Behavioral interview questions can be tricky. That’s why you need to know how to “roll with the punches” and ace that interview.

Behavioral interview questions are my least favorite part of the job-seeking experience. Other questions, like facts about my age, work experience and so forth, are easy to answer.

Behavioral interview questions, on the other hand, require careful and well-thought-out consideration. After all, you must convince your prospective employer that you will be an asset to the company.

On the flip side, employers need to know more than basic information on their prospective employees. They prefer to understand what employees would do in certain situations.

Behavioral interview questions provide insight into the personality, characteristics, and morals of the interview subject.

Common questions to know and understand

Whatever perspective you have, whether it’s an employer or employee, think carefully. Before you take the next career step, or before you hire a new addition to the workforce, take a look at a few of the most common behavioral interview questions that could pop up.

After all, you want to be prepared beforehand, right?

1. How well do you work under pressure?

When you’re asked this question, you want to be honest, but not give unneeded information. For example, a last-minute issue has arisen. Maybe your employer needs super quick turn around on writing a report.

The report is due the next morning maybe. Or, your employers needs a large number of projects completed in a short period.

The employer basically wants to know what you would do in order to get the job done. How well will you work for a short period of time? What strategy would you have in place?

Here’s a hint: If you talk about taking on the project alone, then you are excluding teamwork; and the employers really appreciate teamwork.

So, make sure to mention that you would enlist the help of your teammates in order to get the work done. This shows teamwork, humility, and ingenuity.

2. What is a goal you’ve reached and how did you do it?

When you’re asked this question, think back on something you wanted in a previous job. Did you desire a promotion? If so, what did you do in order to attain the promotion?



You will have to have a past goal in mind and explain how you achieved the goal. It can even be a situation where you volunteered your help with a task and then you were promoted for doing a superb job on the task.

Explain your individual situation, your coworkers, your employer, and then explain how reaching the goal made you feel. When prospective employers see how excited you are about advancing in your career, they will understand how much work you are willing to do in order to advance.

This amount of work usually translates into doing a good job in most other aspects of the field.

3. How do you handle disagreements?

This question can be a tricky one, so be careful how you respond. Some employers do not like being disagreed with because it undermines their authority. Now, not all employers feel this way, hence why I said “some”.

So, It’s best when you have a disagreement to approach the subject gently and have your case ready as to why you disagree with whatever is happening.

Most employers will listen to what you have to say and weigh the pros and cons. Sometimes they will compromise with you if they feel you have good points, especially if it’s something that will save the company money.

Just be prepared when you decide to disagree at work, and always be willing to step back if you are denied.

4. How would you motivate other employees on your team?

This is also a complicated question for some, as it applies to getting other employees to perform at their best. We all know that it’s impossible to make other people do things that they are hellbent on not doing, right?

Well, there are ways to convince other employees who may be slacking to pick up the pace. This interview question wants to know how you can help motivate others to work harder, basically.

Okay, for starters, motivation works best with positive words instead of negative words of threats. Convincing your employees that it is fulfilling to do the best possible work is the best route.

If this doesn’t work, try and convince them of how they will be rewarded for the work they do. One tip, however: never promise that compensation will be received, just reinforce the idea that it is possible.

If they never try to help, pull together, or get better, they will never know. In short, you can answer this question by ensuring the prospective employer that you would be encouraging to the others and set a good example for them as well.

5. How do you set goals in the first place?

When asked this question, you will explain the process of how you set your own career goals. It may be the same way that you set personal goals as well.

Don’t worry when you tell the prospective employer that you want to work your way up to the place where you want to be. They will understand that the company will benefit from your efforts as you work toward your goal.

They will also understand that when a person does their best to attain a goal, only the best will be transferred into the work they presently do.

Believe it or not, an employer loves to see an employee strive for a goal. They know that in doing this, the employee will only do quality and timely work.

After all, you cannot reach a goal effectively by doing shoddy work. When answering this question, just be honest. Tell the prospective employer exactly what you dream of and how you will work your hardest to attain that dream.

How behavioral interview questions make you a better person

Questions like this will slowly improve your life inside and outside the job. These questions can help you stay focused and patient when trying to move forward in life.

Not only do they benefit the workplace, but they also help you attain all sorts of personal goals as well. I hope these sample questions helped you understand how to deal with various interview situations.

Maybe the next time an opportunity arises, you will be ready and confident.

Thanks for reading, guys!

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