List of the Top Behavioral Interview Questions with Answers. This list will help you answer any behavioral interview questions in a much more professional way with simple examples:
The right person for the right job does not just mean a technical fit. Technical skills are super important in being able to accomplish the task that the job needs, but the right attitude and a growth mindset can go a long way in making a role successful.
As the seniority and management needs of a role are higher, the more important these nontechnical skills become. That is why most interviewing processes emphasize the soft skills and behavioral aspects just as much as they do with technical skills.
Table of Contents:
Most Frequently Asked Behavioral Interview Questions
Today’s article is all about what kind of behavioral interview questions interviewees can expect and some example answers. If you are the interviewer, this can also help set your context in some areas you would like to question your potential candidates.
As with any interview Q and A, please note that the list of questions is not exhaustive and the answers are not exact. You are going to have to tailor your answers to suit your needs and avoid repeating them verbatim.
What is the Intent of Behavioral Interview Questions
The short answer is to gauge the candidate’s mindset to better understand:
- Achievements: Everyone is proud of something they have done personally and professionally. Oftentimes, knowing what that is helps understand what an individual values as seen as true accomplishments.
- Aspirations: What do they see themselves growing into? Let’s say a candidate aspires to be a Manager and your organization has a flat structure. The role will not satisfy the title-based goals the candidate has and that might mean the candidate might look for other roles pretty soon. You can now assess if this is a risk or not and make a better decision accordingly.
- Vulnerabilities/Weaknesses: We are all human and there are always some skills that need honing, some that need learning. If your role needs someone who is a multitasker and the candidate is someone who would like to be a focused worker, that’s a mismatch. Therefore, assessing the candidate’s weaker areas and getting a better understanding of whether they are overcomeable is another important area.
- Working Style: Just like there are many types of jobs, there are many types of people doing them. Some like meticulous planning and some plan as they go. Some like structures to be concrete and some function better with ones with more wiggle room. Behavioral interview questions help to get a better sense of what your work persona is.
- Leadership Style: We have all heard many times that people don’t leave their jobs, they leave their managers. There is truth to that because no work can be so hard that it’s unlearnable, but not being able to get along with your manager and get them on the same page as you is an insurmountable obstacle. Therefore, when hiring a manager, it is very important to get a better sense of how this person might lead and mentor his team.
- Culture Fit: If you are a start-up, you would want to hire someone who can wear more than one hat because you might be a developer, tester, and DevOps engineer all in one. If you are a community outreach firm, you want to hire someone who shares the same value system as yours. Understanding whether the core personality and value system are in alignment is also an important goal for behavioral interview questions.
Common Behavioral Questions in Different Categories
Now that we know the purpose these behavioral interview questions serve, let’s look at a few questions in each category and some sample answers.
Before we do that, please note that a lot of questions are answered in the first person to make it a more personal experience, but these answers are from my point of view. Some questions have example answers, while others have some thoughts on how to answer the questions.
Achievements
Q #1) What are some personal and professional accomplishments that you are proud of?
Answer: At work, I use Python after 10 years of working on C#. To gain expertise fast, I attempted the advent of code (https://adventofcode.com/) challenge this holiday/Christmas season and that helped me immensely in gaining fluency quickly. This made me proud and built my confidence.
The answer to this question can also involve professional achievement such as successful project delivery, process optimization that helped save budget or reduce resource consumption, professional certifications, etc. Provide specific instances and metrics if possible. Avoid overly bragging.
Suggested Read =>> Software Testing Certifications – How to apply
Q #2) If there is a personal or professional goal for yourself soon, what is it?
Answer: The responses can be:
- I would love to move into a management role and to help me in that direction, I aspire to become PMP certified in the next 6 months.
- I want to strengthen my DevOps skills and understand the platform aspect of our system better.
- I want to become a part of my child’s school’s PTO and advocate better emotional support for middle schoolers.
- I want to volunteer at the local food bank more.
The only way to answer this question is – honestly and without goals that are too personal or vain.
Q #3) What was the hardest part of achieving a goal and how did you overcome it?
Answer: I was working with a new architecture and new technology, so it was a steep learning curve in a short amount of time. The fact that we had so many unknowns was the hardest part of this goal.
