VidCruiter Logo

Behavioral-Based Interview

Written by

Tiffany Clark

Reviewed by

VidCruiter Editorial Team

Last Modified

Jun 27, 2024
HR Glossary Hero
Left Arrow Icon Back to Main Glossary

SHARE THIS

  • LinkedIn
  • X icon
  • Facebook
  • URL copied to clipboard!

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER

A behavioral-based interview is a technique a hiring manager use to evaluate how a candidate’s past behavior in specific situations can predict the candidate’s future performance. Rather than rely on speculation about how a candidate may perform in an example scenario, an interviewer can gauge how a candidate has performed in similar circumstances in the past. 

 

To conduct a behavioral-based interview, the hiring team asks open-ended questions about situations that candidates may have faced either at work or in their personal life. As the candidate answers, the interviewers can probe deeper to gain a better understanding and more detailed responses. 

 

The difference between a traditional interview and a behavioral-based interview is that with traditional interviews, the interview questions are usually about hypothetical situations. With behavioral-based interviews, the questions directly relate to how a candidate has performed when faced with a similar scenario. 

 

The goal of a behavioral-based interview is to reveal a candidate’s character traits, skills, and future performance. 

 

Example:

 

In a behavioral-based interview, a hiring manager may ask a candidate to “Tell me about a time on the job when you had to handle an upset customer.” The candidate’s responses can give the hiring manager an idea about how the candidate may handle similar situations in the future. 

Related Terms

Behavioral Interview

is a term used interchangeably with behavior-based interview.

Behavioral-Based Interview Questions

are the questions a hiring manager asks a candidate during a behavioral-based interview. Behavioral questions are designed to demonstrate how a candidate has used their skills to deal with specific situations.

Behavioral Competencies

refer to personality traits, attitudes, and behaviors that help predict a candidate’s chances of success in the position for which they have applied. Examples of behavioral competencies include networking, negotiation, data literacy, organizational awareness, problem-solving, attention to detail, innovation, and creativity.

Competency-Based Interview

is a term used interchangeably with behavioral-based interview.

Case Interview

refers to a technique in which a candidate faces challenging business situations that require investigation and solving in a real-time environment.

Situational Interview

refers to an interview where a candidate is presented with the type of problem they may encounter if they’re hired for the position. The hiring manager asks questions that can reveal how a candidate will behave on the job. This term is often used interchangeably with behavioral-based-interview.
Left Arrow Icon Back to Main Glossary

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER