Sample behavioral interview questions

Sample Behavioral Interview Questions

1.       Tell me about yourself.

2.       Why should we hire you? Why should we not hire you?

3.       What are three of your greatest strengths? Weaknesses?

4.       Tell me about a time when you had to work with someone you did not get along with. How did you handle the situation? (conflict management)

5.       Tell me about a time when you had to overcome a significant challenge at work. How did you manage?

6.       Describe a situation when you had to deliver bad news or report a significant problem with a project to your boss or to a client.

7.       Which one of your accomplishments are you most proud of and why? Tell me about a time when you failed.

8.       If there was one thing you could change about your resume’ what would it be and why?

9.       What was the hardest decision you have ever had to make? How did you manage that situation?

10.   One of your direct reports, while an excellent worker, is not a cultural fit with the firm. Describe what you would do to remedy the situation.

11.   Tell me about the project (preferably from your resume’) you are most proud of, your role in it, the challenges you faced, and the learnings you gleaned from it.

12.   Tell me something about yourself that is not on your resume’.

13.   What is your ideal job? What kind of manager would you like to report to?

14.   If we offered you the job right now, would you take it? Why or why not?

15.   What did you do in terms of extra-curricular activities? Any volunteering or social activities?

16.   Tell me about your most favorite and least favorite classes in college. Why those particular ones?

17.   Who is your favorite <person from field you’re interviewing for>? Why? If you could pick one person living or dead to have dinner with, who would it be, and what would you talk about?

18.   Have you ever been in a situation where you were asked to do something you weren’t sure was morally right? Explain how you handled it.

19.   Tell me something from your resume’ that, in your opinion, makes you stand out from the candidate pool for this position.

20.   Did you ever have a major conflict with a boss or other authority figure? Tell me about it.

21.   Are you interviewing at other places? In other industries? Why do you want to work at our firm or in our industry?

22.   Tell me what your understanding is of what someone employed in the position you are interviewing for, would do on a day to day basis.

23.   If I spoke to your boss or co-workers today, what are some adjectives they would use to describe you?

24.   You are working on a project where the team lead (you feel unfairly) repeatedly rejects every idea you put forward. What would you do?

25.   A colleague of yours has stolen your work, presented it as her own and has gotten promoted for it. What would you do?

26.   Do you have any questions for me?