To begin with, let’s put the process in
perspective. The hiring and selection process can be described as having two
main elements: the tangible and the intangible. When you have scanned through
an applicant’s resume, screened the basic but required competencies and checked
out the prerequisite occupational qualifications, such as education,
certifications, training and experience -the tangible fit - you proceed to
invite the applicant in for a personal or telephonic interview. This is to
ascertain the intangible fit such as attitude, values, demeanor and appearance,
among other things. Since this is a critical step to matching the candidate to
a job, it is crucial to elicit as much information from the candidate as
possible, and more importantly, it is crucial that this information be
job-relevant. The main purpose of an interview is to determine some
predictability of performance if the person were hired.
This is where behavioral interviewing
serves an invaluable purpose. The premise behind
behavioral interviewing is that the most accurate predictor of future
performance is past performance in similar situations. So instead of asking
broad, sweeping questions such as “Tell me about yourself” or hypothetical ones
such as “what would you do if….,” the behavioral interview questions are
fashioned after actual incidents, and are filled with further probes. Examples
are, “In your previous position, how have you handled an irate customer who
refused to reason?” led by a probing question such as, “What led you to make
that offer,” or “How did you overcome those objections?” This line of questioning
is designed to elicit responses that describe the candidate’s thought process,
motivation and behavior. There is no right or wrong answer, rather, it is a
process of discovery that helps the interviewer learn about the candidate’s
critical thinking skills, objective judgment as well as assess attitude,
integrity and thinking style, that may be relevant to the current position. The
key is to keep probing and digging deeper into the first question; it gets the
applicant to think and respond, and it becomes difficult to be fictional, as in
traditional interviews. Knowing how a person behaved in similar or unique situations
in the past is an excellent predictor of behavior in a similar situation in the
future.
Behavioral interviews are often part of a valid and
reliable screening assessment tool, such as the Profile XT™ that outlines the
benchmark of success of a job and highlights a candidate's match against it.
The Placement Report is equipped with targeted behavioral interview questions
that address specific gaps. Request a sample report at www.spectrum-performance.com.
Seema Rafay is the
President of Spectrum Performance Management, a FL based, global talent
management firm, providing talent solutions in hiring and selection for
performance, retention strategies, succession planning, and top brass
leadership development. She specializes in right-fit performance profiling and
job-matching in the selection and development of top performers, executive coaching,
and customized employee performance workshops. Visit
www.spectrum-performance.com for details, or contact Seema at
srafay@spectrum-performance.com or 786-245-7161
