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Hire Better Candidates With Behavioural Interviews
1. Why Traditional Interviews Fall Short
Are you still using traditional interview methods in identifying the best candidates for your company? Do hypothetical questions, such as “What would you do if…?”, or “Tell me about yourself” sound familiar to you? These questions tend to elicit generalised statements, or even rehearsed responses that may not accurately reflect a candidate’s true capabilities, or more importantly how they would perform under real-world conditions.
In contrast, behavioural interviewing deploys a structured technique where job candidates are prompted to provide specific, detailed examples of how they handled similar situations in the past, drawing directly from their actual experiences. The core premise underpinning this approach is that “past behaviour predicts future behaviour”. This allows interviewers to assess demonstrated competencies and actual responses to challenges, rather than merely stated intentions or opinions.
2. The Unquestionable Advantage of Behavioural Interviewing
Evidence-Based Superiority: Higher Predictive Validity
Behavioural interviews, when structured, exhibit significantly higher predictive validity compared to traditional, unstructured interviews. Predictive validity measures how well a test or assessment predicts future behaviour or performance and is a critical metric in hiring. Research on employment interviews has consistently demonstrated that structured interviews are superior to unstructured interviews with higher predictive validity. (Huffcutt & Arthur, 1994; Levashina, Hartwell, Morgeson, & Campion, 2014; Macan, 2009; McDaniel, Whetzel, Schmidt, & Maurer, 1994)
Accurate Identification of Non-cognitive Qualities
Structured behavioural interviews are particularly adept at identifying non-cognitive qualities, such as adaptability, decisiveness, time management, and the ability to work in a team, which are crucial traits for future performance. Better evaluation of these qualities also allows better job and cultural fit in general. Poor job fit is a primary cause of employee turnover, which disrupts an organisation’s operational performance, as well as drives up costs resulting from rehiring and retraining.
Mitigating Unconscious Bias for Better Hiring Outcomes
Structured behavioural interviews, which incorporate behaviourally anchored questions, are instrumental in reducing various forms of interviewer bias such as affinity bias (favouring candidates with shared experiences or backgrounds). These biases can influence hiring decisions, leading to less objective outcomes. Reducing these biases enhances the probability of hiring someone better suited for the job, and possibly a more diverse range of talents.
Diversity in hiring is directly linked to stronger team collaboration and more innovative problem-solving within the workforce. As such, bias reduction is not just a matter of compliance but a strategic lever for expanding your organisation’s talent pool and fostering greater innovation.
3. Equip Your Hiring Managers with Effective Behavioural Interviewing Skills
Effective hiring is the cornerstone of organisational success as it directly influences productivity, innovation, and long-term business growth. As a Human Resource Professional or business owner, equipping your hiring managers with behavioural interviewing knowledge and skills will hugely benefit your organisation.
The consultants at ARK Leadership & Learning have over 20 years of experience in the field of human resources and performance management, and we can help your hiring managers make better hiring decisions with confidence. Through our 2-day Behaviour Interview Training, they will learn how to gather and evaluate data on a candidate’s experience, knowledge, competencies through behavioural interviewing techniques and better determine the right job fit.
STAR INTERVIEW TECHNIQUE
Besides developing the essential Interview knowledge & skills for behavioural interviews, your hiring managers will also learn how to prepare interview questions utilising the ‘STAR’ technique, how to gather and evaluate the data to determine the job and cultural fit, as well as participate in the interview practice session with trainer feedback. The interview practice session will help them build competence and confidence in conducting behavioural interviews independently. Don’t wait any longer, get in touch with us now to find out more.
ARK Leadership & Learning Can Equip Your Manager With The Necessary Skillsets to Make Better Hiring Decisions.
We have the expertise to help your managers learn and implement behavioural interviewing – our consultants have over 20 years of experience in the field of human resource and performance management to assist our clients in building a robust team for the future. Contact us at +65 6604 6330 or Email us at llearning@arkgroup.com.sg for a discussion on your business’s needs.