If you think the above answer is generic. Well, it is. Since questions like these are hard to answer specifically without having to go through the exact situations, the answer here can help set a mindset on how to approach this question.
Q #4) What was your biggest contribution to your current/last role?
Answer: I came up with a short POC to showcase how the proposed solution to automate API+UI automation in the same code base and that set the tone for the rest of the test automation effort. I also trained the team who were going to be our implementation partners in this effort. That is something that I think worked well.
Keep this answer specific and keep it humble.
Aspirations
Q #5) Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?
Answer: This is probably a cliche question but also a good one. Take the time to introspect before answering this question. Always put into perspective how this current role is going to help you in your career trajectory. Cite specific skills and areas of knowledge you would like to gather and learn.
Q #6) If anything was possible, how would you design your career?
Answer: This is a personal question. You can choose to be eclectic and say I would anciently loom fabrics or that I would invent a time machine.
This question intends to see where your true interests are without bounds.
Since questions like these do not have a right or wrong, you can let your authentic self show as long as your true aspirations are not illegal or unethical.
Q #7) What is the most important expectation of yours that you hope this role will meet?
Answer: I have always wanted to work in <technology> <tool> or <developmental process> <domain> and I would love for an opportunity to delve deeper into it through this role.
The best way to approach this question is to prepare ahead. Know what got you to apply for this position and formulate an answer that articulates your interest.
Q #8) What are your must haves in your next role?
Answer: I would like to work with a dynamic team that puts collaboration and innovation at the forefront. In addition to that, I would like flexibility in work hours since I need to be available to my children now that they are moving into higher grades and need more parental guidance.
Q #9) What was the best piece of career advice you were given?
Answer: The best career advice I got was, “No matter how you feel, get up, dress up, and show up”. I follow this even today and I often find that once I show up, I end up feeling motivated, and my can-do attitude returns.
For you, it might be something else. We all have mantras that keep us sane and push us toward success.
Q #10) What was the worst piece of career advice you were given?
Answer: There is a lot of advice from well-meaning people out there, but it is really up to you to identify what works for you. I have heard some crazy theories about inflating experience and skills on resumes, negotiating salary hikes using other job offers as threats, etc. I have always been a straight shooter and I become uncomfortable when facts are distorted.
Weaknesses
Q #11) Tell us about a time you overcame a challenge. Provide specific examples.
Answer: Very similar to the answer to Q #1. Cite examples of
Q #12) What would you do differently if you were to approach the challenge again?
Answer: I believe we are better people as we learn and grow. If I were to approach the same challenge today, I would tell myself to trust in my experience and skill. Sometimes, that self-assurance is the key difference between stressing out and succeeding vs. succeeding steadily.
Q #13) Tell us about a time when you had to learn a new skill. Provide specific examples.
Answer: Think of a time when you got a certification, tried a new framework, or aced a new coding language, and draw from those experiences when answering this question.
Also Read =>> How to Improve Communication Skills with valuable strategies
Q #14) What is your approach when you are learning a new skill?
Answer: I learn best with a hands-on and immersive approach to learning. The last skill I learned was <xyz> at my <xyz job> and I took to straightaway trying small exercises while reading materials and learning from video tutorials.
Q #15) What do you think are your strengths and weaknesses?
Answer: My strengths are that I am a team player, an excellent communicator, and a competent coder. (Try to find at least 3 aspects of your work persona that you like.) I am sure there is so much for me to learn, but I never had a chance to work on ETL (or other technical areas) and I think that is an area I need to strengthen.
(Do not overly emphasize personal limitations for this question. And avoid cliches such as I am a workaholic, etc.)
Q #16) Were there any instances when you felt that you could have done better?
Answer: Early in my career, I spent almost 6 months looking for a job. There were many screening calls, but nothing materialized into interviews. After some much-needed introspective, I realized I was not marketing myself into a specific role.
I had agile scrum master certifications with AWS practitioners, therefore it was hard for recruiters to place me into a technical vs. coordination role. Once I started highlighting my technical experience, things started falling into place.
