zzzzzzzz

30 behavioral
interview
questions
to identify high-potential candidates

1
 Introduction
• Why do behavioral interview questions matter? | 3
• 6 soft skills to reveal potential | 4

What questions to ask and what to listen for

• Adaptability | 6
• Culture add | 9
• Collaboration | 12

What’s inside?
• Leadership | 15
• Growth potential | 18
• Prioritization | 21

How to get the most out of every interview

• Help every candidate perform their best | 24
• Ask unexpected questions | 25
• Pay attention to what they ask | 26
• Use the right hiring tools throughout your process | 27

Conclusion

2
Why do Asking behavioral questions is
behavioral a good way to spot candidates
interview
questions who’ll excel.
matter?
While every interview is a little
different, it helps to have a go-to list of
questions on hand. This can save you
time and make your interviews more
consistent, reducing the potential for
bias in your hiring process.
57%
We surveyed nearly 1,300 hiring
managers about the soft skills they of talent professionals
look for and the behavioral questions say they struggle
they ask. Read on to discover their
top questions and what to listen for in
to assess soft
candidates’ answers. skills accurately.1

1 | LinkedIn, Global Talent Trends 2019

3
6 soft skills Here are the top 6 skills they identified and
ranked in order of importance:

to reveal
potential 1 | Adaptabity 4 | Leadership

The soft skills that matter most vary

among roles and companies, but 2 | Culture add 5 | Growth potential
there’s often overlap. To find out which
skills are most consistent in high-
potential candidates and successful
hires, we asked hiring managers what
they typically look for. 3 | Collaboration 6 | Prioritization

4
Adaptability

5
69% of hiring Adaptibility is essential for
managers thriving in a rapidly changing
say the most
important work environment.
soft skill they
screen for is
adaptability. 2 Given that 54% of employees
may require significant reskilling
Employees who are adaptable
are more likely to achieve better
or upskilling over the next few outcomes as priorities shift or
years to keep pace with new setbacks occur, since they're
technology and evolving business already comfortable making
needs, adaptability is essential.3
strategic adjustments.

2 | LinkedIn, The Most Popular Interview Questions to Reveal Key Soft Skills 3 | World Economic Forum, The Future of Jobs Report 2018

6
5 questions to help you
screen for adaptability
Most Popular

1 2 3 4 5
Tell me about a time Describe a situation in Recall a time when Tell me about the Tell me about a time
when you were asked which you embraced you were assigned a biggest change you when you had to
to do something you a new system, process, task outside of your have had to deal with? adjust to a colleague’s
had never done before. technology, or idea at job description. How How did you adapt to working style in order
How did you react? work that was a major did you handle the that change? to complete a project or
What did you learn? departure from the old situation? What was achieve your outcomes.
way of doing things. the outcome?

What to listen for → Excitement What to listen for → Eagerness to What to listen for → What to listen for → Acceptance What to listen for → Willingness to
about tackling new challenges explore new ways of working Understanding that their job that change is inevitable. That be flexible when it’s required.
and willingness to leave their and improve based on what may evolve and willingness to they focused on how they could Ability to reflect on what they
comfort zone, knowing they’ll they learn; if they discovered try something new and take adapt successfully, evaluating learned from the experience,
learn something valuable from a better way; whether they the necessary steps to ensure a new situation and finding the both good and bad.
the experience. embraced the change. that they were successful. support they needed.

7
Culture add 8
 Culture adds have the
potential to do great things
at your company.

Companies with They should be fundamentally

aligned with your company’s
That’s why many hiring managers
have stopped evaluating for “culture
inclusive talent mission and core values. But fit” and are now asking themselves
finding the right person for the job whether candidates are a “culture
practices generate up doesn’t mean finding someone add”—someone who doesn’t just
to 30% higher revenue who’s exactly like everyone else. preserve your existing culture, but
helps it evolve and grow.
per employee.4

4 | Deloitte Insights, Diversity and inclusion: The reality gap

9
5 questions to help you
screen for culture adds
Most Popular

1 2 3 4 5
What are the three Tell me about a time What’s the most What would make you What’s the biggest
things that are most in the last week when interesting thing choose our company misconception your
important to you in you’ve been satisfied, about you that’s not over others? coworkers have about
a job? energized, and on your resume? you and why do they
productive at work. think that?
What were you doing?

