Patterns of Bahavioral Question.

Aug 1, 2024

All these comes under prior experience, hypothetical questions and value based questions. https://www.turing.com/kb/behavioral-and-technical-interview-questions

Adaptability.

Tell me about your first job in the industry. What did you do to learn the ropes?

Have you ever had to put in long hours to finish a task? How did you handle it?

Can you give me an example of when you had to adapt to a new and sudden change in the workplace? What happened?

Tell me about a time when you felt extremely stressed out by work. What caused it, and how did you manage it?

Give me an example of when you had to suddenly perform under pressure. What happened, and how did you handle it?

Have you had to switch between an in-office and remote or hybrid work environment? How did you navigate the change?

Leadership.

Have you ever led a project? Tell me about a time when you successfully delegated tasks to your team. What’s one project or achievement you’re very proud of? Tell me about a time when you had to perform a task or work on a project you had no previous experience with. How did you approach this situation, and what did you learn? Have you ever wanted to improve the company culture? What did you do to contribute?

Problem Solving.

Describe a time when you didn’t know how to solve a problem. What did you do to resolve the issue? Tell me about a time when you solved a problem at your job that wasn’t part of your job description. How would you solve a specific problem in your line of work? What have you done to make your work more productive in your previous roles?

Success and Failure.

Tell me about a time you went above and beyond at work. Have you ever contributed something in any of your previous roles that made people congratulate you? Give me an example of a goal you failed to meet and how you handled the situation. Tell me about a time when you made a risky decision and it didn’t pay off. Describe a time you realized you were wrong about something. What happened? Do you have any work habits you’d like to improve?

Team Management.

Tell me about a time you were under a lot of pressure at work or at school. What was going on, and how did you get through it? Describe a time when your team or company was undergoing some change. How did that impact you, and how did you adapt? Tell me about settling into your last job. What did you do to learn the ropes? Give me an example of a time when you had to think on your feet. Tell me about a time you failed. How did you deal with the situation?

Motivation.

Tell me about your proudest professional accomplishment. Describe a time when you saw a problem and took the initiative to correct it. Tell me about a time when you worked under either extremely close supervision or extremely loose supervision. How did you handle that? Give me an example of a time you were able to be creative with your work. What was exciting or difficult about it? Tell me about a time you were dissatisfied in your role. What could have been done to make it better?

STAR - Situation, Task, Action, Result.

Give me an example of how you handled a challenge in the workplace.

Situation: “Around the time I started working at Company X, the team I was working with was just finishing up a very important project on a tight deadline. They had to review everything before submitting the work to the client, and my manager didn’t have a lot of time to pay attention to me to make sure I was caught up to speed.”

Task: “Everyone around me was constantly working, and because of the timing, they didn’t seem very approachable. So, to make sure I didn’t get left behind, I had to prove myself and take initiative.”

Action: “My plan was simple. I wanted to talk to my manager and a few of my coworkers whenever they had time, such as over lunch or when we got coffee together. Then, I would try to get to know them in a different environment and also learn more about the company. In the meantime, I would always go over my onboarding material and resources to get better at my job.”

Results: “In the end, I’m glad to say everything worked out and I actually made a few good friends too. By the time my manager came around to review my work and talk about the next steps, I already knew most of it and the company’s main clients in detail. And I also knew my coworkers, who I’d be working with too. If anything, he was a bit surprised, but ultimately, he was happy I didn’t fall behind. This saved him a lot of time, something he was very grateful for.”

A bit modifycation and story added in this answer - Initial days and I had to prepare for the client visit. So business leader from our company and delivery partner will visitin some 3 weeks and they generally discuss about the work around and how they can improve the features and because of everyone being busy and no such bandwidth I did not get entire picture of the scenario and then I did some of these discussions and got the idea. When manager came to ask my knowledge about the system he was surpried that I already know the majority important portion of it.

Can you describe a time when your supervisor or manager just gave you too much work with too little time? What did you do?

Situation: “I had a pretty rocky start with my manager at Agency X, as we had different expectations for my workload. Normally, I don’t have a problem with a fast-paced working environment, and I tend to thrive when I’m thinking on my feet. But at the agency, I had just finished onboarding, and I was already bombarded with tasks and weekly reports. For the most part, I was managing to get everything done on time, but I realized the quality would suffer if my list of tasks kept getting longer.”

Task: “So, I had to take up my work schedule issue with my manager and let him know about my concern. I decided that being direct and respectful was the best approach, and I booked the meeting.”

Action: “During the meeting, I remained calm and just went straight to the point. I explained how I liked my work, but the heavy workload was really impacting the quality of the work.”