Other experiences for this answer can be a time when you picked a job that was not a fit for you because it was fully remote or was in person, a technology you did not enjoy working in, a start-up that had a toxic work culture, etc. However, keep the negative aspects of the experience to a minimum and highlight the key takeaways for you.
Q #17) Were you ever put on a performance improvement plan? If yes, explain your experience.
Answer: No future employer wants to hire someone who admits to having fallen short of fulfilling their duties at a previous job. However, if you were ever on a performance improvement plan that you think has helped you emerge as a better professional at the end of it, do share that experience with your interviewer.
Working Style
Communication, Problem-Solving, Team Work, Personal Stress and Adaptability
Q #18) Tell us about a time you did not get along with a coworker and how you dealt with it. Provide specific examples.
Answer: I am usually an easygoing person. I have not gotten into serious disagreements with anyone at work. However, sometimes working with people from different parts of the world, speaking different languages, and communicating via text or email can lead to miscommunications and misinterpretations.
In cases like that, I assume good intent and give the other person a benefit of doubt.
An example situation was when we were the testing team and there was another vendor team that took care of development. They spoke little English and when the tests failed for any reason, they wrote “Your tests are failing” which did come across as accusatory.
However, I focused on the part that the tests were failing and needed fixing. We were all working towards a common goal.
Q #19) How do you keep your morale high when working with repetitive tasks or tasks that don’t rank high on keeping your attention and interest?
Answer: It happens sometimes that there are documentation or technical debt-related activities that I find to be monotonous or tedious. However, I focus on the value they bring and the ultimate positive outcome of doing those activities.
Q #20) How often would you like feedback on your work and what, according to you, is the best way to receive it?
Answer: I am confident in the quality of my work. However, sometimes organization or department goals could shift, requiring me to regroup and re-prioritize work. Therefore, I would like to meet with the immediate manager at least bi-weekly (if not more) to make sure my efforts are aligned with my goals.
Q #21) You have received some negative feedback, what steps would you take in response to that?
Answer: I would focus on facts and data. I will try to understand the indicators that ascertain the feedback that I just received. If the facts substantiate the feedback, then I will come up with an actionable plan to improve as soon as I can. If not, I would share the same and try to clear the misinformation.
Q #22) How do you ensure that the quality of your work is high?
Answer: I believe that quality is matching expectations vs. reality. Therefore, I start by understanding what the expectations are and use them as inputs to determine my work outcomes.
Q #23) What are high-quality work outcomes?
Answer: High-quality work outcomes/results meet or exceed expectations.
Q #24) Are you more comfortable being an individual contributor or managing work/projects/teams?
Answer: Employers are looking for self-starters who can work with a team but also work solo. Therefore, being flexible and saying so is the right approach to answering this question.
Q #25) What does a successful workday look like to you?
Answer: A day when I can accomplish everything I set out to do and when I am helpful to my colleagues is what I would consider a good day at work.
Q #26) How do you handle setbacks at work? Do you have any examples?
Answer: If I run into any blockers or problems, I communicate that right away and try to seek help. For instance, if it’s an access issue, I would create the necessary requests and follow up with respective teams. If need be, I would ask my manager to help connect with the teams that can help me and escalate the seriousness of the problem.
Q #27) What is your preferred mode of communication? Do you prefer short texts/IMs vs. emails vs. phone conversations vs. in-person meetings vs. online/remote meetings?
Answer: I am comfortable communicating in any of these mediums. I would like to meet face-to-face when possible. For short messages that need to reach multiple team members, I prefer emails. If the message is a little bit longer, a meeting might be better.
Q #28) (More recently relevant question) Would you prefer in-person working roles or remote roles?
Answer: Some roles might need you to come into the office. If you work with hardware devices or if you need access to a lab, then you may need to come into the office.
Some businesses these days are fully remote too.
Know the role you applied for and answer this question accordingly. And, if you are someone who truly hates commuting, do not apply for an in-person job. The reverse is true too.
Q #29) What, according to you, is a good management style that makes you thrive?
Answer: I thrive when my manager encourages me to try new ideas and communicates clearly what the expectations are. It also helps me when I can connect to how my work impacts the big picture.
Q #30) How do you handle work pressure?
Answer: We are all bound to feel pressure at work at some point or the other, but focus on the positive and talk about how you overcame it for the betterment.
