60+ Behavioral interview questions – tips and examples

Behavioral interview questions will be on the tip of an interviewer's tongue for much of any job interview. Your specific role in past accomplishments tells them how you might perform in the future. Answer well and the job is yours.

Every interviewer wants to know what lies behind impressive achievements on your resume. What part did you play? How did your behaviors impact the result? The only way to find out is to ask behavioral questions.

Behavioral questions can cover a whole range of work-related issues, but the formula for answering them is simple: outline the situation, describe your responsibility, explain the actions you took, and share the results.

In this article:

• What are behavioral interview questions and why are they important?
• How do you use the STAR method to answer behavioral interview questions?
• What is the difference between behavioral and situational questions?
• 12 topics for behavioral questioning with 60+ behavioral interview questions.

Interviews meander when candidates cannot give clear, concise answers. Understand what hiring managers want to hear and how to tell each part of your story.

What are behavioral interview questions?

Making the right hiring decision is difficult. The only way to assess future potential (aside from gut feel) is to examine past experiences that might predict what the applicant can do.

Saying “I am great at handling pressure” will not fill any hiring manager with confidence. That is why they ask for evidence of the behavior and its impact. They want context so they can translate your achievement into their terms.

There is a simple way to answer: the STAR method. Here is how it works:

How do you use the STAR method to answer?

The STAR method is a four-part technique for answering behavioral questions. When you are asked a behavioral question, resist rambling about your brilliance — STAR keeps your answer concise.

Tell a behavioral story in four parts:

Situation: Share the nature of the event, project, or challenge.

Task: Describe your specific responsibility in the process.

Action: Steps you undertook to move toward an outcome.

Result: End results of your individual involvement.

Every interviewer will probe many aspects of your experience, so expect plenty of behavioral questions. Interpret the job description to guess potential questions during prep, but stay calm and concise for each one.

What is the difference between behavioral and situational interview questions?

Behavioral interview questions understand how previous experiences might inform future actions. If a question starts with “tell me about a time when…” the interviewer wants evidence of specific behaviors — always an honest account of what happened.

Situational interview questions focus on how you might react in a theoretical future scenario. Interviewers know you may not have experienced every situation, so they ask how you would react. Do your best to answer honestly even without a real-life example.

60+ examples of behavioral interview questions

Every role requires a different mix of skills and experiences, so every interview differs. Below are common questions across twelve areas — suitable for many functions and industries.

When preparing, consider a broad range of potential questions. Think from the hiring manager's point of view: what on your resume warrants discussion? Which questions would make you sweat?

Behavioral questions: Adaptability

When there are multiple ways to solve a problem, the most innovative and flexible approach often wins. Adaptability means changing as the situation demands.

• Tell me about a time when you wish you had reacted differently.
• How did you organize your day when you were working on multiple projects?
• Describe a situation when you had to learn something new on the spot.
• Tell me about a time when you resolved an issue in an unorthodox way.

How do you handle interruptions when you have more pressing priorities?

"Just because something isn't a priority for me doesn't mean that it isn't for someone else. I would typically ask a couple of clarifying questions to see how urgent it is and act accordingly. If it is urgent, I would explain my situation and try to come up with a timescale to get it done. If needed, I would maybe delegate other work or find someone else to help lighten the load. If the interruption isn't important, I would give gentle feedback to let the person know."

Behavioral questions: Teamwork

Teamwork is critical to ongoing profitability. When people work together, many issues simply cannot be handled without a range of experts.

• What is the most surprising thing that you have learned about teamwork?
• Tell me about a time when your team was storming and performing as one.
• Have you ever worked with a manager who was pulling in a different direction?
• Tell me about a time when you had a personality clash with a team member.

Tell me about how you would react if a team member isn't doing their job?

"At the end of every quarter one of my colleagues was consistently late submitting their reports. It was my job to collate all the financials, so I asked them why and it transpired that they weren't confident with Excel and ashamed to mention it. I persuaded them to take a certification and they are now running beginner's courses for others."

Behavioral questions: Stress management

Mental health matters in any effective workplace. Learning to manage your stress — and support others — is a critical pressure release valve.

• Describe a time when you were presented with an impossible deadline.
• Tell me about a time when you worked effectively under pressure.
• Share a time when you had to complete a project without the required resources.
• Describe a time when you felt that you were in a professional crisis.

Tell me about a time when you felt that you couldn't cope.

"On my return to work after parental leave I felt overwhelmed by the change of pace and the pressure to perform after a year away. I felt comfortable enough to discuss with my boss and I decided to visit a psychologist to talk through my concerns. I managed to ramp up my workload gradually and although there were a few low moments I got through the tough period with the support of my colleagues and clients. Being vulnerable when your mental health takes a hit allows those around you to help however they can."

Behavioral questions: Time management

Time slips through our fingers unless you are disciplined about what moves you closer to your goals.

• Tell me about a time when you had to handle your routine being disrupted.
• How do you prioritize what needs to be done within a project schedule?
• Describe a time when it was clear that you wouldn't meet a deadline.
• Tell me about a time when you struggled to keep a long-term project on track.

What did you do when your to-do list became unmanageable?

