A Tool for Effective Hiring: Mastering the Art of Structured Behavioural Event Interviewing
Terry Williams
Trainer / Speaker. I give kiwi business leaders & technically-skilled people simple tools to engage their people. I've been training people thrown in the deep end for 34 years.
The hiring process can be a challenging and time-consuming task for any organisation. With so many applicants of varying quality to sift through, and the risks and costs of getting it wrong, it can be difficult to identify the best candidate for the job. However, by using structured behavioural event interviewing, counter-balanced with a few other techniques, you can increase your chances of making the right hire.
Structured behavioural event interviewing (SBEI) is a method of evaluating job applicants based on their actual past behaviour and experiences. This type of interviewing involves asking specific, behaviour-based questions that are designed to uncover how the candidate has handled similar situations in the past, reflecting the competencies you are looking for. And those competencies are those possessed by the people you've already got who are both happy and successful in the job. And they fit. This information can then be used to predict how the candidate might perform in similar situations in the future. (In as much as anything can predict anything).
Structured interviewing is an effective tool for organisations because it channels you through a more objective and accurate assessment of the interviewee. By asking behaviour-based questions, you can get a better understanding of the candidate's skills, knowledge, and behaviour, and how they may perform in the role. This can lead to better alignment with job requirements and a higher likelihood of making a successful hire. There are never any guarantees but I'll take better odds any day.
Structured behavioural event interviewing needs to be a highly structured and systematic approach to evaluating job applicants. It is based on the principle that past behaviour is the best predictor of future behaviour. People, like you and me, might not be so structured and systematic. We might be prone to going 'off-book' and while that's entertaining in improv comedy shows, it's risky in job interviews. Consistent structure allows 'apples for apples' comparisons.
Traditional interviewing methods typically involve asking general questions about the candidate's skills, experience, and qualifications, or posing hypotheticals about what-ifs. Bluntly, this opens interviewees up to displaying not their job skills but their skills at lying or fortune-telling. While this information can be useful, it may not always provide an accurate picture of the candidate's behaviour and how they may perform in the role. Structured behavioural event interviewing, on the other hand, focuses specifically on the candidate's past behaviour and experiences, providing a more objective and accurate assessment of the candidate's potential for success in the role. And, not a lot of "what-ifs".
In traditional interviews, the interviewer may also rely on their personal biases and subjective opinions, which can negatively impact the accuracy of the assessment. (Not you of course, other interviewers). SBEI eliminates this risk by using a standardised process and specific, behaviour-based questions, allowing for a more objective evaluation of the candidate. Especially when a panel of interviewers is used.
Finally, SBEI can lead to better alignment with job requirements. By using a systematic and objective approach, organisations can ensure that the candidate's past behaviour and experiences align with the job requirements and expectations. This can increase the likelihood of making a successful hire and reduce the risk of poor job performance and turnover - and the costs and delays such things incur.
It ain't perfect but SBEI as part of your hiring toolkit has a lot of benefits, including increased objectivity, improved candidate evaluation, and better alignment with job requirements. By using this method of interviewing, you can increase your chances of making the right hire and ensure a better fit between the candidate and the role.
Before conducting a structured behavioural event interview, it is important to prepare and plan. Start by familiarising yourself with the job requirements and expectations, and creating a list of behaviour event questions based on these requirements. Get more than one person involved. Maybe include actual people with that very job for which you're interviewing? Who knows it better than them? Maybe derive these from people already in the role who are doing well? Ensure that you have the necessary resources and materials ready, such as CVs. It is also important to establish a clear and consistent evaluation process to ensure that all interviews are conducted in a fair and objective manner. Consider creating a 'marking' tally sheet, that includes prompts of the sort of things that might score higher (or lower). Rows for each competency questions, a scale of scoring 1-10 or similar, and space for notes.
Begin the interview by establishing context and setting expectations for the interview process. Explain the purpose of the interview and the structured behavioural event format to the candidate. It's not supposed to be a magic trick so there's great value in investing a small amount of time to explain the process to the applicant.
Once the context has been established, begin asking behavioural event questions. These questions should focus on specific, past behaviours and experiences, and aim to gain insight into the candidate's skills, knowledge, and behaviour. Ensure that you ask follow-up questions to gather additional information and provide a complete picture of the candidate's experience. Keep them on track if they veer off into what the group did or off-topics, or conjecture.
For each desired competency:
After the interview is complete, evaluate the candidate's responses using the established evaluation process. Consider factors such as the candidate's experience, skills, and behaviour, and how they align with the job requirements and expectations.
Use a standardised, consistent approach: Ensure that all interviews are conducted using a standardised and consistent approach. This will help to eliminate personal biases and subjective opinions, and ensure a fair and objective evaluation of the candidate. Consider using a 'Decision Matrix', especially when a panel is involved, to get individual panelists scores without being influenced by each other.
Focus on past behaviours and experiences: The structured behavioural event format is designed to focus on the candidate's past behaviours and experiences. Ensure that you ask questions that relate specifically to those behaviours, and avoid making assumptions or asking hypothetical questions.
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Provide a positive interview experience for the candidate. Be friendly, professional, and respectful, and ensure that the interview process is well-organised and efficient.
SBEI provides a systematic and objective approach to evaluating a candidate's skills, knowledge, and behaviour. By preparing and planning, conducting the interview using a structured approach, you make the best use of your interview time and streamline your 'homework' afterwards, especially if a panel is involved.
Conducting an SBEI can be time-consuming and require significant resources, including the preparation of questions, training for interviewers, and the development of a standardised evaluation process. But, once you've done it and set up your systems and templates, you've got them for next time with tweaks here and there for different roles.
While structured behavioural event interviewing is designed to increase objectivity, the interpretation of the candidate's responses remains subjective and can be influenced by the interviewer's personal biases and opinions. Discuss with panelists before and after concrete evidence you're lloking for from interviewees that might drive scoring up or down.
The structured format of the interview can be limiting and may not allow for the exploration of important, but unexpected, topics. This can make it difficult to gain a complete understanding of the candidate's experiences, skills, and behaviour, particularly in complex or dynamic roles. So, leave a bit of time and space to go 'off book' but in a planned and consistent way.
Despite these challenges and limitations, SBEI can still provide valuable insights into a candidate's abilities and help organisations make informed hiring decisions. To mitigate these challenges, it is important to regularly review and refine the interview process, train interviewers on effective evaluation techniques, and ensure that the process is fair and objective.
Structured behavioural event interviewing can be a valuable tool for organisations, but it is important to be aware of the challenges and limitations and to approach the process with a critical eye. By taking the time to plan, prepare, and evaluate the process, you can unlock the full potential of structured behavioural event interviewing and improve your chances of making the right hire.
While there are challenges and limitations associated with structured interviewing, the benefits far outweigh these challenges. By taking the time to plan and prepare, you can effectively mitigate these limitations and get the most out of the process.
Ultimately, the use of structured behavioural event interviewing can lead to better hires, improved team performance, and increased productivity. If you're looking to improve your hiring process, it's worth considering the use of structured behavioural event interviewing. Don't knock it til you've tried it.
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