What to listen for → Alignment What to listen for → An indication What to listen for → Signs that a What to listen for → Thoughtful, What to listen for → Self-
between what’s most important that the work environment and candidate brings something honest answers that tell reflection and transparency.
to them and what the role and day-to-day responsibilities are new and unexpected to your you what they’re really The best answers will
company have to offer. right for them. culture, even if it’s unrelated thinking—not what they demonstrate that the
to their specific role. think you want to hear. candidate is open with the
people around them.

10
Collaboration

11
50% of great When a role requires
collaborators teamwork, strong
also tend to be
top performers.
5 collaboration skills make
a big difference.

Done right, collaboration In a role where your new hire will

improves productivity, morale, need to work well with others,
and order. But when people aren’t assessing for collaboration can
good at collaborating, they can help you find someone who will
create roadblocks for colleagues. succeed and drive others toward
greater success.

5 | Harvard Business Review, Collaborative Overlord

12
5 questions to help you
screen for collaboration
Most Popular

1 2 3 4 5
Give an example of Tell me about a Tell me about one Describe the best Can you share an
when you had to work time when you were of your favorite partner or supervisor experience where a
with someone who was communicating with experiences working you’ve worked with. project dramatically
difficult to get along someone and they did with a team and the What part of their shifted direction at the
with. How did you not understand you. contributions you made. management style last minute? What did
handle interactions with What did you do? appealed to you? you do?
that person?

What to listen for → A willingness What to listen for → Patience. What to listen for → Energy and What to listen for → An What to listen for → Focus on
to try to see things from the Great collaborators take the motivation via teamwork. A understanding of their own keeping the team aligned
other person’s perspective by time to make sure they’re being healthy mix of “I” and “we” working style and what kind and comfort with tapping
identifying the cause of the understood and can adjust their statements to communicate of personalities they work coworkers for additional help
tension and finding ways to style to align with others. both individual and team best with. when a project demands it.
improve the relationship. contributions.

13
Leadership

14
50% of employees have
left a job to get away Even when you’re not
from a bad boss.
6
interviewing for a leadership
role, hire people who can inspire.

Organizations with strong On the flip side, poor leaders can

leadership are 13x more likely to make their teams less motivated and
outperform their competition.7
efficient and more likely to quit.

It’s not just the leader’s own skills No matter what seniority level you’re
and vision that drive that success— hiring for, it never hurts to think about
it’s their ability to inspire, motivate, a candidate’s leadership potential.
and unleash the potential in others. After all, you could be hiring the
company’s future CEO without even
realizing it.

6 | Gallup, Employees Want a Lot More From Their Managers 7 | Development Dimensions International, Global Leadership Forecast 2011

15
5 questions to help you
screen for leadership
Most Popular

1 2 3 4 5
Tell me about the Describe a situation Tell me about a time Tell me about the Have you ever had to
last time something where you needed to when you led by toughest decision you “sell” an idea to your
significant didn’t go persuade someone to example. What did had to make in the last coworkers or group?
according to plan at see things your way. you do and how did six months. How did you do it?
work. What was your What steps did you others react? What were the results?
role? What was take? What were
the outcome? the results?

What to listen for → Thoughtful What to listen for → Strong What to listen for → Understanding What to listen for → Careful What to listen for → Assertiveness
reflection and a strong sense of leaders establish credibility of how their behavior impacts consideration of outcomes. without being pushy; the ability
ownership. True leaders don’t and use compelling evidence to those around them. That Great leaders seek advice to create a dialogue and listen to
try to shift the blame to others, reinforce their viewpoint, rather they hold themselves to a when they need it—but they concerns, with the ultimate goal
but consider what they could than acting like they know best. high standard, and are an don’t shy away from making of making everyone happy with
have done differently. inspiration to their team. the final decision. the plan.

