100. Behavioral Interviews Case Study: Answering Top 3 Challenging Questions, Using STAR Method And Story Toolbox With UpSkillers

Mastering Behavioral Interviews: we dissect case study questions!

In this episode, we provide sample answers, critique, and feedback for how to expertly answer challenging behavioral interview questions like: 

• Think of a time where you demonstrated good communication skills?
• Tell me about a time when you had a disagreement with a team member
• What sets you apart from other candidates applying for this role?

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Transcript

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In the last episode, we introduced behavioral interviews. We talked about what behavioral interviews are, what they do, how they work, why they're important. In this episode, we're going to continue that conversation as we promised with very specific conversations. We're going to take examples, and we're going to provide some strategies to improve those responses. If you want to get really good at giving quality responses to behavioral interviews. This is the episode for you. Welcome to Upskill Talks, I'm your host, Michelle Shaw, lead Upskill at Upskill Community. Upskill Talks is a podcast for leaders, leaders who are actively seeking innovative and creative ways to interact. Lead themselves and others in every episode through real life stories and enlightening conversations, we will explore the challenges and opportunities real leaders face in today's everchanging workplace. We will present you with real strategies. For you to leverage your soft skills and produce transformative results. Thank you for joining me on this journey. Let us begin. Welcome to the conversation, Sylvia, Flora, Shiraz, Juanita, Marguerite, and Duane. Behavioral interviews. last week, we talked about how important they are for determining our competencies And the approach, the STAR method, asks for very specific information. And it provides a method S for the situation, T for the tasks, A for the actions, R for the results. In the textbook that we wrote and in the work that Sylvia and I do, we've added an extra R, R squared and we've broken it down by the capital R and the little r for results and relevance. And that method is such a great mental model and framework to follow to help guide you through these responses. But that's not all. The method is one thing. But how exactly do we take this method and use it to deliver effective responses to behavioral interview questions? That's what we're going to be doing today. And we're going to make this a workshop style podcast where we'll start with raw answers and we'll work together to help to improve them. And as Sylvia says, it's don't worry about the questions, know your stories. So how do we know our stories? We have to practice our stories. We have to stop and reflect on our stories, map them out, brainstorm them, think about them. We've got to do that work long before we get into an interview. Even though you may have a moment in an interview to pause and think, you don't have sufficient time. To map out your stories in that interview, you've got to have the stories prepackaged. And what you get to do in the interview is to pull from your database of stories and pivot, frame, reframe, or customize it slightly to fit the particular question. But you cannot go into interviews with a blank slate. You've got to go in ready. With stories that you can pull from and pull on to be able to answer any question they give you. And I'm going to begin by sharing some strategies with you for this. Strategy number one, it's all about the job description. The job description is the most important tool to help you to do a behavioral interview. So that's one of three tools you need. You need the job description. Two, you need something that I call your skills Venn diagram. It's two circles. One circle that has all of the skills that you're going to pull out of this job description that they are looking for. What do they want? A log of all of that. And on the other circle, what do I have? What are the skills that I have? And really the intersection of that Venn diagram is supposed to be the skills that they're looking for, that you have. That's what you're going to focus on. When you use the STAR method template to map out your stories. So those are the three things you need. The job description, your skills Venn diagram, and the STAR method template. Those three things are the tools that you need to sit with when you are going to do this. And then we're going to go and brainstorm stories and pull out our experiences. Clarify them for ourselves and put them in a format. That is worthy of presenting to others a format that will help to make you marketable to others. That's what we're going to do. So we're going to jump in and start listening to some stories, So mine is a situational behavioral question. How would you answer, tell me about a time you got into a disagreement with a team member and how you handled it? That's a great question. And that's a question that is reasonable to expect on an interview. So before you answer the question, let me go over. Other ways that that same question may show up, tell me about a time when you had a conflict with a team member. How did you deal with it? Tell me a time when you made a proposal or your ideas were not accepted or weren't rejected. How did you deal with it? All those questions come together. It may be framed a little bit slightly different, but I wanted to flag that up so that if you're thinking, I've not really had a disagreement. Maybe you've had a conflict. Maybe it was an idea that didn't go right. Um, so I'm going to try to follow star method. Uh, so the situation was that I got into a disagreement about which, project management software to use with my team, because I had been used to using one type of project management software, but my team here in this, new environment at a new company had different needs. So we disagreed on this. Um, even though we disagreed on which one to pick, what happened was that we came together, sat down and tried the different softwares and shared with each other the needs and how we felt. About each software. Um, I think something that helped was that we took the time to listen to each other's needs, and I understood why, even though what I felt like was a superior project management software, this team is a different team and has different needs. And I understood that by listening to them. The results. So I'm just going to move to the results part, which was