Transcript Expectations of a Behavioral Mock Interview

Expectations of a
Behavioral Mock Interview
Part I
Presented by
Ja Rita Johnson
Regetta Nobles
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this workshop is to
learn what to expect and how to
respond to behavioral interview
questions, by equipping yourself
through the mock interview process.
What are Behavioral Interviews
They are based on the “Behavioral
Consistency Principle” which states that
past behavior and performance predict
future behavior and performance
 They focus on experiences and
competencies that are related to the
position you are interviewing for
 They include work experience, activities,
hobbies, volunteer work or school projects
as examples of past behavior

Purpose of a Behavioral Interview
To see if you demonstrate the necessary
competencies
 To assess your potential to perform
effectively in the position
 To see if you are a good fit for the job
 To assess how your previous experience
fits the position
 TO PROMOTE YOURSELF!!

Benefits of a Behavioral Mock Interview
They increase consistency
 They focus on actions, behavior and
outcomes
 They are an assessment of competencies
 They increase structure
 They enable a good match between job
and candidate.
 They are orchestrated the same as the
actual interview

- CONT They increase potential for hiring the right
person
 They decrease bias
 They give you the practice you need to
participate in Behavioral Interviews
 They allow you TO PROMOTE YOURSELF!!

Behavioral vs. Typical Interviews

Typical Interviews
 Answers may be unstructured and
inconsistent across interviewees
 Questions may hint the answer by the way it
is phrased

Behavioral Interviews
 Use
questions that seek demonstrated
examples of behavior from your past
experience and concentrate on job related
competencies.
What is Evaluated and How?
What?
 Experience, knowledge, skills or abilities
specific to Management/Leadership
Competencies
 Experience in knowledge, skills or abilities
needed to accomplish business results or
outcomes such as leading change, leading
people, employee satisfaction, EEO, etc.
- CONT -
How?
 A scale is used that may or may not
include numbers to indicate the presence
of the competency. This is determined
by:
- Behavioral examples of how you
demonstrated the competencies relevant
to the position
- How well your competencies match
with those needed for the position
Time to Prepare
Obtain a copy of the position description
(PD) and competencies from the job
http://apps2.dss.swro.swr.irs.gov/spds/spd
s.exe?cmd=active
 Review your work history, list the history
that applies to the position
 Compare the PD and your list to identify
how your past experience and the
competencies for the position relate

- CONT From each match from the previous bullet, list a
minimum of three situations in which you have
taken actions that demonstrate the competency.
 As you think of these situations analyze;
- Who was involved?
- What did you do?
- What problems did you encounter?
- When and where did it occur?
- Why was it important? How did you
handle it?
-What was the outcome of your actions?

Answering the Questions

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Describe the task, action and outcome in your
answers
Ensure your answers show impact
Turn negatives into positives
Make sure your examples demonstrate you are
the best candidate for the job
Be specific with your answers and be prepared
to discuss past mistakes and what you learned
from them.
Interview someone who currently holds the
position prior to the interview
Models to Use
There are several different Models to use
when answering interview questions.
SAR
S-Situation (this is what was going on)
A-Action (What did you do? How? Why?)
Results (Outcome)
- CONT SHARE
S-Situation (this is what was going on)
H-Hindrance (problems/issues encountered)
A-Actions (What did you do? How? Why?)
R-Results (Outcome)
E-Evaluate (What did you learn?)
- CONT C-CAR
C-Context (Your position in the situation)
C-Challenge (What were you striving for?)
A-Action (What did you do? How? Why?)
R-Results (Outcome)
Types of Questions to Expect
Describe a time when you had to
communicate unfavorable news to your
Manager
 Tell me about a time when you developed
a briefing or presentation and presented it
to a group
 Tell me about a time when you had to
stand up for a decision you made even
though it made you unpopular

- CONT Describe a time when you participated on
a team that had a successful outcome.
 Describe a time when you had to complete
multiple tasks. What method did you use
to manage your time?
 Describe a situation when you
demonstrated an effective customer
service

TIPS
Your response as well as the questions
could apply to more than one competency
 Take your time responding to the question
and be sure to use one of the models
 Be specific and stay focused
 Know all you can about the area
 Have an example for each competency
 PROMOTE YOURSELF!!!

QUESTIONS?