Behavioural questions versus scenario questions
Behavioural questions are common in interviews and are a good way to assess your candidate's experience and their ability to demonstrate various skills. So, what’s the difference between a behavioural question and a scenario-based question?! Well, behavioural questions ask a candidate to give examples of previous scenarios that they have been involved in, whereas situational questions ask candidates how they would go about doing something in the future.
For Example:
Situational: How would you talk to a co-worker who wasn’t contributing fairly to team activities?
Behavioural: Give me an example of a time when you had to talk to a co-worker who wasn’t contributing fairly to team activities?
Research has found that scenario based questions are the most valued way of interviewing someone because they help to describe behavioural intentions and help to predict personalities, mindsets and job performance. Situational interview questions ask candidates to explain how they’d react to situations in the future. Behavioural interview questions, however, ask candidates to reflect on their past experiences and highlight specific examples and actions they've taken.
Why do we value situational interview questions?
A situational interview question gives you some real insight into how your candidate would handle a challenging situation they could face while on the job. These hypothetical situations demonstrate their thought process and it's a chance to see their skills in theoretical action. These questions are more challenging and complex for candidates to answer, as they cannot fully prepare for them. Instead, they require candidates to explain their decision-making and problem-solving abilities, offering a chance to observe how individuals adapt in the face of adversity and identify potential leadership qualities.
Ten great situational Interview Questions for your next Interview: Design them around common business scenarios:
1 – If you disagree with your line manager on something, how would you handle it?2 – You’re sure that you’re going to miss an important deadline – how do you approach this situation?
3 – A colleague blames you for a mistake during a team meeting. How do you react?
4 – If you knew your manager was about to make a huge mistake, would you tell them, and how?
5 – What would you do if a customer became hostile and violent?
6 – How would you react if you saw signs of burnout in yourself?
7 – You’re super busy at work but someone else has asked you to help them before they go on annual leave tomorrow. What do you do?
8 – You have to tell a candidate that they were unsuccessful for a job interview. How do you approach this?
9 – How do you cope with a situation when you realise that you’ve made a serious error in your job?
10 – You're informed about a workplace restructuring. How do you feel, react, and what actions do you take?
What do situational questions do, that other questions don’t?
Situational interview questions ask the candidate to envision themselves doing the job and give the employer a good opportunity to see how the candidate could fit into the company culture and work ethics. They are giving candidates the opportunity to share their insights and ideas from previous roles while highlighting their softer skills.
You can identify professionalism, personality, the right attitude, and the skills that will be perfect for the job if you craft the right situational question.
It's easy for candidates to elaborate on past experiences or even invent a story. However, when you're given an actual scenario-based question, you truly discover how this candidate thinks on their feet.
All this will reveal details that will greatly support you in making final decision about the best person for the job.
Ready to make the best hiring decision for your company? Contact Anna Maher Recruitment today at 07715454545 or email anna@amrl.co.uk.