that we settled on a project manager software that worked for this team. And they're this project in particular, um, and we successfully implemented it. The project management software and it works now for our team and it was the better choice. Um, and the why that comes out of this is why is it important is because every team that you go to is going to have different requirements. And being adaptable and understanding the people that you're working with, their needs is the most important because it doesn't matter if there's one solution that you know works better. If other people don't understand it, it won't work. So teamwork and listening is the most important thing. And that's what I learned from this situation that collaboration and being a good sport is more important than the most efficient and newest technology and tool because it's what the people make at the end of the day. So that was my learning that, oh, that was a really rambling, that was terrible answer. I'm so rusty. But give me the feedback please. Sylvia. You did great. Considering you're rusty, I need just one more little piece. Why is this relevant to where you're going? There were many things I could change, but I'm going to go to, to strengths. You, you had thing, and I'm just, this is the main development piece, I would say. So you, you explain the situation, you explain, and what I loved is when you said the lesson, when you draw it, it's like, this is what I learned. I need to adjust and I need to understand what is important to the team in which I'm going to belong. I actually liked your comment, Sylvia. That's a really key point. It's why are you telling me this story? Why is this story relevant? And so this story would be told in the context of a job that you're seeking an opportunity, something. And so you've got to link it back to that. So let's say if you're applying for a job, um, in an organization, you would need to say something like, this demonstrates that. I have the ability to work collaboratively. You kind of talked about it. You don't leave it up to the other person to figure out why you've told them the story. Tell them that you're going to tell them, tell them and tell them why you told them. This is still relevant in interviews. So you told them the story. Now you need to tell them why you're telling them the story. It's the relevance for the job. 20 people can tell us stories, but why? Why, why did you choose this story of all of your stories to tell me? What you can see from the story I've just shared with you is that I will prioritize the needs of the team above my own ideas, above my own ego, above my own emotions. It is difficult to work so hard to bring an idea to the team and have it rejected. you know, basically you'll say, and this demonstrates that I have the skill, this level of collaboration, this emotional maturity, this humility, and the fact that I prioritize the team and the team goals over my individual feelings and, and function. The other thing that I think you could have added more to when you came to the actions, the actions were a little bit weak in the story. The actions were just, I listened. But I would think based on how you, you've shared this. You prepared a presentation, you gave a presentation of all the benefits, the pros and cons of your program, and how it would align well with the organization's needs. Yet it wasn't chosen because that really helps them to see how much effort you would put into it and still had to accept that it wasn't the one, right? You've got to really show that you did put the effort in. You came in with all of this, notwithstanding that I stepped down and allowed the greater need and the greater good of the organization to take priority over what I thought and over the effort I had put in. Thanks for the feedback, guys. So my two main key takeaways for how I could have improved this very rusty answer. One is tell the person, tell the listener why I'm telling them. So I'm like, this is a story about how I learned to be flexible. And then the second thing is to kind of hype it up more. Tell the story a little bit better. cause I just kind of glossed over the details and I said, okay, there was this, and then I listened and then this happened, but I could say, I spent time researching. I sent YouTube videos about the software. I trained myself on the software, but at the end of the day, when it came to the table and we were making the decision, my coworkers did not like it. And I felt so disappointed. So I can kind of bring the listener on this. journey that I felt so they can feel what I felt and then kind of see what I learned from it. So it would, I just think it hits a little differently. So thanks for the feedback guys. Yes. Yes. So this was a great, um, example to, to begin our conversation with. And I want to just flag up a couple of things. One, when they asked you the question, tell me about a time when you had a disagreement with a team member. How did you handle it? They've asked you, tell me about a time, it is a specific thing that they're asking you for. So you can go right ahead into your story, follow the S T A R little r, okay? You can go right in. It is a story, that's the piece that I think a lot of people miss. And that's the piece that you just understood, Flora, that a story takes the listener on an emotional journey. Whether that story is told in a movie theater, through a painting, on a stage or in an interview. So what you left out were the emotional elements because the listener, the interviewer, can understand that much effort put in, I would be so annoyed. To not have my thing chosen and it helps them to better understand how much effort and discipline and control it must take for you to put that aside and engage with the other product. If you miss that piece, it seems like, oh, you had, you said one thing and they said one thing and then they qualitative. Benchmarking, if you will, because you're bringing the listener in to understand like, I was so emotionally invested in this and I had to undo it. If you just said, I I learned to listen, then the lessons learned are going to be weaker. But if you actually give the actions the full flush out, like I did this research, as you said, the YouTube videos taught myself this, did all of this, then the lessons learned are much more powerful. So it's important for you to think about the full story. Don't leave out those important details. Having said that, you don't have unlimited time to share a story, and so some stories are going to require you, depending on the goal of the story and where