"I agreed to take on the work of a colleague during a period of sick leave, which meant that 30% of my tasks were either delivered late or not delivered at all. I talked with my CEO and agreed on prioritizing the tasks that were most critical. The rest I delegated to colleagues or outsourced to external providers. The colleague subsequently left, and we found that workflows were organized in such a way that we didn't need a replacement."

Behavioral questions: Personal development

Employers want someone still on a journey of improvement — as skills grow, work improves.

• Have you ever been passed over for promotion? How did you react?
• Tell me about the biggest development opportunity that you have ever enjoyed.
• Describe a time when you set your sights too high (or too low).
• Tell me about a time when your development was stalling. What did you do about it?
• What was the biggest setback in your career and how did you bounce back from it?

Behavioral questions: Motivation & values

Telling a story about when your personal values made a difference is more evocative than abstract statements about what motivates you.

• How do you find motivation when you are not interested in a project?
• Have you ever been asked to do something that goes against your personal values?
• Have you ever convinced someone to do something they didn't believe in?
• Tell me about a time when you felt dissatisfied with your work.

How did you approach helping someone who was struggling?

"My colleague was a new father who was having a difficult time leaving his wife at home with his young son. He seemed distant at work and was finding it hard to switch off from his home life. Having been through this myself, I offered to be his sounding board at work so that he could offload his worries and get on with work with a clearer head. His performance improved and he remains a valued colleague and friend to this day."

Behavioral questions: Goal orientation

Setting and resetting goals along your career is a rewarding way to ensure professional growth.

• Tell me about an occasion when you failed to do what you had promised.
• How do you go about setting goals that are achievable for you and your team?
• Tell me about a time when you had to align your colleagues behind your ideas.
• Describe an occasion when you have given up on a goal — for the right reasons.

Share a time when you went above and beyond what was expected of you.

"I worked on a project with a colleague from another department and discovered that they were struggling to manage their workload. I asked them whether they would like me to share some insights from a recent course that I had attended, and I introduced them to some time management techniques that had revolutionized my working day. We probably only spent 4-5 hours on this, but they remembered my intervention for years afterwards."

Behavioral questions: Overcoming obstacles

Problems and obstacles are normal — when several pile up, everything can grind to a halt unless you push through.

• Tell about how you got your team to buy into an unpopular decision.
• Tell me about a time when you had to escape a difficult situation.
• Tell me about a time when you owned up to one of your mistakes.
• When did you anticipate potential problems and develop preventative measures?

What has been the biggest failure in your career? What did you learn?

"I spent six months running my own marketing consultancy and spent over $10k on flights and accommodation while chasing potential big-ticket clients. This outlay was not recouped in revenue, and I understood that in any new venture it is best to start small and build on a solid base before ambitions take over. I went back into a corporate role, but this learning has stayed with me ever since."

Behavioral questions: Decision-making

How you make decisions will be of great interest to your future employer.

• Talk me through when you used logic to overcome a problem.
• Tell me about the riskiest (correct) decision that you have ever made.
• Describe a situation when you had to make a decision with insufficient data.
• Tell me about a time when you went with your gut feeling and it was wrong.

Tell me about a time when you persisted with a decision that was unpopular.

"I decided to fire my top performing sales manager because he was having a toxic affect on the wider team. The company leadership thought that this was a soft decision and were scared that his oversized contribution to the bottom line would not be replaced. In reality, the overall sales numbers increased by 15% and we retained 40% more people over the next three years due to his departure. Rotten apples should be discarded."

Behavioral questions: Communication

Sharing expectations, explaining processes, and building relationships all require effective communication.

• How did you go about communicating an idea that no one understood?
• Tell me about a time when you didn't listen — and what happened next.
• Describe a time in your career when you had to say “no” to a colleague.
• Share a time when you had to present in front of a large audience.

What did you do when you had to explain a complicated process?

"We implemented a new EDI ordering process that we needed to roll out to our 40 retail stores. The store staff would be managing the process, so my role was to run training sessions and select in-store champions who could manage the rollout. I wrote a user manual that was specific to how stores work and product availability improved by 3.5% points."

Behavioral questions: Leadership

Leadership does not always mean managing subordinates — you can lead peers, clients, and even senior stakeholders.

• Tell me about a time when you convinced upper management to change their mind.
• Tell me about how you overcame your greatest challenge as a leader.
• Tell me about a time when you tried to view an issue from another perspective.
• Describe a time when you showed initiative and caused others to follow.
• Have you ever deputized for your boss and what did you learn about leadership?

Behavioral Questions: Conflict resolution

In a world of competing priorities, conflict is never far away. Resolution skills mark someone who holds a team together.

• Have you ever had to mediate a conflict between two colleagues?
• Describe a situation when you had a lasting disagreement with a coworker.
• Tell me about a time when you have worked with others who thought differently.
• Describe a situation when you had to stand up for your beliefs at work.

Tell me about a time when you had to deal with an angry or dissatisfied customer.

"Our service level for one particular customer had dropped below the agreed level and mistakes were disrupting their customer service. Upon investigating, we found that human error was to blame, so we worked together to improve processes at both ends. In addition, we agreed to a stricter penalty clause so that we stood behind our promises."

And one more for luck — maybe the most infamous of all: “Tell me about your greatest weakness.” Use the tips in this guide and you will be fine.

Good luck with behavioral interview preparation — and do not forget to write a thank you email after the interview!