The essence of the Behavioural Interview technique lies in its underlying philosophy: “Past behaviour is the best predictor of future behaviour.” In simpler terms, how a candidate has reacted, responded, and performed in previous professional situations can offer invaluable insights into how they might behave in future scenarios.

Here’s a deeper look into the core of this technique:

Real-World Examples

Instead of asking hypothetical questions, behavioural interviewing delves into real-life situations that the candidate has experienced. By exploring these events, interviewers can get a genuine glimpse into a candidate’s skills, decision-making abilities, and overall suitability for the role.

Detailed Responses

Candidates are often prompted to answer using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result). This structured response format ensures that the candidate provides comprehensive details about specific situations, their role in them, the actions they took, and the outcomes of those actions.

Assessing Soft Skills

Technical competencies are crucial, but soft skills—like teamwork, problem-solving, and adaptability—are equally important. The Behavioural Interview technique allows interviewers to gauge these intangible qualities effectively. By understanding how a candidate has navigated past challenges, interviewers can predict their interpersonal skills and problem-solving abilities.

Eliminating Bias

By focusing on factual events and the candidate’s actions in those events, behavioural interviewing aims to reduce the potential biases of the interviewer. It shifts the focus from subjective impressions to concrete examples of a candidate’s past performance.

Predictive Value

While no interview technique can guarantee future performance, behavioural interviews, by grounding discussions in past realities, offer one of the best predictive values. The belief is that if a candidate has successfully navigated challenges in the past, they’re likely equipped to handle similar situations in the future.

Conclusion

The Behavioural Interview technique in HR recruitment is centred on understanding a candidate’s past to predict their future performance, ensuring a comprehensive and realistic assessment of their potential fit for a role.