Behavioral Interview Questions

by | Interviews

Two people sitting at a desk during a job interview, representing behavioral interview question

Behavioral interview questions focus on how you’ve navigated challenging situations in the workplace. They’re essential because they reveal how you’ve handled specific problems. For instance, how did you manage your workload when your team was short-staffed? Did you calmly prioritize tasks, or did you feel overwhelmed? Interviewers often dig deeper after your initial response to understand your actions and your thought process better. This post will explore the most common behavioral interview questions and provide tips on answering them effectively.

Behavioral Interview Questions and Answers

1. Name a time you disagreed with a coworker or manager, and what was the outcome?

It is only natural to have conflict at work.  What is important is how you and your colleague develop a positive outcome.

Don’t

  • Discuss negative conflicts (for example, don’t mention how you would argue with your boss for being late).
  • Discuss a situation where the outcome wasn’t positive.

Do

  • Make the conflict about something positive like a conflict on how to make a business process better.

Example

“In my last job, I worked in retail. I presented the inventory in the store differently from what my manager had instructed, as I believed my approach would benefit the customers. However, my manager informed me that the head office required all stores to display inventory in a specific manner. Although I disagreed with him initially, he explained that extensive studies had been conducted to optimize sales. I acknowledged my mistake and have since been adhering to the layout mandated by head office.”

2. What was your greatest accomplishment in your last job? 

Answering this question should require minimal hesitation. If you hesitate, the interviewer may perceive it as a lack of interest. However, it is natural to feel nervous during an interview, and you may draw a blank when responding to this question.

Below are some examples I came up with:

  • Perhaps you saved money for your last/current company.
  • Maybe you improved the quality of your work and your colleagues’.
  • Perhaps you assisted a co-worker, enabling them to continue their work.

3. Can you tell us when you went out of your way for a customer?

Remember, the customer is always right; if the customer is unhappy, a company cannot survive. However, if you go out of your way to assist a customer, they will share their positive experience with others, contributing to the flourishing of the business.

Example: “I recall an instance at a restaurant I worked for where we would offer kitchen tours to children, providing parents a much-needed 10-minute break. The parents always expressed gratitude for this gesture. Another example that comes to mind is when we didn’t have an item on the menu; we would reach out to a neighboring restaurant to see if we could obtain it for the customer.”

4. Could you tell me when your punctuality or attendance impacted your work?

  • Everyone misses work occasionally, but make sure you have a good reason. Also, explain what you did to reduce the impact of your absence.
  • For example, I worked at a popular fast-food chain and could not attend my shift due to an illness. I phoned several team members, and I was able to find someone to cover my shift.

5. Tell us about a time you have felt overwhelmed at work and how you dealt with it. 

Everyone gets overwhelmed from time to time. What is important is how you deal with being overwhelmed. 

Try to provide an example of when you were overwhelmed at work, and then explain how you prioritized and completed your tasks. If you could not finish your assignments, describe how you sought assistance from your colleagues or manager. 

6. Can you tell us about your previous experience dealing with a demanding customer or client?

Interviewers ask this to see if you can stay calm under pressure and handle real customer service situations without making things worse. They want to know if you can listen, show respect, and solve problems while keeping a positive attitude.

Sample answer

“If I had an upset customer, I would stay calm and listen carefully to what they’re saying without interrupting them. I would acknowledge their concern so they feel heard, and I would apologize if something went wrong, even if it wasn’t directly my fault. Then I would focus on finding a solution that fits the situation, like fixing the order, offering an alternative, or getting a manager if needed. My goal would be to resolve the issue quickly while staying polite and making sure the customer leaves feeling respected.”

Behavioral Interview Questions for Managers

7. Have you ever laid off or fired an employee?  If so, please explain the process. 

Part of being a good manager is knowing when to let an employee go. State you would deal with the employee in the following steps.

  1. Mention that you would put the individual on a performance improvement plan or have a one-on-one meeting with the employee to discuss where he or she could improve. 
  2. Then, say you would evaluate the employee after two weeks. 
  3. If the employee does not improve, you should contact the appropriate HR channels and let the individual go.

8. Can you explain how you have motivated your employees?

Motivation is crucial to any business, and if you can motivate others, you will be a great asset to the organization you are applying to.

  • I have always believed that a simple thank you goes a long way. When someone performs a task or helps me, I usually thank them, but I also tell their boss what a great job they did—I find this motivates employees.
  • You can always state you don’t believe money is a great motivator, and a pat on the back can do wonders.

Remember Your Job Interview Questions?

Whether it was recent or a while ago, your experience can help others.

Click here to submit your interview questions.

Behavioral Interview Tips

  • Many professionals recommend using the star technique to answer behavioral interview questions. S.T.A.R stands for Situation, Task, Action, and Response. You first describe the situation, then your task, what action you took, and what the result was.
  • Review your resume and think of situations in which you were given a problem and played a lead role in solving it.
  • Don’t blame anyone, as you will come off as negative.
  • Keep your answers short and to the point.
  • Keep your answers positive.
  • Carefully listen to your interviewer.

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