you're given the story, you may have one minute to tell a story. And in that case, you're going to have to be super, super precise. You're going to have to go back through that prece and pull out what is the most important piece. A story is really, here is a problem that you, the star of the story, are dealing with. You are the star in the story. You're dealing with this problem. And then you have to make sure that the listener gets the problem. Even if you're going to have to learn to make it much more precise. Uh, I talked about this in the last episode, which was the introduction to behavioral interviews, but I would practice a lot, like, I would have the story, that's why it came out so rusty the first time, I was like, uh, what was the situation, uh, what was the task, that is the first draft, but when I'm actually practicing for interviews, I make sure to do that, like, 8 times over and over again, so the end is like, I can distill what are the most important, like, emotionally punching pieces that, The listener, the person who's interviewing me, will be like, Oh, wow, she learned a lot from that. Wow, she is so collaborative. Wow. So. Fantastic, Flora. So that's example one. We're going to go on to number two. There is one experience I had that I'll stick with me. And the question was, can you think of a time where you demonstrated good communication skills? And then, uh, my story was to tell him I had this one stint where I did help desk support, and I help a lady, older lady, with a printer problem. So the story goes like this. A lady called in for a printer problem. I walk her through her problem and, you know, then we got into a little rapport and she told me about her job. At the end of the job, she, um, asked me if I was single and it threw me off completely. And then she recognized the stutter in my voice over the phone. And what ended up happening was... From a technical problem, it moved to where she thought she'd want to set me up on a blind date, right? Now, so that was the interview. Now, I share this story that since then, my communication skill, I've been good at communication. And going forward was I would ask someone sometimes if I would ask him a question like this. Um, based on what I shared with you, tell me what you gather. So just to make sure we're on the same page and we know what to do going forward and that's one of the piece I add to my toolbox when it comes to my communication with hope that I can I can work on being able to communicate properly. Thank you, Duane. Thank you. So that, so essentially you got more than just the, um, what you went for. And so that's the, the outcome is quite positive. Very good. I'm going to give a couple of tips that came to mind as Duane shared his story. One of them is that when we are sharing these stories, we have to be mindful of the context in which we're sharing the stories and certain language we have to make sure we never use. So, for instance, we wouldn't use the language of an older person. We would say like a senior citizen, something that's more on. On brand in the Canadian context and in most contexts, I noticed in the, um, in the example that Flora shared as well, she didn't mention the name of a company. She didn't mention the name of the software and that's really best practice. So instead of saying the name of a company, you say a new environment, my new team, the previous software. So no names, no company, and if you have to include people's names, you say someone we shall call John, someone we shall call Sylvia, someone we shall call Flora, just to make sure that we keep it clean. If you are describing the company, you could say, I work for an amusement park or a retail outlet or a fast food company or a tech organization so that you keep it clean. And if you are using information that you have concerns that maybe company's proprietary information or company's trade secrets, those are things you have to be mindful of when you're sharing your stories. In an interview that will disqualify you, even if it's a really good response, the interviewers are going to think, oops, this person doesn't have the values to respect. the confidentiality of the organization. So there are some slips that you make and you give a perfect response, but it has imperfect details in it that automatically disqualify you. And that's why it's important for you to brainstorm, write down the stories, have someone look at it, look it over, pre see it before you go and deliver it anywhere. My question was, what do you believe sets you apart from other candidates applying for this role? Mm hmm. Mm hmm. Yeah, I don't know how to answer that. I mean, I believe I could just say like, My past experience and what I studied, but apart from that, I don't really know how to get deep into that conversation. Okay. So, um, Shiraz, I know that was meant to be general, but, um, yeah, that's about what everybody would say. My past experience, my education, my this. So we had, that's why we have to get real specific because interviewers have heard this over and over and over and over again. So, let's start with your question. Your question, why, what, Why you what do you believe sets you apart from other candidates applying for this role? Okay. What sets you apart? So I want to talk about how this question may show up sort of synonyms, if you will, for this question different ways that this question may show up. What sets you apart? Why should I choose you? How do your knowledge, skills, experiences make you suitable for this job? You know, why should I hire you? All of those types of questions. Okay. So all of those types of questions are asking you the same thing. And so let's think about an approach for that question, because that's the question. You should definitely expect in an interview and definitely be prepared for Sylvia. I'm going to hand this one over to you. I think it takes us back to what we said at the beginning, um, which is, and I guess the best way is what you, you, you call it diagram, the, that Venn diagram, right? Like, what are they looking for? What do I bring? And then tell the story of how you got to where you are. So start with the present. What are you doing right now? What are you, uh, your achievements, your accomplishments, the projects you're engaged on at the very moment and pull out some of the skills that match what is being sought after. And then talk about the past. What else has led you to where you are at that point? And this could include your education, background, other work experiences, perhaps in similar settings. And then, of