<Introduce self> <Background - spent ~5 years in HR when employed at Key - used to teach a manager course on BBI> <Business – Just Resumes> <Currently a Panel Interview Facilitator for a Recruiting company> (5 minutes)
Here’s what we’re going to cover tonight… <Go through agenda> At the end of our activities tonight, we’ll open the floor for questions. Are there any questions before we begin? <pause and wait for response> Ok, great! Let’s get started.. (2 minutes)
By show of hands, how many of you have heard of OR are familiar with Behavior Based Interviews? How many of you have been through a BBI? With Behavior Based Interviews, interviewers look for candidates’ specific past behaviors that give them an indication of future success with the company. The whole idea of BBI is to get to the source of a candidate’s experience. It’s determining the right “fit” for the role. (2 minutes)
The goal of BBI is to extrapolate a job candidate’s suitability for a position based on his/her past behavior. The hiring manager can hypothesizing from what little facts or information is shared by the candidate during the interview. The BBI technique is now the norm – and is a best practice for most leading companies. It gives the hiring process more than just a once-over with an interview candidate. Not just a phone screen or resume, but the BBI itself helps an employer gage top talent for their company. Employers have to use objective methods that won’t screen out qualified candidates due to bias or stereotypes Using this process can be a valuable way to add “quality control” to the candidate selection decision. (5 minutes)
Note that this can vary by job type, level of position, etc. etc. And not all competencies are created equal – some are more critical to a job than others. From an employers point of view, some competencies are more trainable than others, whereas some are difficult, if not impossible to train. The questions an employer uses is developed ahead of time for that particular job…it would elicit past examples of the candidate displaying the competencies desired for the position. Basically, a competency is the demonstration of skills, knowledge, or abilities that differentiates the level of performance in a given job, role, organization, or company culture. Most of the time, a job has required competencies (“must-haves”) and preferred competencies (“nice to have”). Typical hypothetical questions asked in an interview may not yield the same results as BBI questions. Why? Because one asks for “what would you do” vs. “what did you do.” Sometimes, candidates provide answers the hiring manager wants to hear. Whereas, past performance gives a glimpse into possible future behaviors. Make sense? (5 minutes)
Another thing to note about BBIs…the types of questions asked are based on “dimensions” or “competencies” of a particular job. Most of the time, recruiters provide hiring managers with the interview guides and questions specific to that role. Or they work together to create the list of questions that should be asked. Again, they are looking for outcomes – how you would respond or act in a given situation. What is the BEHAVIOR you would display? Get it? Good! The STAR concept is the way an interviewer evaluates your response. Description of the situation/task, actions the candidate took, and the result of those actions. If asked to highlight a competency , that’s the Situation/Task If asked to present a situation , that’s the Action If asked for an example , that’s the Result Keep in mind that most BBIs will be scored on a scale from 1 to 5. A “five” is the best response and that a candidate fully meets that requirement needed for the role. It is an exceptional response. A “one” means that the candidate absolutely did not meet the requirement needed for that role. It was an unsatisfactory response. < PICK SOMEONE FROM THE AUDIENCE TO DESCRIBE THEIR BBI EXPERIENCE > (7 minutes)
Behavioral questions can start with: Give me an example of a time when you… Walk me through a situation when you… Describe a specific time when you… Now keep in mind that there can be hundreds and hundreds of BBI questions, but these are just a few that I have come across as more common. < PICK SOMEONE FROM THE AUDIENCE TO GIVE AN EXAMPLE QUESTION THEY HAD DURING A BBI > (5 minutes)
Please note that what you see here on the screen are NOT typical BBI questions. Rather, the hiring manager may sprinkle a few questions here and there to mix things up. These questions may be asked during an interview. (4 minutes)
<READ THROUGH TIPS> Also, give yourself time to think about a question and respond accordingly. It’s ok to repeat a question back in your own words so you understand what’s being asked. (4 minutes)
<READ THROUGH TIPS> (3 minutes)
I know this wasn’t on our agenda slide, but I wanted to throw this in here… Before an interview, it’s always good to prepare a list of questions to ask the hiring manager. By the way, did you know that the average job interview lasts about 55 minutes? A little more than half that time is spent answering questions. Hiring managers should allow you enough time for to respond and for them ask any follow up questions. It is imperative to be succinct in your responses to the questions being asked! You can’t ramble on and on. Just remember that! (6 minutes)
Ok, now you get to role play! Pick a partner now. <Pause & Wait> One of you will be the hiring manager, the other person the interview candidate. Someone in your small group raise your hand…the folks who raised their hands, thank you for volunteering to be the hiring manager! Let’s take the next 20 minutes for role playing – 10 minutes each round. Here’s what you’re going to do in that time: You’re going to greet the candidate, create small talk with your partner, ask the BBI questions on the screen, allow time for your partner to respond, let your partner ask any questions of you, and then close the interview. Then you’ll switch and play the other role. Any questions on what we’re asking you to do? Remember, this is role playing. I like to call it acting as well. Here’s where you both get to be creative and improvisational! Do your best to be in their shoes for 10 minutes of time. Ready? Begin! DEBRIEF: So how did you do? Hiring Managers, how did your partner do? Do you want to hire him? < AUDIENCE SHOUT OUT > Interview candidates, how did you do? Were you confident in your responses? < AUDIENCE SHOUT OUT> (20 minutes)
It’s not a bad idea for you to take some time and reflect on what went well, what didn’t go so well, what you could do better the next time you interview for a job. In your notebook or portfolio, write down the questions you remembered being asked and what your responses were. A lot of times, we forget it immediately or never take the time to evaluate the interview itself! It’s good for you to do this, as it builds up your confidence, skill set, and knowledge. You may not think of it this way, but interviewing is like a skill – the more you do it, the better you get. Would you all agree? <PAUSE AND WAIT FOR RESPONSES> Because most times you won’t get feedback on an interview, unless of course you have “insider knowledge.” (3 minutes)
So here are some post-interview tips you may want to take with you the next time you interview for a j-o-b. < SHARE TIPS ON SLIDE > < ASK AUDIENCE > Why is it important for you to send a thank you note or email? < HAVE AUDIENCE SHOUT OUT RESPONSES AND CREATE DIALOG AROUND THIS > Did you know that less than half of people who go to an interview will take the time to send a thank you note? (5 minutes)
Are there any questions on what we did this evening? So tonight I challenge each and every one of you to do what we did tonight. It’s important to prepare, to research, to be ready. You’ll find my business cards and information at the sign-in table if you have any questions. < LET’S TURN IT BACK OVER TO JIM TO CLOSE TONIGHT’S MEETING > (10 minutes)