Rules for Formulating Behavioral Questions

Introduction: The Key to Formulation

Behavioral, or behavior-based, questions are the tools of choice for experienced interviewers.

They are the most effective way to open a "question funnel" and begin to gather real evidence about a candidate's performance.

However, the effectiveness of these questions depends entirely on how they are phrased.

A poorly phrased question can lead the candidate to give theoretical or generic answers, wasting the opportunity.

To ensure that valuable evidence is obtained, it is essential to follow a set of simple rules when preparing them.

Rule 1: Use Open-Ended Questions or Open-Ended Commands

The main rule is that the question must be open-ended, or at least function as one.

Interestingly, the most effective formulations are not usually questions in the strict sense, but rather commands or invitations to tell a story.

Classic formats are "Tell me about a time when...", "Describe a situation where..." or "Give me an example of...".

Although technically a candidate could answer "No" to a command such as "Tell me about...", in the context of an interview, doing so would be socially inappropriate and "career suicide".

Therefore, candidates will always treat these phrases as open-ended questions that require a developed response.

Rule 2: Focus Strictly on the Past (or Present)

This is the cornerstone of behavioral interviewing: the question should force the candidate to recall and relate an actual past or current experience.

The biggest mistake to avoid is to ask neutral or theoretical questions, such as, "Describe the steps you take when solving a problem."

This formulation invites the candidate to slide into theory ("Well, the steps I would take...") rather than describing a fact.

It is much more effective to anchor the question in the past: "Tell me about a difficult decision you made last month and the specific steps you took to solve it."

Rule 3: Avoid Leading the Candidate

The opening question should be neutral and should not hint at the "right" answer or the type of behavior the interviewer considers good or bad.

The purpose of the opening question is not to evaluate, but simply to get the candidate to talk about a relevant topic (e.g., stress management, leadership).

The real evaluation will come from the survey after the candidate has presented his or her example.

Rule 4: Ask Only One Question at a Time

A common mistake is for the interviewer's thought process to "leak" into the question.

This leads to asking multiple questions in a single intervention: "Describe a difficult decision.

How did you approach it, who did you talk to, what was the outcome?". This confuses the candidate.

The rule should be: a single clear and concise question for each funnel you want to open.

Application: Examples and Response Management.

By following these four rules you can construct classic opening questions for each competition.

For example:

"Describe a time when you faced a really stressful situation and how you overcame it."

"Tell me about a time when you had to deal with a very unhappy customer."

"Tell me abou