Everyone dreads interview questions, but as an employer, they can be your best friend. It can be difficult to weed out unfavorable candidates with traditional interview questions, but behavioral questions can tell you far more about a person than their resume. Behavior questions are abstract, and as their name implies, they ask about a person’s behavior in certain situations. If you aren’t asking behavioral questions, here are some reasons you should start.

Learn How a Candidate Responds in Certain Situations

Traditional interview questions can only tell you so much about a candidate, and if you really want to see how they will respond to certain situations, you should ask behavioral interview questions. Ask questions such as “How do you deal with a co-worker who takes credit for your work?” These types of questions will help you better understand the person you are interviewing, as well as their approach to difficult situations. If a person’s answers are not in alignment with your company’s culture, you may want to hire someone else.  

One of the best predictors of future behavior is past behavior, and by asking an employee questions about past work situations, you can gauge how they will respond in a situation in your workplace. Of course, people can change and grow over time, so you shouldn’t place too much emphasis on this part of the interview. Just be sure candidates don’t provide inauthentic or canned responses on such questions.

Learn About a Candidate’s Personality

Professional teams are often composed of dozens of different personalities, and it can be difficult for these personalities to work in a productive fashion. Asking behavioral interview questions is a quick way to learn more about a candidate’s true personality before you hire them. If you believe a candidate’s personality might be problematic or too confrontational, you can simply move on to another candidate.  

Make the Hiring Process Easier

If you are having difficulty finding the right type of employees, you may want to consider working with an established staffing firm. Nesco Resources specializes in matching engineering, IT and technology professionals with companies that value their unique skills and talents. Contact us today to make the hiring process easier.