10 Best Common Behavioral Interview Questions

To get a job in Canada, you will not be able to escape the traditional stage of meeting your recruiter for an interview. Employers are very curious about their candidates' reactions and answers to tricky questions, especially those with behavioral aspects. During this critical step in the recruitment process, the employer asks many questions to test the candidate's reasoning ability and highlight his strengths and weaknesses.

During this interview, specific questions asked are essential, regardless of your profile or your professional experience. Although many interview questions may seem classic and comfortable, good preparation is necessary to tackle them without stress and confusion. Now, Let's discover the primary keys and some useful tips to put the odds on your side in the top 10 most asked behavioral interview questions!

How to Answer Behavioral Interview Questions - The STAR Technique

When answering behavioral interview questions, it is helpful to use the STAR approach. This technique helps you structure your responses to ensure you are giving the interviewer the information they are looking for. The STAR technique is usually an acronym composed of 4 stages:

Situation: First, you have to explain the situation you were in or when you found yourself in a professional situation such as managing a project, a voluntary work, training, etc.… presented to the interviewer.

TASK: then, you have to describe the task you had to accomplish?

Action: What did you do? How did you handle the situation?

RESULT: you need to describe the product (s) of your actions. What did you learn from the experience and come out of it?

Employers want to know through the STAR TECHNIQUE if you become later able to apply what you have learned or not. Now let's take a look at 10 sample behavioral interview questions that appear at every meeting.

1. Tell me about yourself

"Tell me about yourself" or "can you introduce yourself" is usually the first question asked in a job interview. Your interviewer usually expects a brief and chronological presentation of your professional career. It is for him to validate the information mentioned in your CV.

If you are a young applicant, the best way to answer is to say your training and then present your last job in detail, without forgetting your possible internships. If you are an experienced candidate, the recruiter expects a simpler and summarized presentation of the leading positions you held by emphasizing only the most essential experiences, depending on the type of position you have applied for.

2. What do You Know About Our Company?

Unless a recruitment firm receives you, employers want to make sure you are interested in the job. They want to know your job search journey and the ways you have taken to reach this company. Whether you are a young applicant or an experienced one, you must always come for an interview with a good knowledge of the company, its organization, its culture, its values, its main activity, or even the service you want to apply for.

3. What are the Things You are Interested in this Position?

By asking this question, the recruiter seeks to verify the favorite roles of the candidate. Now, it is time to show your interest in the job based on concrete evidence. If the interview has been thoughtfully prepared, you have probably already matched the roles listed in the advertisement with your previous work experience or competencies.

4. Show me a Professional Project of Which You are Incredibly Proud.

This is a question about achievements. Through an incredibly successful project in your eyes, highlight your strengths, behavioral (soft skills), and technical skills. Here, the employer wants to know if the candidate likes teamwork, has a leadership personality if he is a force for the challenge, or overcome tricky situations. For your weak points, talk about "areas for improvement" rather than "shortcomings" while respecting a certain degree of honesty.

5. How do You See Your Career?

This question is very tricky. It helps determine if the candidate has set long-term goals. You have to remain motivated and show that you have enough ambition to project yourself over time. Your professional goals must also be in line with the company's development possibilities. Your interviewer makes sure that he/ she will keep you in the team as long as possible. Your answer should suggest some potential developments in the position.

6. Why are You the Ideal Candidate?

With this simple question, the recruiter makes sure that you understand the position's missions and challenges to be filled. It is advisable to mention examples of projects or achievements that portray you as an ideal person for the job. Prove your motivation by projecting yourself into the proposed position through missions carried out during the most significant experiences of your career. Be careful, however, not to be overconfident, even if you think you have all the skills required to get the job and meet the requirements.

7. When did You Lead a Project/ Team?

The recruiter here expects concrete cases where you had to show leadership. Have you been in a difficult situation, and you had succeeded in carrying it out thanks to your interpersonal skills? Did you have to show a real sense of communication to announce professional changes to your team? Prove your leadership by looking for the best examples in your experience.

8. Tell me About Your Former Job

Do not see this question as a trap. This is to take the information on the positive aspects of your old job. Be as honest as possible by listing the skills acquired, relationships with your former colleagues, team achievements. The recruiter is merely looking to know the experience you may have gained in the past. Do not under any circumstances denigrate your old company or your former boss. This is generally not well received and can hinder the next steps in the recruitment process.

9. What are Your Salary Expectations?

For this delicate and frequent question, rather than giving a precise number, you need to define a salary range: estimate the minimum salary for which you would accept the assignment and the maximum amount you think you can claim. Be based on concrete elements: your experience, your profile, your current salary, or that of your last position, without forgetting the additional benefits such as bonuses and holidays.

10. Do You Have Any Questions?

This is often the last question asked in a job interview. It is up to the candidate to ask the recruiter all the questions that remain unanswered. Focus on questions showing your interest and curiosity for the position: work environment, team organization, a typical day, etc.

These were the top 10 behavioral interview questions exclusively explained in this article. Keep in mind that not all of these questions are just like a one-on-one meeting and may be asked in a phone or video interview.