Leadership Style
Leadership roles by and large are more behavior and management style centric than they are about technical know-how. A leader/manager’s main job is to build a team and align them towards a common goal which is not an easy task given the varied experiences and opinions that the individuals on the team have.
If you are for a manager or leadership role, the below answers are succinct. To further your learning, check out some books listed here
Recommended Reading => 14 Fundamental Leadership Qualities
Q #31) What is your leadership style?
Answer: I believe in leading by example. I like to be very much a part of the team and be able to shoulder their responsibilities right alongside them. I also believe in empowering my team to be leaders in their own right.
I also actively work towards not shielding them from any information that might pertain to them and impact their day-to-day operations.
Q #32) What is your favorite way to interact with your team?
Answer: I dislike having separate team meetings to find out common updates within the team. I join all the stand-ups, so the team does not have to repeat any details. I also have weekly 1 on 1s with each of my team members so I can answer questions or concerns they might have personally. I believe in being approachable and available.
Q #33) What are your considerations when hiring someone for a role?
Answer: Being fit for the role technically and personality-wise is important. Also, positions are rarely static. The roles evolve and I am always looking for candidates who might grow and evolve right alongside.
Q #34) Have you ever hired someone you regretted hiring and how did you deal with it?
Answer: We once hired a very technical candidate to be a manual tester. While he was keen on the job because of a bad market, it was apparent that he was unhappy with the work since it was not exercising a skill that worked so hard to attain.
After a carefully designed performance management plan, we could transition him into a developer role, and that made everyone happy.
Q #35) How do you deliver negative feedback?
Answer: I understand that my team members are just like anyone else. While they excel at many things, there are times when they need a bit of direction and course correction.
My style of delivering feedback is one-on-one, straightforward, aimed at the work outcomes, and never personal, and it is often provided with some actionable steps that can be taken to improve the situation. I am also quite generous in positive feedback, so I acknowledge all the good work my team puts in.
Q #36) What, according to you, are the most important qualities a leader or manager should have?
Answer: Good Managers are personable, honest, earnest and truly care for their teams. When I was dealing with a personal crisis, my manager said to me that health and family are the most important things for anyone, and helped me navigate work challenges effectively. I aspire to be a manager like that someday.
Tailor this answer to what you think are the most important characteristics for you.
Q #37) How do you deal with a situation when your opinion about how something should be done differs from someone else’s on your team?
Answer: All the decisions I make are data or results-oriented. If there is opposition from the team, I would like to consider their reasons and understand how they impact the outcomes. If I am wrong, I would be happy to correct the course.
But if I know that my decision is right, I would present a detailed analysis of why and how the choices I am making will drive the outcomes we are seeking and ask them to try my method for a reasonable duration of time before we can revisit the strategy.
Q #38) What is your training and mentoring style?
Answer: I set clear goals and realistic timelines when allowing my team members to learn a new skill. I also facilitate them with peer training and online training platform licenses so they have all the tools in their arsenal to be successful. I also encourage my team to take time to create job aids and tutorials so we have a knowledge base for newcomers.
Q #39) What do you value most in your team members?
Answer: People are at the front and center of all teams. I value team members who are candid and with a can-do attitude. If the team lead or manager treats them with respect and keeps their morale high by valuing their work, most team members thrive.
Q #40) How do you handle changing priorities and schedules?
Answer: Sure, there are always many moving parts. What drives my decision-making is assessing risks and urgency. If an item is high risk and needs immediate attention, that gets prioritized over the others. So it is a dynamic dance of evaluating risks and urgency.
Q #41) Was there ever a time when you did everything you could but still did not achieve the desired outcome?
There might be situations when you were not happy with the outcomes of a project, but try to frame this answer as a lesson learned and not a doomsday story.
Answer: We tried a new tool that promised no code test automation for a high licensing fee. But after our initial POC, it did not deliver. That was quite disappointing but we were able to reach that conclusion relatively early and even though we did not take that route, we gained a deeper understanding of the process.
Q #42) How did you resolve conflict between team members on your team?
Answer: I tried to hear each of the team member’s perspectives and tried to understand if there was a miscommunication or misinterpretation of the situation. Once I understood their point of view, I was able to clarify things and things went better.
