Behavioral interviewing is the most powerful and accurate way to get from point A: recruiting, to point B: hiring the best candidate. Behavioral-based hiring hinges on the premise that a person's past job performance is the most telling indicator of his performance in the future. This approach to interviewing is quickly becoming standard procedure in both small and large companies across the globe.
People have a multitude of conversational styles, and similarly, they have a wide range of interviewing preferences. The four interviewing styles are seat-of-the-pants interviews, trait interviews, information collection interviews, and behavioral-based interviews.
- Seat-of-the-pants interviews
Seat-of-the-pants interviewing is a person-oriented approach that focuses on building rapport with the candidate. The interviewer then uses intuition to make a judgment. This lack of objectivity, however, sometimes leads to poor hiring decisions because the individual's instinct is not always correct and may lead the interviewer astray.
- Trait interviews
Trait interviewing is a person-oriented approach that focuses on personality attributes important to the job, such as honesty, integrity, and ambition. In this approach, the interviewer may: read questions from a structured interview form; value personal qualities over real job skills; or rely more heavily on personality testing.
Seat-of-the-pants and trait interviewing are styles which work well for getting an intuitive and subjective grasp of a candidate's suitability. If the interviewer wants more specific information, she should use the information collection approach.
- Information collection interviews
Information collection interviewing is an approach used to seek specific facts about the candidate, such as dates, numbers, and technical qualifications. This approach is job orientated and objective, often involving questions which require black and white answers.
- Behavioral-based interviews
Behavioral-based interviewing is a conversational approach which also yields objective, verifiable data. This should be the interviewer's primary method for job interviews. It is the best way to ensure you are hiring the best applicant.
To get the most from an interview, the interviewer must be knowledgeable and prepared. When conducting a good interview, the interviewer will feel assured by avoiding others' mistakes, save time and money by interviewing effectively, be more confident in the hiring decisions, and be assured that she is picking the best possible candidate.