Behavioral Interviewing
Conduct Better Interviews. Hire Better People.
Interviews are a wild card in the hiring process. Nearly every business uses them, but very few get it right. In fact, many managers have never had any training at all in interviewing.
Behavioral interviewing is the world’s most widely used interviewing approach. But did you know that DDI invented the first behavior-based interviewing system? Our Targeted Selection® system goes far beyond just what to do in the interview. It’s an entire system for fair, accurate candidate evaluation.
The result? Less bias. More accurate data. Higher acceptance rates. Lower turnover. And getting the right people to take your business forward.
Learn more about DDI’s Targeted Selection interviewing system
What Difference Does Interviewing Make?
14%
of hiring managers are confident in their hiring decisions.
80%
of employee turnover comes from bad hiring decisions.
2x
The financial cost of a bad hire can exceed twice the salary of the position.
What Is Behavioral Interviewing?
Behavioral interviewing is a structured interviewing approach built on research that past behavior predicts future behavior. In a behavioral interview, the candidate provides concrete examples about how they used specific behaviors or skills on the job. And the candidate’s answers? Those help the interviewer get an accurate picture of not only what the candidate can do, but how they do it.
In addition, behavioral interviews are designed to create a consistent experience for all candidates. That way, all candidates can be fairly evaluated based on the same set of criteria. They also have the opportunity to answer the same questions.
What Are Behavioral Interviewing Questions?
You might know behavioral interviewing questions as the ones that start with “tell me about a time when…” But just asking questions in this way is not enough. You also need to be sure the questions are carefully structured around competencies for the job.
Behavioral interviewing questions are designed to show how someone demonstrated a specific behavior or skill in a situation. And questions are targeted for the specific role, based on the Success Profile set for the job.

Using the STAR Method in Interviewing
Have you heard of the STAR method of interviewing? Some people mistake it for its own type of interviewing.
But really, it’s part of behavioral interviewing. DDI brought the STAR method to market in the 1970s. So, what is the STAR method? The STAR method helps you capture complete information about how someone has performed on the job.
How Do You Master Behavioral Interviews?
At DDI, we train people to master both the art and the science of interviewing. The art helps you learn how to handle the interview. For example, how to build rapport with candidates and how to ask focused, behavioral-based questions.
The science helps you put the right process in place to ensure consistency and reduce bias. For example, it helps managers learn how to score candidates on a consistent scale. It also helps managers learn to integrate the data for a final decision.
Can a Behavioral Interview Measure for Job Fit?
A common misconception is that you should measure for job fit in an interview. But too often, “job fit” can be a loose term for bias. It’s easy to make snap judgements about how someone will fit in.
What’s more important is motivational fit. Motivational fit measures how the person’s preferences match up with the requirements of the job, location, and company. And the result of measuring for motivational fit? You’re more likely to select someone who will have much greater satisfaction on the job.
Explore Targeted Selection
recommended Resources
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