you use the STAR technique, S-T-A-R, to structure your answer. But what does the STAR technique stand for?
STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action and Result.
– You start your answer and outline the SITUATION you were faced with.
– You then talk about the TASK that needed doing.
– Next, give details about the ACTION you took to complete the task.
– Before finally finishing your answer and revealing the RESULTS following your actions.
Always make sure you use the S.T.A.R technique when answering behavioral interview questions because is the best structure to use for answering behavioral interview questions.
How to Answer Behavioral Interview Questions
Below are some powerful top scoring answers to the hardest behavioral questions asked in job interviews.
Behavioral Interview Question 1: Tell me about a time when you worked on a team task.
Below is a top scoring answer that uses the S.T.A.R technique.
SITUATION: In my previous job while working for Company ABC, I was tasked with launching a new company product as part of a team.
TASK: It was our job to launch the product successfully to ensure it quickly made a profit.
ACTION: As a team, we came up with five different ideas to promote the product. These included social media advertising, offering a discount to previous customers, and selling the product through affiliates who earned a commission.
RESULT: By collaborating closely as a team, supporting each other, and using everyone’s ideas, we achieved the best ever sales for the new product launch.
Behavioral Interview Question 2: Tell me about a time when you made a mistake.
Below is a brilliant answer that uses the S.T.A.R technique.
SITUATION: When I started work in my previous job, a customer asked for details of products we had for sale that suited their requirements.
TASK: It was my task to send them a comprehensive list of products that I thought would meet their needs.
ACTION: Unfortunately, because I did not check our stock availability, I sent them an email that contained some products that were out of stock. As soon as I realized my mistake, I called the customer on the phone, apologized for my mistake, and resent a new email with only products that were ready for immediate dispatch.
RESULT: Although I was disappointed that I had made a mistake, I learned from the situation and developed a checklist to ensure the same situation never happened again.
Behavioral Interview Question 3: Tell me about a time when you had a conflict with a co-worker.
Below is a brilliant S.T.A.R technique answer.
SITUATION: I overheard a co-worker making derogatory remarks about a team member who was off sick.
TASK: It was my task to speak to my co-worker to express my disapproval of his comments because they were disrespectful, inappropriate, and they went against company policy.
ACTION: I asked to speak to my co-worker in private. I told him that I disapproved of his comments and that our co-worker, who was off sick, was not here to defend herself. He initially told me to mind my own business, but I remained confident and resilient.
RESULT: Eventually, he apologized and accepted he was wrong and promised to never be disrespectful to our co-worker again.
Behavioral Interview Question 4: Describe a situation when you had to resolve a difficult problem at work.
Below is a brilliant response that uses that star technique.
SITUATION: I was working on a team project when I noticed one of my coworkers was constantly late with his work. His lateness was starting to impact the project deadline.
TASK: Because the project was important to our company, I decided to speak to my co-worker and establish the reason for his late work.
ACTION: I spoke to him in private and discussed tactfully my concerns. I asked him if he was experiencing any problems. He told me that he hadn’t received the right training for his project tasks, so I offered to help him. I had some previous experience in complete his tasks, so I spent several hours providing guidance and training.
RESULT: As a result of raising my concerns and providing him with appropriate training and support, he soon got back on track and started delivering on his tasks in a timely manner.
Behavioral Interview Question 5: Give an example of a time when you deliver excellent customer service.
This question comes up all the time, below is a brilliant response that uses that S.T.A.R technique.
SITUATION: I was helping an elderly customer on the telephone who wasn’t very good with technology. She wanted to place an order on our website but lacked the confidence and knowledge to do so.
TASK: It was my task to reassure her and walk her through each step of the ordering process.
ACTION: I started by reassuring her before explaining how the ordering system worked and that it was safe and secure. I spoke slowly and talked her through each step of the process, giving her every opportunity to ask me questions.
RESULT: After spending 15 minutes on the phone helping the customer, she learned how to place an order independently and she went on to become a long-term customer of our business.
Behavioral Interview Question 6. Tell me about a time when you had to multitask.
Below is a great answer:
SITUATION: I was working in a busy office when my manager asked for a volunteer to cover the duties of a coworker for the day who was away on a training course. I volunteered.
TASK: It was my task to prioritize both mine and my coworker’s duties to ensure everything got completed by the end of the working day.
ACTION: I created a list of our combined tasks. I then put the tasks in order of priority and colour coded them. Red tasks needed to be completed immediately, orange tasks came second, and green tasks could be left for the end of the working day.
RESULT: By being methodical in my approach to the additional duties, I managed to multitask successfully and complete everything on time.
Behavioral Interview Question 7: Describe a stressful situation and what you did about it.
Below is a brilliant response that uses that S.T.A.R technique.
SITUATION: In my last job, we had been getting ready for an important weekend online sale. It was Friday lunchtime when all of a sudden the website developed a technical fault. This was a stressful situation because we did not have an IT department and it wasn’t long before the sale was due to start.
TASK: It was my task to analyze the problem, find a solution and get the website back functioning again before the end of the working day.
ACTION: After researching online and asking questions on IT forums, I managed to establish the cause of the problem. I then went online and hired a qualified web developer to fix the problem, and he managed to get the website back working again before the 5:00 PM deadline.
RESULT: By remaining calm, working methodically, and using assistance of IT experts, I was able to get the website ready in time for the weekend sale, which was a great result for the company.
These are the top 7 behavioural interview questions and answers.
I wish you best of luck.