Behavioral Interview
There are different interview styles and methods, and one very popular one is called the behavioral interview. A behavioral interview is conducted to check if a person is the right fit for the job, team, and company. Behavioral interviews are designed to see if a job candidate’s past work experience will predict his future performance. It’s a way to let your past work performance prove what you’re capable of doing in the future for this potential employer.
Behavioral interview questions require candidates to share examples of specific situations they’ve been in where they had to use certain skills. In a behavioral interview, an employer has decided on a list of required skills and will ask questions to find out if the candidate has those skills. Instead of asking how you would behave, they will ask how you did behave. For reference, we shared how behavioral interviews are conducted in Accenture.
Behavioral Interview at Accenture
Accenture is in the list of A Fortune 500 global company, with proficiency across more than 40 industries and all types of business functions. It provides various types of services, strategies for solving client’s challenges, digital technology, and operational services. Accenture claims to create innovation for the world.
Many roles at Accenture require working closely with clients. How you react in certain scenarios is critical to success. Different than assessing your functional or technical knowledge, the behavioral interview evaluates the way you manage and overcome challenging situations. You’ll be asked a series of questions that aim to understand how you have responded to varying scenarios in the workplace in the past, similar to those you may encounter at Accenture.
- Tell me about a time you had to manage a challenging project. What were the key challenges, and how did you overcome them?
- Tell me about a time you had to manage a difficult client.
- Tell me about a time you had to communicate with an underperformer or a challenging colleague on your team.
- Tell me about a time your ideas or work has been challenged; how did you react?
Prepare for Behavioral Interview
- Prepare in advance: Before any interview, thoroughly research the company so you understand the type of work the business provides to clients. In addition to researching the company, also review the role and think about the challenges you may face.
- Listen carefully: Be prepared to listen to the questions carefully and take your time to respond.
- STAR: Think about the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) method, and structure your answers to provide succinct, concise responses.
- Give examples: Have two or three examples prepared that illustrate how you overcame challenging scenarios in your current or previous roles. Think about the components of each situation: What was the challenge, who was involved, what did you specifically do, and what was the outcome?
- Don’t talk negatively: Highlight the positives of the scenarios you discuss. Do not talk about current or past clients, colleagues, or managers in a negative way.
- Last but not least, be confident and stay articulate.
It’s important to keep in mind that there are no right or wrong answers. The interviewer is simply trying to understand how you behaved in a given situation. How you respond will determine if there is a fit between your skills and the position the company is seeking to fill.
