interview questions and answers behavioral

            

  I'm going to give you the 8 top behavioral interview questions and answers. When answering behavioral interview questions is to use the STAR technique.

           What do I mean by behavioral?

              You tell the interview panel what the situation was that you were in. So say, "The situation that I was in was X,Y, and Z."Then you move on and you tell them the task that needed to be done."So I was in this situation and this is what I needed to do."Then you tell them what you actually did, so what action you took. And then you tell them the results following your actions, so it's situation, task, action, result. And if you follow this process when answering these situational/behavioral-type interview questions, it will make sure that you give them a specific answer. And this is important. When you are responding to these kinds of interview questions, you have to tell them what you did do in a previous situation, not what you would do if this situation happened.

1)   Give an example of a goal you reached and tell me how you achieved it ?

        Here's my answer to the interview question: Give an example of a goal you reached and tell me how you achieved it."One particular time comes to mind when I achieved something I am proud of. The business I was working for had set difficult customer service satisfaction targets for all members of staff to achieve. Most people in the team seemed optimistic about being able to achieve the targets, but I set out to surpass them in the fastest time possible. To achieve my goal, I created a plan of action. After I had dealt with every customer, I asked them three simple questions about the service I had just provided them with, and in their opinion, how it could be improved. I then used the information the customers provided me with to continually improve the service I was offering. After four weeks, I had surpassed my targets and my manager was very happy with my performance."

2)   Describe a stressful work situation you were in and how you handled it?

         Here's a great answer to this interview question."Recently, an important member of staff was unfortunately taken ill when we were halfway through trying to complete a difficult and stressful project for a client. This was particularly stressful because the person who was off work sick had the knowledge and expertise to help us finish the project on time. I decided to volunteer to take on his responsibilities. And so I set about learning his role in the fastest time possible. Now although it was stressful, I remained calm, worked longer hours, and didn't stop working until I managed to replicate his responsibilities and role. I am pleased to say we all managed to complete the project on time for our client. I believe I am a highly effective worker when put under pressure and will do all I can to help out my organization and the team I am working for."Now that kind of situation can be applied to any kind of work-related role where you are under pressure, and like I say, you'll get these slides soon and you can use these to structure your own responses.

3)   Describe a time when you delivered excellent customer care or customer service?

              Here's my response to this interview question."A customer recently telephoned the office to ask if we have a specific product in stock, which we did. They needed the product in super-fast time because their Grandma's birthday was in two days' time. Now, unfortunately, the courier we usually used to deliver priority packages was unavailable. However, because I felt it was important to try and meet the needs of the customer, I informed them that I would spend some time seeking an alternative courier company to get the package to their Grandma in time for their birthday. I spent 30 minutes calling around various courier companies until I found one who would do the job for me. I then called the customer back and informed them we would pay for the extra delivery costs as a gesture of goodwill to save time and inconvenience. The customer was overjoyed and they ended up leaving our business a positive review on Trust pilot following their experience with us."

4)    Give an example of when you have worked with other people to complete a difficult task?

           Here's my answer to this question "I love working as part of a team and I can recall a recent situation when we all came together in the office to complete a difficult task. One day, the internet went down and we were interview questions and answers behavioralunable to access the computers to deal with customer queries and also complete and fulfill the customer orders from the previous day. I volunteered to go home in my car to access the internet so I could print off the customer orders and then bring them back to the office. We could all then work together as a team to make them up and get them dispatched in time for when the postal van arrived at the end of the day. Another member of the team used his smart phone to access and answers the customer emails to make sure they didn't get missed and our customers didn't experience a drop in service. Now, despite the difficulties of the internet going down, we all worked together as part of a team to maintain a smooth operation for our company."

5)   Give an example when you disagreed with a decision your manager made and how you handled it?

         "To be honest, I have a great manager and it is rare that I disagree with him. However, during a recent meeting, my manager put forward a new proposal and a change to our working practices. Now after careful consideration, I did not agree with the proposals and so I approached my manager in private to explain my views constructively on why I felt they might not work. He didn't agree with my thoughts but I thanked him anyway for listening to them, and I then got on positively with the new way of working. Now what actually transpired that my manager was right, and I was the one in the wrong?  His new way of working was positive and things are much improved now that we have all had time to adapt. Now although I was wrong, I feel it is important to say if you disagree with something as the organization can only benefit from diverse opinions and experiences. Now even though I didn't agree at the time with my manager, I would always respect his decisions and work hard to achieve the company mission and goals."

6)   Give an example of when you've met a tight deadline?

         Here's my answer for you."It was only last week I met a very tight deadline for my employer. It was late on a Tuesday afternoon and an important customer order came through that needed to be fulfilled before close at 5:00 p.m. I volunteered to complete the order and told my manager I would stay behind late if needed. I quickly printed up the order sheet which consisted of 18 items and meticulously packaged them up as fast as possible. I double-checked my work as I progressed with the task as I knew it was important not to make any mistakes. Thankfully, through accurate and fast working, I managed to get the job done before the 5:00 p.m. Deadline. I actually enjoy working to tight deadlines and enjoy the feeling of satisfaction I get when the job is completed on time and to a high standard."

7)   Have you ever gone above and beyond the call of duty? If so, what happened?

           Here's my answer for you."A disabled member of staff started working for us and I noticed they were given a desk which was located quite a distance from the toilet and the kitchen facilities. Now whilst I am sure they were happy with the desk they'd been allocated with, I felt I could improve their working day by offering to swap my desk with theirs. My desk was situated adjacent to the kitchen and bathroom facilities so it made sense to switch locations. I introduced myself to the new member of the team and offered to swap desks. They immediately accepted my offer and thanked me for being considerate. Now although it was only a small gesture, I felt I was improving their working day and it also gave me the opportunity to introduce myself to them and make them feel welcomed within the office and organization."

8)   Give an example of when you didn't meet a goal and how you handled it?

           Here's my answer."When I first started working for my previous employer, I set myself a difficult task that was based around learning a new skill. I promised my manager that I would be able to apply the new skill at work within eight weeks. Now, however, it soon became apparent that I wasn't going to be able to do the work needed within the time frame. I had underestimated the time needed to complete the training to a high standard and I felt bad that I had let down my manager. I apologized for the misinformation and assured him it wouldn't happen again. I learned a lot from this experience and now I always meticulously plan any goal to make sure I meet the deadline for achievement. Whilst I rarely make mistakes, if I do, I would always look to learn from them and improve for next time to the benefit of my employer."

These are the answering behavioral interview questions.