85 Behavioral Interview Questions To Ask Candidates

When you interview candidates, you have many options, including behavioral interview questions. This is a popular method to help managers determine if someone will fit the job and the organization. You may wish to try them out, but what exactly are they?

If you’re ready to test out these behavioral interview questions, the first step is getting candidates to interview. ZipRecruiter also has a resume database that allows you to search for potential employees! You can get started with ZipRecruiter for free.

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What Are Behavioral Interview Questions?

People understand what technical interview questions do--they help a manager figure out if you have the needed skills to do the job. These are necessary. You don’t want to hire a computer engineer who has no coding ability whatsoever. But, behavioral questions take a lot at how the person will do the job.

They focus on candidate behavior. They can be done either in person or via video interview, but they should be an essential part of most job interviews. As a manager, you’re looking not only for skills but for character traits. You can teach skills more easily than you can teach behavior.

There is an infinite number of possibilities and what you do depends on the nature of the job. Assessing how someone works with other people is critical for a front-line management job. However, personality skills aren’t all that important for a position where the employee works from home and emails in weekly reports.

Regardless of the position, here are some excellent questions to start with and what to look for in an answer.

15 Communication Behavioral Interview Questions

1. What methods do you use to build rapport with others?
2. Can you give an example of a time when you had to communicate a difficult message to a colleague or client?
3. How do you ensure that your message is understood by others?
4. Can you give an example of a time when you had to communicate with someone who had a different communication style than you?
5. How do you handle miscommunications or misunderstandings with colleagues or clients?
6. What is your approach to giving feedback?
7. Can you give an example of a time when you had to communicate a complex idea to someone who had little knowledge of the subject?
8. How do you handle communication in a fast-paced environment?
9. Can you give an example of a time when you had to communicate with a difficult colleague or client?
10. What do you think is the most important aspect of effective communication?
11. Describe a situation where you had to adjust your communication approach to suit a multicultural audience.
12. How do you approach communicating bad news or negative feedback to a team?
13. Can you share an experience where active listening helped you solve a work-related problem?
14. How do you prioritize and manage multiple communication demands in a workday?
15. Describe a time when you successfully used written communication to convey an important message or concept.

15 Teamwork Behavioral Interview Questions

1. Tell me about a time when you had to work with someone whose personality was very different from yours. How did you handle the situation?
2. Can you describe a time when you had to work with a difficult team member? How did you handle the situation?
3. Describe a time when you had to work with a team to achieve a common goal. What was your role in the team, and how did you contribute to its success?
4. Have you ever disagreed with a team member's idea? How did you handle the situation, and what was the outcome?
5. Can you tell me about a time when you had to resolve a conflict within a team? How did you approach the situation, and what was the result?
6. Can you describe a time when you had to work with a team to solve a complex problem? What was your role in the team, and how did you contribute to the solution?
7. Have you ever had to motivate a team to achieve a goal? How did you approach the situation, and what was the outcome?
8. Can you tell me about a time when you had to lead a team project? What was your role, and how did you ensure the team's success?
9. Describe a time when you had to adjust your work style to fit the needs of a team. How did you approach the situation, and what was the result?
10. Can you tell me about a time when you had to give feedback to a team member? How did you approach the situation, and what was the outcome?
11. How do you handle situations where team members are not contributing equally to a project?
12. Describe a situation where you had to take initiative within a team. What did you do, and what was the outcome?
13. Can you give an example of how you have worked collaboratively with other departments or external partners in a team setting?
14. Tell me about a time when you had to adapt to a significant change within a team or project. How did you manage it?
15. Describe a situation where you had to mediate a disagreement within your team. What strategies did you use, and what was the result?