Q #43) How do you deal with an employee who is unhappy with their performance review?
Answer: I acknowledge that this is a sensitive aspect. However, I believe that if the employee and manager meet often and discuss how work has been coming along, the performance rating should not come as a shock.
Since ratings are often linked with promotions and salary hikes, I would set the work expectations from the get-go. If after all this, there is discontentment, I would empathize with the employee but work on an actionable plan to improve the situation for the next performance appraisal.
Q #44) Do you have a role model leader?
Answer: I have been lucky that all my managers in my career have been great role models. While I do not look up to one person in particular, what I learned from them is to be hard-working, earnest, and knowledgeable.
On the other hand, if you are inspired by Elon Musk, Steve Jobs, Narayan Murthy, or Warren Buffet, share that with them.
Culture Fit: Time Management and Problem Solving
Q #45) What do you enjoy doing when you are not working?
Answer: These are light and easy conversations to get a sense of who you are after 5 p.m. I am sure there are some very delightful hobbies you might have. Share them with your interviewer. You might find a fellow fantasy football fan.
Q #46) What are the most important ways you hope this job will impact your life?
Answer: This role is a perfect fit to exercise my current skills and grow into a more advanced <Technology> <domain> etc. I would be very excited if I got this job.
Q #47) What is your thought on shifting roles/responsibilities?
Answer: I completely understand this situation. My company had a recent reorg and instead of being in a horizontal department, I am now part of an 8-member scrum team. Working in agile and understanding the new process has been a learning curve but overall it helped me learn a lot of things fast.
Q #48) What are the red flags that would make you not consider a role with this company?
Answer: I would not join a company that does not share its vision transparently and keeps its employees in the dark. Know what your hard limits are and be sure to express them simply but surely.
Q #49) What is your experience working with geographically distributed and culturally diverse team members?
Answer: I love to work with people from different parts of the globe. As long as we respect the time zone boundaries and communicate respectfully, I think the collaboration can be extremely positive.
Q #50) There could be a few late nights in this job. How do you feel about that and would you be available?
Answer: Thank you for letting me know that work could go into late evenings sometimes. If I know ahead of time about the upcoming evening work, I can make plans. How often are these evening tasks? How will my time be compensated? (It is always better to ask these questions upfront so you can make an informed decision about this job)
The above is a lot of examples and sample answers, but here is a formula that can help you answer anything that we may not have covered in the above list. That approach to answering behavioral questions is called STAR. As you might have guessed, this is an acronym.
Let’s explain it as we expand it.
What is the STAR Method of Behavioral Interviewing
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STAR approach to Behavioral Interviewing
- Situation: Start with describing the situation when you were challenged behaviorally and needed to employ your non-technical skills. This can be a personal or professional situation. It can be at work, a place you volunteer, or even in college.
- Task: What was the goal? What was the problem you were trying to solve?
- Action: What steps did you take to solve the problem or improve the situation? Describe them systematically and try to tie them into how the steps help solve the situation and reach your goal.
- Result: Explain the outcome of your actions. Don’t be too humble about your accomplishments and if there were lessons learned along the way, describe them too.
STAR behavioral interviewing example:
Describe a time when you set a goal for yourself and achieved it.
S: I wanted to make a transition from an individual contributor to a manager.
T: The task was to make a mark as a first-time manager without prior management experience.
A: I set up a meeting with my current manager and my mentor to help understand if a role transition was possible within my current department and what it would take to make that transition. I took 6 months to prepare for the role. I got my PMP certification and shadowed a manager for 3 months while working in my current role.
R: At the end of the 6 months I was promoted to be the manager of the department that I currently lead. It has been a very rewarding experience although it was a steep learning curve.
The same tips that we outlined above in the do’s and don’ts apply to STAR-based answers too.
Recommended Reading =>> Interview Tips and Suggestions
Conclusion
We hope this comprehensive article on behavioral interview questions will be helpful to you in acing your next interview.
Some questions have example answers and some have general tips on answering them. As mentioned above, avoid using these answers verbatim and try to add your experiences and unique situations for better answers.
We wish you all success!