course, we march to the future. The future is when you get hired and how you make that, um, connection, that bridge, that Venn diagram where you say, this is what you're looking for and you show information that you have gathered. So you show, you demonstrate your ability to do the research, to understand the institution, to understand the requirements of the role and to understand yourself and match those. And that is how you set, set yourself apart. And sometimes you can boil them down to two or three stories that can actually convey all those things. Excellent, excellent Sylvia. I really enjoy how you share sort of past, present, future. I think that's a really great framework for our listeners to take and to think about as they map out this kind of question. I want to add to what Sylvia shared. Really a reiteration of what we touched on earlier. You need the job description. Why should I choose you means tell me how you are suitable for this job. And that's one thing I want to flag up. Every single interview question is really asking you only one thing. How are you suitable for this job? How are you suitable dealing with conflict, dealing with communication, dealing with whatever, it may be framed in different ways. Every interview question, the interviewer wants to know, are you suitable for this job? And when they come down to this last question, It's almost your closing question. This question typically comes at the end of an interview after they've asked you a number of questions. It's sort of like miscellaneous, throwing anything that we did not specifically ask you. So you have to make sure that this is almost like your brand story, your brand summary, as Sylvia said, you can choose a list of attributes. You can say, I am detail oriented. I am resilient. I am flexible. I am adaptable. I am very good at communication. I am very good like everybody hears that you can copy that list and paste it from anywhere. They don't want to hear that. If you start writing down and you realize you're using a lot of commas, a lot of these adjectives, You're going down the wrong pathway. If you're speaking and you realize you're just repeating these adjectives, you're going down the wrong pathway. You need to make sure you contextualize and you make sure that you give specific examples. So here is what I'm going to recommend as the steps to answer that kind of question. One, make sure you know the company. The values the company has, maybe what's relevant, if you share those values, does the company have a big project coming up, have you looked at the company's strategic plan or strategic goals on their website? See if that's there. See if there's a pillar that you can pull out and that aligns with who you are. And back to what Sylvia reminded you of, it's that Venn diagram that I strongly believe in and designed for this specific purpose. What are they looking for? What do you have? Go through all of those pillars and point out the three, the three top things. And that's what you're going to focus on in this closing story. Is there a value that the organization has that this is a value that I share? Think about those things. Is there something specific in the job description that you've achieved already? It's going to be specific. A story in this case could be one sentence, just giving the result, the outcome. In the past, in my previous role, I also helped to improve learners results from 50% to 70%. I see that you are looking to improve your learners outcomes from 30% to 50%. As you can see, I've done this already. I'd be willing to help you here. I see that you share this value. This is a situation where I exemplified this value. I see that you have this social initiative. This is something that I'm already doing out in my community. Whatever it is, show that you have more than one leg to stand on. Try to think one, two, three. It's the one, two, three that Winston Churchill talks about in communication, what's your one, two, three that you're going to include in the story to say, number one, Number two, number three, give it clean and clear. You've got to know the company. You've got to know the job description. You've got to know your stories. And you've got to make sure that you are being very specific. So be in the mindset of writing for example. For example, it's going to give you a specific story with supporting evidence, quantify and qualify. To quantify use numbers instead of saying, I got a raise. What does that mean? I improved my grades. What does that mean? I increase the number of customers coming in. What does that mean? We typically have a flow of 50 customers in per hour. After I put the system in, we went to 75 customers per hour. You need to use numbers to quantify, to benchmark. You need to help people understand how extraordinary you are. And in order to do that, you have to say, this is what ordinary looks like. This is what I did. And remember the most perfect story on paper can land flat if you don't practice to present it in a manner. That hits the mark. Someone can have a mediocre story and really do a great job on landing that story on presenting it more impactfully, and they can beat you out. Even if you have done the work you're experienced, you know, you can do it. You probably are the better candidate, but if you are not able to go in with a solid story to articulate and to demonstrate and to land it right where it belongs, you may. Take yourself out of the race. So interviews, they help you to get what you deserve and desire. All the best on your interview journey, behavioral interviews, go get them. Thank you. And we look forward to continuing this conversation on how we go about getting our goals, looking at one strategy at a time. That was it for behavioral interviews. And we wish you all the best with your practicing, planning, and certainly good luck on your next interview. Thank you for listening to this episode of Upskill Talks. We bring you new episodes every Monday. Please take a moment to subscribe. Leave a five star rating and a written review at Apple Podcast or follow us on Spotify, Google podcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Don't forget to share Upskill talks with other leaders like yourself, so they too may gain the skills and insights to produce amazing results. Please go to upskill community.com to review show notes, and learn how you can join a community of leaders from across the globe. Collaborating to lead in a more meaningful and impactful way. I'm your host, Michelle Shaw, and again, thank you for joining me on this episode of Upscale Talks.