15 Conflict Resolution Behavioral Interview Questions

1. Can you describe a time when you had a conflict with a coworker or supervisor? How did you handle it?
2. How do you approach conflicts with people who have different communication styles than your own?
3. Can you give an example of a time when you had to mediate a conflict between two coworkers? How did you handle it?
4. How do you handle conflicts with customers or clients? Can you walk me through a specific example?
5. Can you tell me about a time when you had to make a difficult compromise to resolve a conflict?
6. How do you handle conflicts with team members who are not pulling their weight or meeting expectations?
7. Can you give an example of a time when you had to apologize for your role in a conflict? How did you approach the situation?
8. How do you handle conflicts with people who have different cultural backgrounds or perspectives than your own?
9. Can you tell me about a time when you had to escalate a conflict to a supervisor or manager? How did you handle it?
10. How do you prevent conflicts from escalating in the first place? Can you provide an example of a time when you successfully defused a potentially tense situation?
11. Describe a situation where you had to remain calm and collected during a heated conflict. How did you manage your emotions?
12. Can you share an experience where your ability to listen actively helped resolve a conflict?
13. How do you ensure fairness and objectivity when dealing with conflicts among team members?
14. Can you describe a time when you had to use negotiation skills to resolve a conflict?
15. How do you balance the need to address conflicts promptly with the need to gather sufficient information before taking action?

10 Problem Solving Behavioral Interview Questions

1. Tell me about a time when you had to solve a difficult problem.
2. What steps do you take when you encounter a problem? 
3. Give me an example of a time when you had to think creatively to solve a problem.
4. Tell me about a time when you had to make a difficult decision.
5. Describe a situation where you had to work under pressure to solve a problem.
6. Tell me about a time when you had to collaborate with others to solve a problem.
7. What do you do when you encounter a problem that you don't know how to solve?
8. Give me an example of a time when you had to come up with a creative solution to a problem.
9. Tell me about a time when you had to troubleshoot a technical problem. 
10. What do you think is the most important quality for effective problem-solving?

10 Leadership Behavioral Interview Questions

1. Tell me about a time when you had to make a difficult decision that affected your team. What was the decision, and how did you handle it?
2. Describe a situation in which you had to motivate a team member who was struggling to meet their goals.
3. Give me an example of a time when you had to delegate responsibilities to team members. How did you decide who to delegate to, and how did you ensure that they were successful?
4. Tell me about a time when you had to resolve a conflict between two team members. What was the conflict, and how did you resolve it?
5. Describe a situation in which you had to provide feedback to a team member who was not meeting expectations. How did you approach the conversation, and what was the outcome?
6. Give me an example of a time when you had to adapt your leadership style to meet the needs of a specific team member or situation.
7. Tell me about a time when you had to lead a team through a significant change, such as a reorganization or new technology implementation. What was the change, and how did you ensure that your team was successful?
8. Describe a situation in which you had to take a calculated risk to achieve a goal. What was the risk, and what was the outcome?
9. Give me an example of a time when you had to make a tough call that went against the wishes of your team. How did you handle the situation, and what was the outcome?
10. Tell me about a time when you had to coach a team member who was struggling with a specific skill or task. How did you approach the coaching, and what was the outcome?

10 Adaptability Behavioral Interview Questions

1. Tell me about a time when you had to adapt to a new work environment. What did you do to adjust?
2. Describe a situation where you had to change your approach to achieve a goal. How did you handle it?
3. Have you ever worked on a project that required you to learn a new skill? How did you go about learning it?
4. Tell me about a time when you had to work with a difficult colleague. How did you handle the situation?
5. Describe a time when you had to change your priorities to meet a deadline. How did you manage your time?
6. Tell me about a time when someone asked you to do something outside of your job description. How did you handle it?
7. Have you ever had to deal with unexpected changes in a project or task? How did you adapt?
8. Describe a situation where you had to work with limited resources. How did you manage to get the job done?
9. Tell me about a time when you had to handle a crisis or unexpected situation. How did you react?
10. Have you ever had to work on a project that required you to work with people from different backgrounds? How did you handle the situation?

10 Time Management Behavioral Interview Questions

1. Can you describe a time when you had to manage multiple tasks simultaneously? How did you prioritize your tasks, and what was the outcome?
2. How do you handle unexpected interruptions or changes to your schedule? Can you give an example of a time when you had to adjust your schedule unexpectedly?
3. Can you describe a situation where you had to meet a tight deadline? How did you ensure that you met the deadline, and what steps did you take to manage your time effectively?
4. How do you plan your workday? Can you give an example of a time when you had to plan and organize your workday to ensure that you met all your deadlines?
5. Can you describe a time when you had to work with a team to complete a project? How did you manage your time effectively while working with others?
6. How do you handle conflicting priorities or deadlines? Can you give an example of a time when you had to balance multiple priorities and deadlines?
7. Can you describe a situation where you had to work under pressure? How did you manage your time effectively while working under pressure?
8. How do you ensure that you stay on track and meet your goals? Can you give an example of a time when you had to stay focused and motivated to achieve your goals?
9. Can you describe a time when you had to work on a long-term project? How did you manage your time effectively to ensure that you met all the milestones and deadlines?
10. How do you handle procrastination? Can you give an example of a time when you had to overcome procrastination to complete a task or project?

