Managing Inappropriate Responses (Nervousness, Generalizations, [We] vs. [I]).

Introduction: The Challenge of Inappropriate Responses.

The goal of behavioral interviewing is to uncover past behaviors, but candidates sometimes provide answers that are not helpful, even when asked well-structured questions.

They may give very short answers, or, conversely, speak at length without addressing the question.

This can occur for multiple reasons, the most common being nervousness, a tendency to generalize, and the use of "we" instead of "I".

Managing Candidate Nervousness

Nervousness and anxiety can cause a candidate to forget key details or be unable to communicate clearly. One of the best strategies to mitigate this is to be transparent from the start.

Before launching into the first question, the interviewer should take a moment to briefly explain the interview process.

Explaining the STAR methodology and why the probing questions are being asked helps the candidate know what to expect.

This initial clarity can considerably calm nerves and allow for more complete answers.

Handling Generalizations and Hypothetical Answers

Some candidates, instead of giving specific examples, speak in general or hypothetical terms.

They respond with what they would "normally do" or "what should be done," rather than what they did. When this happens, the interviewer should redirect the response.

Probing questions should be used to force the candidate to go back to a specific experience and focus on their specific past actions.

Critical Management of "We" vs. "I".

This is one of the most common problems. Candidates often focus on the accomplishments of the team, using the first person plural ("we did," "the team decided").

This is a problem, as the interviewer needs to evaluate the individual contribution.

Sometimes this use of "we" is an unconscious way of hiding the fact that the candidate had very little actual involvement in the example he or she is describing.

The interviewer should politely interrupt and refocus the conversation on the individual.

Key questions for this include, "I understand it was a team effort, but who exactly made up that 'we'?" and, crucially, "What was your specific contribution-what exactly did you do?"

Strategies for Other Problem Responses

In addition to the three main causes, there are other reasons for inadequate responses:

Misunderstanding: the candidate may have misunderstood the question. In this case, politely interrupt, clarify and rephrase the question.

Lack of Experience: Younger candidates may lack work experience. The interviewer should encourage them to use examples of part-time work, volunteering or even relevant academic projects.

"Response Regret": Sometimes a candidate starts an answer and realizes halfway through that it is not a good example.

If the candidate seems frustrated or holds back a lot, they should be reassured that it is perfectly acceptable to swit