• Skip to content
MightyRecruiter MightyRecruiter
  • Get Free Account
  • Solutions
    • Features
    • MightySourcer
    • Post free Jobs
    • Resume Database
    • Industries
  • Pricing
    • Software Pricing
    • Why Free ?
  • Resources
    • Blog
    • Customer Case Studies
    • Webinars
    • eBooks
    • Checklists and Infographics
    • Job Description Examples
  • Recruitment Guide
    • Legal
    • Business
    • Hiring
    • HR Glossary
  • Templates
    • Job Descriptions
    • Letter Samples
  • Get Free Account
HomeRecruitment GuideHiring Tips for EmployersSmall Business Tips
  • Legal Resources  
    • Termination Laws By State
    • Regular Laws
    • Wage and Hour Laws by State
  • Business Resources  
    • Business Closing
    • Business Finance
    • Business Tax
    • Starting a Business
    • Business Operations
    • Insurance and Liability
    • Intellectual Property
  • Hiring Resources  
    • Hiring Process
    • Wages and Benefits
    • Workplace Safety
    • Discrimination
    • Employee Termination
    • Managing Employees
    • Hiring Tips for Employers

Small Business Tips

Small Business Tips: Becoming a Behavioral Interviewing Ace

As a hiring manager, you will probably be responsible for conducting numerous interviews. You may think it will be pretty easy to find who is most qualified out of a group, but the truth is that if you do not ask the right kind of questions, all the applicants will likely look the same to you. There are various small business tips out there for having excellent interviews, and one of the best ones out there is to ask behavioral interview questions.

What Is Involved With Behavioral Interviewing

Behavioral interviewing differs slightly from traditional methods in that you are asking candidates to give stories that give a solid example of them demonstrating a certain skill. You are forcing the interviewee to become a storyteller and provide insight into his or her work history. For example, if you run a retail store, you can ask something like, ï“We get unruly customers every so often. Can you describe an incident where you had to deal with a difficult customer, and how did you resolve itï” This requires a lot more details to answer than if the employer were to simply ask, ï“Can you handle conflictï” Instead of an applicant just telling you what you want to hear, you are forcing him or her to prove that they have the experiences you are looking for.

Advantages Behavioral Interviewing Has Over Other Styles

Some small business tips to utilize include avoiding asking questions that can be answered in just a few words. For example, you are probably familiar with the basic interview questions:

-What is your greatest strength

-What are you most passionate about

-What is your greatest weakness

-Do you have leadership skills

These types of questions can be answered in a few words, and chances are that every candidate will just tell you what you want to hear. If you run a store and ask an interviewee what his or her greatest strength is, then he or she will likely say something along the lines of being a people-person, communication skills or something else that would be relevant in the industry you are in. If everyone gives the same basic answer, then you are not going to know who is best qualified for the job. Behavioral interview questions force the applicant to dig deeper, and the applicants will stand out more in your mind afterward.

Telling Stories and Spotting Lies

There are various small business tips out there on finding the best workers for your company, but the easiest way to see if someone has the skills they say they have is to ask them to give a specific story. Anyone can say that they handle stress well, but if you present a question asking the person to talk about a time they were placed under extreme pressure, then you will get a more honest response. Additionally, this is a great way to see if someone is lying about having experiences. It is possible that some people will make up a story on the spot to appease you, but you should ask follow-up questions to see if they are actually giving a true story. Some applicants may trip up if you ask for details, and this is a great way to spot someone who is just trying to tell you what you want to hear.

Sample Behavioral Interview Questions

There are some small business tips that should be used depending on the specific business you run, but here are some basic behavioral interview questions you should think about asking:

-Discuss a time when you had to juggle multiple responsibilities at the same time. How did you manage your time, and did you complete everything on time

-What lessons did you learn from your biggest failure professionally

-Talk about a time when you had to work in a group. How did you divide the responsibilities, and was everyone content with their role

-What methods have you used in the past to motivate and encourage your co-workers

-What is the riskiest action you have ever taken at work Did you succeed

-What do you believe is the most important attribute of a leader When have you displayed this quality

-Describe a time when you had to resolve a conflict between you and a co-worker. What caused the conflict, and how did you overcome it

-What are the three biggest accomplishments you are most proud of

-Tell us about a time when you had to go beyond your normal job description to complete a task.

Mighty Recruiter has numerous other small business tips that will prove to be incredibly helpful as you develop your company.

View All Hiring Tips

  • VIDEO TOUR
  • CHROME EXTENSION

MightyRecruiter

  • About Us
  • Work Here
  • Partners
  • Blog

Hiring Software

  • Features
  • Why Free?
  • Pricing
  • Free Job Postings
  • Free Job Description Samples
  • Watch Demo Video

Support

  • Terms of Use
  • Your Privacy
  • Disclaimer
  • Resources

Contact Us

Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm CST
1-844-382-1750
recruiterhelp@mightyrecruiter.com
Mighty Recruiter
  • Follow Us

© 2023, Bold Limited. All rights reserved

Powered by BOLD