Behaviour Based Interviews

Agrium uses an interview method called Behaviour Based Interviews to determine the best candidate for a job.

The Behaviour Based Interview process is based on the principle that past behaviour is a good predictor of future behaviour.  Therefore, in the course of interview the candidates are asked about their past job performance behaviour in order to assess how they will perform on the job in the future.

What types of questions are asked in the interview?

Since the interviewers will be trying to determine how candidates will perform on the job in the future, it is important that they ask questions directly related to the job itself.  For example, a job's duties might include supervising a number of workers and occasionally dealing with upset customers.  Knowing this, you can be sure the interviewers will ask candidates about past supervision or leadership experience and about experiences dealing with upset customers.  Remember, although it is preferred that you talk about on-the-job experiences, volunteer work can also be used.

You should be able to build a list of skills the job requires from reading the job posting; the example above included supervision and customer relations. Once this list is completed, consider when you have used these skills before, and be prepared to talk about them.

Listed below are possible Behaviour Based Interview questions:

• Tell me about a time you had to work at a fast pace for a long period of time. What kind of work did you do? What did you do to maintain that pace?
• What approaches have you used in presenting to different audiences? Give me a specific example.
• Have you taken any steps to improve your skills or performance? Give me an example.
• Tell me about the way in which you worked with your direct reports or team members to develop new and creative ideas to solve business problems. Give me an example. 
• What software packages have you used in your job?

How do I answer the questions?

When answering “behaviour-based” structured questions, your reply should follow a  “S T A R” format:

1) Specific Situation/Task , 2) Actions that you took, and 3) Results achieved

In other words, describe what the situation was or what caused you to act (situation/task), what you did about it (action) and how it turned out (result).  Use past  work examples, preferably as recent, and as closely related to the position that you are being interviewed for.  If you have difficulty thinking of a work example, then please use an example from your volunteer involvement or school.  Focus on and highlight your individual action or contribution, even if you were working as part of a team.

Example:

Tell us about the time you had to learn something in a short period of time. How did you learn it?

Situation
"Earlier this year, my manager asked me to cover the duties of the executive assistant for one week. This included accessing and updating the on-line calendar for the CEO. We were in the process of switching to a new system and this was a newer and completely different system to the one that my manager used. I had only 1 day to become familiar with the system before taking over."

Action
"I asked the executive assistant for a short training session on the system prior to her departure. Then I obtained a copy of the system and practiced using it in the day leading up to my coverage. I obtained a copy of the system manual that I read over and kept for reference. I also obtained the name of another person in the company who could help with difficulties should they arise. During the week, I referred to my manual, and the on-line help function when questions arose."

Result
"I used the system for the week, and was able to successfully change and update the CEO's schedule. The CEO thanked me for my help and efficiency. Although, there is still more to learn, I now feel confident that I can operate both on-line agenda systems effectively and efficiently. I have successfully filled in for the executive assistant twice since then."

The most important part of your answer is to make sure that you describe  what you did. This is the action part of the answer and tells the interviewers how you are likely to behave in the future. So tell them about options you considered, research you did, conversations you had, how you prioritized, whatever is relevant to how you got it done. When the interviewers feel they have a solid, complete answer (situation, action, result), they will move on to the next question.

The Interview Panel

The interview panel usually has two or three interviewers. Typically, this would include the hiring supervisor, and one or two other individuals (Human Resources Advisor or individual from the department).

How to Prepare

As mentioned earlier, you should be able to build a list of skills the job requires from reading the job posting.  Take note of the skills mentioned in the posting and think of examples where you have used the skills.

Remember, there are no trick questions in the interview. Interviewers are simply going to ask you about your past experiences. One of the interviewers' top goals is to get you to relax so they can be sure they are getting the best information possible on which to base their decision. One of the easiest ways for you to relax is to be prepared.