Behavioral interview questions are designed to give hiring managers insight into your behavior and personality, and to learn how you would handle work-related situations.  Find out more about this type of interview question and review the most common behavioral interview questions employers ask. Plus, get tips on how to prepare and respond smoothly when you’re asked to give examples of how you handle workplace situations.

What Are Behavioral Interview Questions?

Behavioral job interview techniques are used by all types of companies. Unlike traditional job interview questions that ask you to describe what you did in a role or to share qualifications, these questions seek concrete examples of skills and experiences that relate directly to the position.

Why Employers Ask Behavioral Questions

Behavioral questions are designed to learn how you would respond to a specific workplace situation, and how you solve problems to achieve a successful outcome. The interviewer will ask how you handled a situation, and you will need to respond with an explanation of what you did. The logic is that your success in the past is a positive indicator of your success in the future.

Behavioral Interview Questions and Sample Answers

Here are some common behavioral interview questions you may be asked during a job interview. Review the sample responses and consider how you would answer the questions, so you’ll be prepared to give a strong answer. As you can see from the sample responses, it’s important to be ready with specific examples and anecdotes. While you don’t need to memorize answers, have a sense of what experiences you would share and how to describe them to the interviewer. You’ll want your examples to be both clear and succinct.  

1. Tell me about how you worked effectively under pressure.

What They Want to Know: If you’re being considered for a high-stress job, the interviewer will want to know how well you can work under pressure. Give a real example of how you’ve dealt with pressure when you respond.

2. How do you handle a challenge? Give an example.

What They Want to Know: Regardless of your job, things may go wrong, and it won’t always be business as usual. With this type of question, the hiring manager wants to know how you will react in a difficult situation. Focus on how you resolved a challenging situation when you respond. Consider sharing a step-by-step outline of what you did and why it worked.

3. Have you ever made a mistake? How did you handle it? 

What They Want to Know: Nobody is perfect, and we all make mistakes. The interviewer is more interested in how you handled it when you made an error, rather than in the fact that it happened.

4. Give an example of how you set goals. 

What They Want to Know: With this question, the interviewer wants to know how well you plan and set goals for what you want to accomplish. The easiest way to respond is to share examples of successful goal setting.

5. Give an example of a goal you reached and tell me how you achieved it.

What They Want to Know: The hiring manager is interested in learning what you do to achieve your goals, and the steps you take to accomplish them.

What They Want to Know: Sometimes, management must make difficult decisions, and not all employees are happy when a new policy is put in place. If you’re interviewing for a decision-making role, the interviewer will want to know your process for implementing change.

7. Give an example of how you worked on a team.

What They Want to Know: Many jobs require working as part of a team. In interviews for those roles, the hiring manager will want to know how well you work with others and cooperate with other team members.

8. What do you do if you disagree with someone at work? 

What They Want to Know: With this question, the interviewer is seeking insight into how you handle issues at work. Focus on how you’ve solved a problem or compromised when there was a workplace disagreement.

9. Share an example of how you were able to motivate employees or co-workers. 

What They Want to Know: Do you have strong motivational skills? What strategies do you use to motivate your team? The hiring manager is looking for a concrete example of your ability to motivate others.

10. Have you handled a difficult situation? How?

What They Want to Know: Can you handle difficult situations at work, or do you not deal with them well? The employer will want to know what you do when there’s a problem.

More Behavioral Interview Questions

Have you worked on multiple projects? How did you prioritize?How do you handle meeting tight deadlines?How do you handle it when your schedule is interrupted?What do you do if you disagree with a co-worker?Give me an example of when you did or when you didn’t listen.What do you do if you disagree with your boss?How do you handle it when there’s a conflict among team members?What is your most important career accomplishment? Why?

How To Prepare for a Behavioral Interview

Learn as much as you can about the company and the role. The more you know about the job and the company, the easier it will be to respond to interview questions. Take the time to research the company prior to your interview, and review the job posting, so you’re as familiar as possible with the role. Match your qualifications to the job. To help you prepare for a behavioral interview, review the job requirements, and make a list of the behavioral skills that you have that closely match them. Here’s how to match your qualifications to the job. Make a list of examples. Interviewers develop questions to determine how successful a candidate will be, given the specific tasks of the job. Obviously, you want to present your experiences as clearly as you can, using real examples, and highlighting situations where you were successful. Be ready to share a story. You may be asked variations of the questions listed above, but if you prepare some stories to share with the interviewer, you’ll be able to readily respond.