Behavioral interviews require advance preparation for both the interviewer and the job applicant, in contrast to the frequently unplanned volley of unstructured Q&A intended to assess candidate fit and potential effectiveness in a work role.

Behavioral Interviews, developed by Tom Janz, now Chief Scientist at peopleassessments.com, ask job candidates to provide examples of past behaviors in specific situations deemed relevant to the target role.

The questions are typically framed as an invitation to tell a story about a situation, a challenge, the candidate’s action or solution, and the outcome:

• Give an example of an occasion when you used logic to solve a problem
• Think of a goal you reached and tell me how you achieved it
• Describe a decision you made that was unpopular and how you implemented it
• Tell me about a time you went “above and beyond the call of duty”
• When was the last time you handled interruptions to your schedule?  How did you do it?
• When and how did you convince a team to work on a project they didn’t like?
• Provide an example of handling a difficult situation with a co-worker
• Tell me about how you worked effectively under pressure

Sometimes the questions are structured to explicitly request that the candidate reply in the “STAR” format:

• Situation
• Task
• Action
• Results

Candidates increase odds of memorably and skillfully conveying relevant qualifications by preparing “Signature Stories” – theirs alone – to demonstrate how they resourcefully and innovatively:

• Solved challenging problems
• Improved strained work relationships
• Met deadlines and budget
• Applied “Lessons Learned”
• Initiated transformational change
• Demonstrated courage and integrity

Besides being noticed and remembered, signature stories told in behavioral interviews can help both the candidate and interviewer evaluate whether the fit between the role requirements and the candidate’s skills would likely lead to strong future performance.

Evidence for the predictive validity of signature stories told in behavioral interviews was provided by Gary Oliphant and Becky Oliphant of Stetson University with Katharine Hansen of quintcareers.com in their evaluation of 10 Gallup Organization “Life Themes” relevant to loan sales.
From these signature stories, the researchers accurately predicted post-hire performance and retention at a large financial sales organization.

“Stories are 22 times more memorable than facts or figures alone,” contends Jennifer Aaker of Stanford, and she offers four elements that increase the impact of signature stories:

• Goal: Defines a clear purpose and Call to Action, conveying what the listener should think, feel, do
• Interest: Attracts focused attention by using a “hook” of surprising truth, visual effect, unusual problem-solving approach
• Caring: Establishes empathic emotional connection with the storyteller’s challenge and journey to reach a meaningful goal
• Memorable: Makes the story compelling, unforgettable, “re-tellable” and worth “going viral.”

Aaker suggests testing stories by asking others to what extent the story:

• Changed the listener’s perspective
• Resonated with the listener’s experiences, values, interests
• Delivered “Moments of insight”
• Had incomprehensible, inconsistent, or disjointed parts

She says that the mark of an effective “signature story” is that “others look at you differently” and the story moves you closer to a goal.

-*How do you craft dramatic, memorable Signature Stories to illustrate your values and capabilities?

RELATED POSTS:

• Five Elements to Construct a Good Story
• Business Storytelling = Trance Induction?
• Lessons from Business Storytelling in Constructive Personal Narrative
• Why and How of Business Storytelling
• Memorable Business Stories: Ideas and Numbers
• Business Stories as Narratives

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