16
Growth potential

17
The cost of Hire someone with growth
replacing an potential so they can develop
employee is about
1.5x their salary.
8 the role and make it their own.

Most candidates are interested in advancing their career, not just

doing more of the same.

While it’s tempting to find candidates with exactly the same skills
and level of experience as the team members you’re replacing, hire
someone with potential to grow into the role. It will earn you their
loyalty—making them more likely to stay for the long haul.

8 | LinkedIn, Why More Employees Are Considering Leaving Their Companies [INFOGRAPHIC]

18
5 questions to help you
screen for growth potential

Most Popular

1 2 3 4 5
Recall a time when Describe a time when What would motivate When was the last What’s the biggest
your manager was you volunteered you to make a move time you asked for career goal you’ve
unavailable when a to expand your from your current role? direct feedback from achieved?
problem arose. How knowledge at work, a superior? Why?
did you handle the as opposed to being
situation? Who did directed to do so.
you consult with?

What to listen for → The ability to rise What to listen for → Eagerness What to listen for → Signs that the What to listen for → That they What to listen for → Motivation
to the occasion without stepping to learn and a willingness to candidate is more invested in regularly request feedback. and drive. The candidate isn’t
on toes. Great candidates respect ask for the resources. Invest in growth opportunities than they An indication that the boastful, but they take pride
all stakeholders and explore continuous learning and actively are in an immediate payoff; candidate sought constant self- in their achievements and
options before making a decision. seek out new opportunities. that they are interested in improvement in their current/ use each one to help them be
being challenged. previous role. more successful.

19
Prioritization

20
The ability to plan,
organize, and prioritize Candidates who’ve mastered
work is ranked as the prioritization can juggle
third most desirable
quality in a new hire.
9 key tasks.

Look for people who can manage their time effectively and pay
close attention to details to ensure that things don’t fall through the
cracks. This is especially important in roles that have firm due dates
and tight project timelines. When employees know how to prioritize,
they’re less likely to drop the ball—or to burn themselves out.

9 | NACE’s Job Outlook for the Class of 2014 | Here are the soft skills most important to your business

21
5 questions to help you
screen for prioritization

Most Popular

1 2 3 4 5
Tell me about a time Tell me about a Describe a time when Give an example How do you determine
when you had to juggle project that you you felt stressed or of a time when what amount of time is
several projects at the planned. How did overwhelmed. How did you delegated an reasonable for a task?
same time. How did you organize and you handle it? important task
you organize your time? schedule the tasks? successfully.
What was the result?

What to listen for → A clear What to listen for → A methodical What to listen for → Signs that What to listen for → An What to listen for → Signs that
and proactive process for approach to planning and planning and prioritization understanding of how to they think carefully about how
organizing their time, like strong self-discipline when help the candidate to stay delegate and drive success. they’re spending their time
blocking off their calendar, meeting deadlines and calm and focused, but that Candidates who are and that they seek a healthy
creating a to-do list, and driving a project through to they also know how to lighten great at prioritizing make middle ground between
confirming deadlines. completion. the load by delegating tasks. sure they’re clear about rushing and perfectionism.
deadlines and expectations.
22
How to get the most
out of every interview

23
Help every Equip them with the STAR method.
candidate The STAR method (situation, task, action, result) allows candidates to answer
your questions in a structured way. Here’s a template you can send in advance
to help them apply this method.

perform at
Get template →

Allow them time to answer.

their best Give candidates a moment to reflect on a question and resist the temptation to
interrupt when they’re speaking. Make a note of what you want to say so you’ll
remember to bring it up later.

Some candidates are just better at

Ask for specifics.

interviewing than others. But that doesn’t
necessarily mean they’re the right person
for the job.
When you ask behavioral questions, make sure to focus and probe for real-
By helping every candidate show off their world examples, not hypotheticals.
best self, you can get a better read on their
potential—and make a more informed
decision.

