Behavioral Interviewing Write a Story, Tell a Story.

Whether you're seeking a job or seeking new employees, your ability to write or tell good stories could make an enormous difference in the success of your undertaking. That's especially true with a structured form of interviewing developed by Dr. Paul Green of Behavioral Technology, Inc., which increases the potential for matching a person's skills to the requirements of a job. This type of screening is far less subjective than more informal methods, and it relies on good story-telling techniques.

Preparation for Interviewers

Interviewers using this method ask good questions. They rate candidates' job or technical skills and performance levels using measurements aligned with specific job responsibilities and a rubric that determines how well those tasks are performed. Here's how it works. Before screening applicants, the interviewers carefully define job responsibilities to identify representative skills and capabilities. Questions are then designed to probe for depth of knowledge and experience relating to each skill, as well as for insight into personal characteristics--just as story writers look for underlying motives and circumstances. Finally, a grading scale is developed to quantify answers, usually on a scale of three or five points that measures responses as everything from "exceeds expectations" to "does not meet expectations." Interviewers must agree upon the specifications for each category, and receive training on how to identify them in candidates' responses. Only then, after the groundwork is laid, can an interview b e conducted--it's a bit like revealing the plot of a story.

Interviewers search for answers that reflect thinking skills, problem-solving strategies, working habits, ability to learn, flexibility, and other personal characteristics relevant to job success in their corporate culture. They may ask questions to clarify their understanding of answers that are vague or too general. If they discover a positive, they may seek a negative, or vice versa. They may probe for strengths and weaknesses, successes and failures, challenges and problems. The questions are often asked about hypothetical or real-life situations one may face on the job. Or the candidate may be asked to complete a job-related task on site in a measured time frame. Computer programmers may be asked to write several lines of code, writers to synthesize conflicting sources of data, managers to design a budget or project plan, instructors to teach a class or make a presentation. Behavioral interview questions or tasks are preplanned, structured, and consistent; they focus on job responsibilities, seek specif ic examples, and are open-ended. Like good story writers, good interviewers are as curious about character and motivation as they are about intelligence and the ability to learn.

Following the interview or behavioral sample, the candidate will be rated according to an agreed-upon scale. The score is tallied, and a decision is made to continue the process or end the story. The basis for that decision is how clearly, concisely, and precisely the interview questions were answered.

If You're the Job Seeker 

Prepare a wide range of brief stories about your accomplishments to illustrate specific skills. Gain a thorough understanding of job specifications, tasks, or requirements. Frame your responses to questions as described below

Demonstrate Results with Short Answers, Vivid Examples

Typically, an interviewer will start with general questions to review your work history (refer to the extra copy of your resume you have brought along). Go light on history, then cite an example or two of recent accomplishments that parallel expectations for this job. Because your interviewers will be looking for behavioral examples, expect questions that lead with "Give me an example of ...," "Tell me about a time when ...," and "Describe a situation in which you...." Always focus your answer on your role, the steps you took, the strategies you invoked, and the results that ensued. If the results were disappointing, tell a story about what you learned from the experience. Other questions you might encounter include the following:

* Tell me about a time when you were proud of your decision-making skills.

* Give me an example of a problem you solved and what your role was.

* Tell me about a time when you failed.

* What activities in your previous job tapped into your creative capabilities?

* Describe a situation when you had a conflict with a supervisor.

Avoid answering such questions with responses that are vague, abstract, redundant, incomplete, or off target. Interviewers report annoyance with people whose answers miss the question, especially in this type of interview Also, don't spend much time beating yourself up or reviewing your painful past. Concentrate on short, vivid stories that demonstrate learning.

To prepare for behavioral interviews, practice telling brief stories about your accomplishments. Make them concise, interesting, focused, and purposeful. Preparation is key, and in the process of constructing responses for behavioral interviews, you will have identified a model for other types of communication-for any situation in which being listened to is important. We all want our stories to be heard.