Job Interviews Now Include Behavior History

by Carol Kleiman
Chicago Tribune

Past behavior predicts future behavior in a similar set of circumstances. That philosophy is the basis of behavioral interviews, an increasingly popular job interview technique.

A 1997 AON Consulting/Society For Human Resource Management survey of the association's 130,000 members shows that 18% of US companies use behavioral and personality testing for screening nonmanagement candidates; 22% for management.

Used to identify knowledge, skills and abilities, typical behavioral questions involve asking "what you have done in a particular circumstance, instated of what you might hypothetically do," said Jeff Dressler, national manager of selection and assessment for Bank One Corp., headquartered in Chicago.

"Some interview techniques are about relationship-building, and if you will fit in, but they don't get to whether you actually have the skills to do the job," said Dressler, based in Columbus, Ohio. He says use of behavioral interviewing "is increasing every day."

At Bank One, it's such an accepted practice that job applicants are given a "prep" sheet to help prepare for it, the manager said. The card states that you will be asked about what you did in specific situations in the past. A sample question to ascertain your teamwork skills is, "How did you help pull your team together to meet goals?" About communications skills, "When did you find it most challenging to understand concerns of customers or peers?"

Though many job applicants tell me they freeze when behavioral questions are asked, Dressler says they are "a tremendous opportunity to put your best foot forward."

Thomas W. Mason, general manager of the Chicago office of Personnel Decisions International, a management and human resources consulting firm based in Minneapolis, advocates behavioral interviews because "they're a better indicator of what the applicant's talents really are." He uses the approach when hiring for his own staff of 15.

"I'd much rather be asked in a job interview how I handled conflict with coworkers than questions designed to get at some personality trait of mine," said Mason, who has a doctorate in industrial and organizational psychology and helps organizations develop and implement behavioral interviews. He urges job candidates to be prepared for behavioral queries and to "stick to the question asked. Remember, even if you haven't been in the particular situation at work, you might have been at school, in the community or with friends.

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