Over the past 10 years, companies have come to rely almost exclusively on behavioral interviewing.

Now, virtually every job applicant with a basic understanding of the interview process should understand that the most critical interview questions will concern past behavior. The premise underlying behavioral interviewing is that past behavior is the best predictor of future behavior.

Preparing for your behavioral interview isn’t difficult: A myriad books, articles, and computer programs have taught job seekers how to give the kinds of answers behavioral interviewers want to hear.

Employers use the behavioral interview technique to evaluate a candidate’s experiences and behaviors so they can determine the applicant’s potential for success. Behavioral interviewers try to identify experiences, behaviors, knowledge, skills and abilities that the company has decided are desirable in an employee hired for a particular position.

Behavioral interviewing questions are much more pointed than general interview questions. For example, the rather than giving you a generic opening to say whatever you want to say such as “Tell me about yourself” the behavioral interviewer will try to elicit detailed responses designed to determine your character by using opening gambits such as “Tell about a time…” or “Describe a situation…” Many behavioral interviewers also use a rating system to evaluate selected criteria during the interview.

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