The basic premise behind the behavioral interview is that the most accurate predictor of future performance in any job is past performance in similar situations. Behavioral interviewing enables an organization to predictably determine 55% of future on-the-job performance, whereas the more traditional interview process yields only around 10% of predictability.
Behavioral-based interviewing provides a more objective set of facts to make hiring decisions than other methods. Traditional interview questions ask you general questions such as "Tell me about yourself." The process of behavioral interviewing is much more probing and works very differently.
In a traditional job-interview, an applicant can usually get away with telling the interviewer exactly what they think a potential employer wants to hear. Even when posed with a variety of situational questions that start out "How would you handle _____ situation?" minimal accountability exists. How does the employer know that they would really react in a given situation the way they say they would? In a behavioral interview, it is much more difficult to give a response that is contrary to one's character. Within a behavioral interview process, the interviewer establishes a situational storyline that enables them to probe further into the detail of answers such as "What were you thinking at that point?" or "Tell me more about your meeting with that person," or "Lead me through your decision process." If the candidate has told a story that's anything but totally honest, their response will not hold up through the barrage of probing questions.
Employers can use behavioral interview techniques to evaluate a candidate's experiences and behaviors and order to determine the applicant's potential for success. The interviewer identifies job-related experiences, behaviors, knowledge, skills and abilities that the company has decided are desirable in a particular position. Below are some of the characteristics that may be looked for in such an interview:
