TOP 7 BEHAVIOURAL INTERVIEW QUESTIONS & ANSWERS! (STAR METHOD ANSWERS for BEHAVIORAL INTERVIEWS!)

In today's training lesson, I am going to teach you how to answer behavioral interview questions using the STAR method. My name is Richard McMun. I have been a hiring manager and recruitment expert for more than 30 years. And if you want to get hired at the first attempt at your next job interview, make sure you stay tuned. And just very quickly, please make sure you tell me the name of the job you are applying for in the comment section below this video and I will give you some extra help. Okay, let's get started. Please make sure you take notes. What are behavioral interview questions? Let me explain. Behavioral interview questions require you to give specific examples from your past experience to demonstrate the skills, behaviors, and qualities needed to perform the job role effectively. Examples of behavioral questions include, "Tell me about a time you worked on a team. Tell made a mistake. disagreed with your boss. That is a very difficult one to answer. And tell me about a time you solved a difficult problem. How should you answer behavioral interview questions? I strongly recommend you use the STAR method. STAR stands for situation, task, action, and result. The STAR method is recognized by all hiring managers as the most effective way to answer behavioral interview questions. You begin your answer by briefly describing the situation you were in. You then outline the task that needed doing. You then give indepth details of the action you took before finishing your answer with the result following your actions. And this is a very important tip. Always make sure the result is positive following your actions. So make sure you use the STAR method to answer behavioral interview questions. In the next section of this lesson, I am going to tell you what the seven most common behavioral interview questions are. These come up during the majority of job interviews. I will give you some tips for answering each question, plus give you a brilliant, unique star method answer. The first question that comes up during virtually all job interviews is, "Tell me about a time you worked on a team. " Here's some important tips. This question assesses your ability to work closely with others, set aside your differences, and also complete important team tasks. Examples of when you might have worked on a team include launching a new product or service, improving customer service processes, implementing a new software system, reducing costs in a company department, or organizing an important company event. Let me give you a brilliant star method answer to this first most common behavioral interview question. Tell me about a time you worked on a team. Here we go. I worked on a team in my previous role whose responsibility was to look for cost savings to help the business increase profits. Our task was to work together as a team to find ways to help the business improve. We held a team meeting to discuss ideas. I suggested we create an office supplies ordering system to prevent over orderering and also we negotiate with suppliers to seek improved terms. Others on the team suggested we cancel unused or unnecessary subscriptions and also hire online freelancers for technical work to save on expensive contracts. After our manager approved our costsaving ideas, we set to work implementing them utilizing each team member's strengths. The results were impressive. Through our combined efforts, we saved the company $23,000 annually. You can see how effective the STAR method is. Situation, task, action

and result. One of the great things about the STAR method is it demonstrates to the interviewer that you have really good communication skills because you are giving them a structured answer. Let's now move on to the second most common behavioral interview question and that is tell me about a time you had to deal with a difficult problem. Let me give you some great tips. This next behavioral question assesses your willingness to take ownership of problems in the workplace. The hiring manager doesn't want to hire someone who leaves problems for other people to deal with. Examples of dealing with difficult problems include handling tight deadlines and heavy workloads at work, dealing with conflict between work colleagues, dealing with negative customer reviews, staff shortages or team members being off sick, and also low team morale and dealing with difficult customers or clients. Those are brilliant examples of dealing with difficult workplace problems. Let me now give you my preferred example answer to this question that uses the STAR method. Here we go. Tell me about a time you had to deal with a difficult problem. In my previous job, we started receiving negative online reviews which were impacting sales. I genuinely wanted the company to succeed. So, I took it upon myself to investigate the cause of the reviews. I read all the negative reviews and after reaching out to dissatisfied customers, determined that the issue was due to inaccurate product instructions for one of our best selling products. After creating new instructions and an accompanying video tutorial accessible via a QR code, I presented them to my manager for feedback. After extensive testing, the new instructions were approved and added to the product. Following my actions, negative reviews disappeared and customer satisfaction ratings improved. This situation taught me the importance of acting quickly and also taking ownership of challenging problems. That is a brilliant example answer because it tells the hiring manager you are someone who takes ownership of difficult problems and challenges that are affecting the company or organization. And again you are using the STAR method. It tells the hiring manager you have brilliant communication skills. Let's now move on to the third most common behavioral interview question and that is tell me about a time you had to deal with a conflict. This next question establishes whether you can overcome conflict between yourself and others or between co-workers. Examples include disagreements over how a task should be completed, personality clashes between team members, unequal workload distribution, miscommunication or misunderstandings, and disputes over credit for work or achievements. Let me give you a brilliant topscoring example answer to this behavioral interview question again that uses the STAR method. Tell me about a time you had to deal with a conflict. Here we go. In my previous role, I worked on a team of seven. I noticed a conflict had started between two co-workers that was beginning to affect team performance. My task was to help resolve the conflict for the team's benefit. I asked to speak privately with both co-workers. I explained that I had noticed a conflict between them and asked for their permission to facilitate a resolution which they agreed to. I asked each co-worker to explain their version of events. It became apparent that they both strongly disagreed on the best way to complete team tasks. I suggested they create a list of their combined ideas and test each one to measure the impact against the team's goals. After encouraging them to focus more on the team's objectives and not individual

needs, they began to work more effectively. My actions demonstrated the importance of selfless team collaboration and the testing of ideas. That is another brilliant answer. It shows you want to make a difference in the workplace because you facilitated a resolution during a workplace conflict. Let's now move on to the fourth most common behavioral interview question and that one is tell me about a time you disagreed with your boss. I am sure you will agree this is a very difficult question to answer. Let me give you some great tips for answering it with confidence. This next question needs a careful answer. It demonstrates if you can professionally disagree with your boss if you think something can be done in a better way. Examples include a disagreement about how a task should be completed, a disagreement over team priorities, a disagreement about feedback you have received, and also feeling micromanaged or a lack of autonomy. Let me give you the perfect answer that uses the STAR method. Tell me about a time you disagreed with your boss. Here we go. In my previous role, my manager overheard me suggesting to a customer on the telephone that they should buy one of our cheaper products as I felt it was best suited to their needs. Following the call, my manager instructed me to offer the most expensive product to all customers on future calls. I disagreed. I needed to explain to my manager the rationale behind my actions. I calmly and respectfully explained that trust with customers is built by not overselling but by ensuring their needs are met. I genuinely felt the customer needed a better product. And by not asking them to spend money on one they didn't need, I established trust. After listening to my explanation, my manager understood how important trust is to building long-term customer relationships and agreed that I could sell only based on their needs. That is another brilliant answer that will definitely help you get hired. Let's now move on to the fifth most common behavioral interview question and that is tell me about a time you made a mistake. This is another one that needs a careful answer. Here are some brilliant tips. This next question assesses honesty, your ability to take ownership of mistakes and your willingness to learn. Do not say you have never made a mistake. We all make mistakes, but it is how you respond to them that is being assessed with this behavioral question. Examples include miscommunication with your colleagues or customers, not following procedures or instructions, failing an internal training course exam, data entry or administrative errors, and also failing to ask for clarification when you are unsure and finally not checking your work before submitting it. Here is my preferred answer to this difficult behavioral interview question again that uses the STAR method. Tell me about a time you made a mistake. In my previous job, I was simultaneously dealing with several tasks and projects as well as responding to customer email inquiries. Unfortunately, due to my lack of attention, I sent a customer incorrect pricing details for a product they had requested information on. It was my responsibility to take ownership of the mistake, put things right, and learn from the situation. I immediately contacted the customer with the correct pricing information. I apologized for the inconvenience to which they accepted. To prevent the same mistake from happening again, I started double-checking all emails prior to them being sent to ensure accuracy. If I ever make a mistake at work, which is rare, I will take ownership of it and improve. A brilliant answer. You are saying you made a genuine mistake. You took ownership of it. You apologized and more importantly, you improved. Let's now move on to the sixth most

common behavioral interview question. And that one is, describe a time you dealt with a difficult customer, client, or colleague. Here's some great tips. This next tough behavioral question assesses your communication skills, confidence, and ability to achieve positive outcomes following difficult situations with others. Examples include handling an angry customer who received the wrong product, assisting a frustrated client who is experiencing service delays, dealing with a colleague who has refused to cooperate, and finally addressing a work colleague who makes inappropriate comments. Let me give you a brilliant example answer that uses the STAR method. situation, task, action, and result. Describe a time you dealt with a difficult customer, client, or colleague. When I started work in my previous role, a senior team member ignored me during meetings and dismissed every idea that I put forward. Although their actions were disappointing, I was eager to build positive relationships with everyone on the team and contribute. During the next team meeting, when they dismissed another one of my ideas, I asked them calmly why they insisted on refusing to try any of my suggestions. I explained that I had a lot to offer and that I wanted to help the business thrive. Following the meeting, he spoke to me privately, apologized, and explained that his actions were unacceptable. Moving forward, we became good friends both in and out of work, and we worked collaboratively on many successful tasks and projects. This experience taught me the importance of not taking things personally, but instead focusing on building strong and productive relationships. That tells the hiring manager you are a good communicator, you remain calm and you communicate effectively with others to achieve the desired goal. It also tells the hiring manager you will fit into the team and be a great collaborator. Let's now move on to the seventh most common behavioral interview question and that is tell me about a time you had to work under pressure or meet a tight deadline. Let me give you some great tips. This next behavioral question is designed to assess your ability to multitask and achieve difficult deadlines. Examples include completing an urgent task shortly before a deadline, covering responsibilities when a work colleague was absent, finishing a project when the deadline was brought forward, responding quickly to a lastm minute customer request, and also solving a problem that threatened to delay a project. And finally, preparing a report or presentation at short notice. So, those are really good examples. Let me give you my preferred answer that uses the STAR method. Tell me about a time you had to work under pressure or meet a tight deadline. My manager asked for a volunteer to cover the duties of a co-worker who was off work sick from another department. The volunteer would be required to complete both their tasks and the co-workers tasks simultaneously. I volunteered as I saw it as an opportunity to learn new skills whilst assisting the company. I began by creating a list of my new combined tasks and duties. I then colorcoded the list in priority order. Red tasks required immediate attention. Blue tasks came second and green tasks could be left for later in the working day. For the tasks of my co-worker that I were unfamiliar with, I read company training manuals and consulted colleagues to ensure I was able to complete them competently. By being organized, working methodically, and blocking out distractions, I was able to complete the work of two people while learning new skills in the process. A brilliant answer. All hiring managers would want to offer the job to the person who gives that level of response. Okay, you now have two options. Option number one is to download these slides

plus my full set of 30 star method answers to behavioral interview questions. Or option number two is a brilliant one and that is I will write bespoke answers for you to the interview questions you will likely have to answer at your job interview. Both of these options are in the top comment below this video. So check out the links and go through to my website passmyinterview. com. A quick note on option number two. So I will write your answers for you based on your CV or resume, the job role you are applying for and the company. I will personally write your answers for you. And if you don't get hired after using this service, I will refund your payment. Check out the links in the top comment below this video to find out more. Thank you very much for watching. Don't forget to subscribe, hit the like button, and also tell me the name of the position you are being interviewed for in the comment section below the video so I can give you some extra help. Thank you for watching. My name's Richard McMman and I love helping people to get hired. Make sure you watch more of my videos. Have a great day.