What To Look For In Responses to Behavioral Interview Questions

Behavioral questions should add value. Questions should relate to the job at hand, and you should have a clear idea of the type of thing you are looking for. You’ll be looking for different behaviors in someone in sales than you will for an accountant. You don’t want to see whining, blaming others, and lack understanding about solving problems.

Keep in mind that people who are not neurotypical may answer questions differently than you might expect. That’s okay! The question is, will they be a good fit for this job, not some other job.

Why Ask Behavioral Interview Questions?

Behavioral interview questions are a valuable tool for employers to gain insight into a candidate's past behavior and potential future performance. Rather than simply asking about a candidate's skills and experience, behavioral interview questions ask the candidate to provide specific examples of how they have handled certain situations in the past.

This approach allows employers to better understand a candidate's problem-solving abilities, communication skills, and overall work style.

Some benefits of asking behavioral interview questions include:

• More objective evaluation: By asking for specific examples of past behavior, employers can more objectively evaluate a candidate's qualifications and fit for the role. This approach reduces the risk of relying on subjective impressions or assumptions about a candidate's abilities.
• Better prediction of future performance: Past behavior is often a good indicator of future performance. By asking behavioral interview questions, employers can gain insight into how a candidate is likely to behave in future situations, which can help them make more informed hiring decisions.
• Improved candidate experience: Behavioral interview questions allow candidates to showcase their skills and experience in a more meaningful way. This can help candidates feel more engaged and invested in the interview process, leading to a more positive candidate experience overall.

Types of Behavioral Interview Questions

Here are some common types of behavioral interview questions:

Communication

Communication is an essential skill in any workplace. Interviewers may ask questions to assess a candidate's ability to communicate effectively with colleagues and clients. For example, "Describe a time when you had to communicate a complex idea to a non-technical team member. How did you ensure that they understood the concept?"

Teamwork

Teamwork is another crucial skill in most workplaces. Interviewers may ask questions to assess a candidate's ability to work collaboratively with others. For example, "Tell me about a time when you had to work with a difficult team member. How did you handle the situation?"

Conflict Resolution

Conflict is inevitable in any workplace, and interviewers want to know how candidates handle conflict. Interviewers may ask questions to assess a candidate's ability to resolve conflicts effectively. For example, "Describe a time when you had a conflict with a colleague. How did you resolve the situation?"

Problem Solving

Problem-solving is a valuable skill in any workplace. Interviewers may ask questions to assess a candidate's ability to solve problems creatively. For example, "Tell me about a time when you had to come up with a creative solution to a complex problem."

Leadership

Leadership skills are essential for managers and team leaders. Interviewers may ask questions to assess a candidate's ability to lead a team effectively. For example, "Tell me about a time when you had to lead a team through a difficult project. How did you motivate your team to succeed?"

Adaptability

Adaptability is increasingly important in today's fast-paced workplaces. Interviewers may ask questions to assess a candidate's ability to adapt to change. For example, "Tell me about a time when you had to adapt to a new situation or work environment."

Time Management

Time management is crucial for productivity in any workplace. Interviewers may ask questions to assess a candidate's ability to manage their time effectively. For example, "Tell me about a time when you had to manage multiple projects with competing deadlines. How did you prioritize your tasks?"

Additional Hiring Resources

Here are some additional resources that may be helpful as you hire new employees:

• How To Find Employees
• Best Free Job Posting Sites
• How To Master New Hire Onboarding
• New Hire Checklist
• How To Conduct An Effective Interview

The Bottom Line

Hiring managers can use behavioral interview questions as one tool for evaluating candidates. Prepare questions that will help you assess a candidate for specific positions. Make sure you know what you’re looking for and take advantage of this valuable tool. ZipRecruiter can help with all of your hiring needs. If you are ready to add to your team, consider listing your job opening on ZipRecruiter!