Here are some steps you can take to create Follow up.
a more supportive interview process. If a candidate’s answer seems incomplete, try to avoid making assumptions.
Instead, ask follow-up questions to fill in the blanks and gain a better
understanding. You can also use this approach in other situations.

24
 Ask unexpected questions.
By asking unexpected questions, you may be able to get a better sense of what candidates sound
like when they aren’t rehearsed.

That doesn’t mean you should ask brainteasers. It just means you should ask them something
they probably haven’t prepared for so you can watch them think in real time. Here are some
unconventional questions asked by top business leaders and talent professionals:

Why shouldn’t How would It’s 12 p.m. Is it better to On a scale

I hire you? your manager one year submit a project of 1 to 10,
describe you? from now. that’s perfect how weird
Your best What are and late, or one are you?
friend? you doing? that’s good and
on time?
Adam Grant Krista Williams Angela Bortolussi Obed Louissaint Tony Hsieh

Wharton Professor and Best- Global Talent Acquisition Partner at Recruiting Social VP of Talent, Watson Health, and CEO of Zappos
Selling Author Operations Manager at Employee Experience at IBM
FM Global

25
Here are a few questions
you should be prepared
to answer:
What’s the biggest opportunity for this role?
What’s the most challenging aspect of it?

What does success in this position look like?

If you could describe your team in 3 words,

what would they be and why? Pay attention to
What type of person works well with this team? what they ask
How did the company determine its mission? High-potential candidates are often highly curious and
invested in learning more about the company and role. Pay
close attention to the questions that they ask you, as this can
Why do people say such and such about your give you a good idea of their values, interests, and priorities.
company?

26
Use the right LinkedIn Jobs
hiring tools Craft a job description by choosing from over 100 templates or
selecting an auto-generated description.

throughout Post a job →

your process. LinkedIn Recruiter

Quickly identify candidates who match your requirements, then
When your hiring process is fine-tuned to engage with them through InMail, the LinkedIn messaging plat-
attract the right talent, the quality of your form.
interviews goes up. To bring the right people
Request a demo →
in, it helps to have the right tools. LinkedIn
can help.

Our full suite of hiring solutions can help you

connect with the right candidates faster. Recruitment Marketing
After all, the sooner you interview them, the
sooner you can extend an offer—reducing the Put the right jobs in front of the right people with targeted ads.
chances that they’ll be snapped up elsewhere. Once you’ve got their attention, tell them your company story
with an eye-catching Career Page.
Request a demo →

27
Conclusion Methodology
LinkedIn surveyed 1,297 hiring managers in
the US, Canada, UK, Netherlands, Australia,
and India in May 2016. Hiring managers
are defined as those who currently manage
people and who recently hired, are currently
trying to hire, or are planning to hire new
Potential means slightly different things to people for their team (based on survey
different companies. But by determining responses). Members were selected at random
what skills and traits candidates need to be to take our survey and were representative of
the LinkedIn sample. The LinkedIn sample
successful at your organization, you can tailor (and our analysis) was influenced by how
your interview questions to help uncover their members chose to use the site, which can vary
true potential and give them a chance to shine. based on professional, social, and regional
culture, as well as overall site availability
and accessibility. These variances were not
accounted for in the analysis.

28
See LinkedIn in action Subscribe to our blog

LinkedIn Talent Solutions offers a full range of recruiting solutions to help orga- Connect with us on LinkedIn
nizations of all sizes find, attract, and engage the best talent. Founded in 2003,
LinkedIn connects the world’s professionals to make them more productive and
successful. With 630+ million members worldwide, including 75% of the US work- Follow us on Facebook
force, LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network.

Follow us on Twitter

Request a free demo

Try LinkedIn’s hiring and recruiting products

Plan Find Post Attract

Use data to inform difficult hiring and Search, connect with, and manage Post jobs to reach candidates you won’t Showcase your company culture and
recruiting decisions. your top candidates in one place. find anywhere else. spotlight jobs with targeted ads.

Talent Insights LinkedIn Recruiter Post a job Career Pages

LinkedIn Scheduler Learn more about LinkedIn Jobs Recruitment Ads
Pipeline Builder
29