Results: “Luckily, he was understanding. I was the first in-house graphic designer they’d hired, and they weren’t 100% sure what was a lot of work, and what wasn’t. We ended up working together to better define my responsibilities. From then on, I was, for the most part, only getting the workload I could handle without diminishing the quality of my work.”

Question #14 Describe a time when you helped a member of your team succeed.

Situation: “When I was working at Company X, I noticed that one of my team members, who was new to the role, was struggling with our project management software, which was crucial for keeping track of our assignments.”

Task: “I saw an opportunity to help improve their comfort with the tool and enhance their overall contribution to our projects.”

Action: “I offered to spend some time with them after work to go through the features of the software. We set up a few training sessions where I could show them tips and tricks that weren’t covered in the standard onboarding process.”

Results: “These sessions helped them become more proficient with the software, which significantly boosted their confidence and performance on the project. They were able to manage their parts of the projects more effectively, and it also helped them integrate better with the rest of the team. It was rewarding to see their growth and how it positively impacted our team’s workflow.”

Question #15 Tell me about a time when you had to work with someone completely different from you. How did you adapt to collaborate better?

Situation: “Sure, I always enjoy working with new and different people. Because, usually, they bring something new to the table. At Company X, there was a particularly young developer who was assigned to work with me on a new software development project, and I was to run him through what our typical coding process was like.”

Task: “It was also my job to get to know him and find common ground so that we could effectively work together. The fact that he was younger wasn’t an issue for me, but because he was completely self-taught, he didn’t know a lot about the industry methodologies we used.”

Action: “Teaching him everything from scratch would take too much time. So, instead, I briefly explained the development process—the waterfall model—that we were using for that specific project and taught him how to write tests for our code base. Writing tests is the number one way to learn what code does. After all, that’s how I got started with development.”

Results: “I also sat down and helped him go through the material at times, but in the end, he surprised me by how much of a fast learner he was. He just needed a bit of encouragement and guidance. Through this approach, he learned our whole routine in less than a week, while most of our new hires needed at least up to two weeks. In return, I learned a lot about multitasking and time management from him. The whole thing was a win-win situation, and it was all smooth sailing the next time we worked together, which was quite often.”

Question #16 Have you ever had an interpersonal conflict at work? If so, how did you handle it?

Situation: “At Company X, I once found myself in a disagreement with a coworker over the allocation of resources for a critical project. Both of us felt strongly about our proposed strategies, which led to some tension.”

Task: “I knew it was important to resolve this conflict quickly to maintain team harmony and keep the project on track.”

Action: “I suggested that we both present our strategies in a meeting with our project manager to get a third opinion. Before the meeting, I prepared a clear comparison of the potential benefits and drawbacks of each approach. During the discussion, I made sure to listen carefully to my coworker’s points and express my views respectfully.”

Results: “The meeting helped us understand each other’s perspectives better, and with our project manager’s guidance, we combined the best elements of both strategies. This resolved the tension and we agreed on what we should pour our resources into. It was also a great learning experience for both of us - we really learned how important collaboration and open communication are.”

Question #17 What do you do when your team member refuses to or just can’t complete their part of the work? Give me an example.

Situation: “There was one co-worker at Company X who was notorious for being bad at deadlines. But she would always end up delivering exceptional work, just a few hours, or worse - even days late. For some reason, the company was okay with this since her work was just too good. So, this one time, the management put us together to work on a time-sensitive project.”

Task: “Our task was to turn in a sales presentation together and have our manager go over it before sending the client the final version. Because of how important the project was, I didn’t want to risk going over the deadline - as this would also directly impact other people. Either way, for everyone’s sake, I had to somehow get her to hurry up with the project. So, I decided to try and push her a little and see what would happen.”

Action: “I started regularly checking in on her to see where she was with work. I would bring it up at times over lunch, send a quick Slack message, and so on. She wasn’t taking this quite well, but it did get her to work faster and more efficiently.”

Results: “In the end, the constant check-ins and pushing did have a positive effect, even though the co-worker didn’t particularly like me too much once we were finished with the work. We even managed to submit the final version of the presentation two days before the deadline.”

Question #18 Have you ever mentored a coworker or been mentored? Tell me about it.

Situation: “At Company X, shortly after I was promoted to a senior position, I was given the opportunity to mentor a new team member who was just starting their career in our field.”

Task: “My goal was to help them integrate into the team and speed up their learning process so they could become effective more quickly.”

Action: “I set up weekly meetings to discuss any challenges they were facing and shared resources that I had found valuable when I was new. I also made myself available for quick chats whenever they felt stuck on a particular issue.”

Results: “The one-on-one guidance really paid off. Within a few months, they were not only comfortable with their role but also actively contributing ideas in meetings and taking on more responsibilities. It was rewarding to see their growth and know I played a part in their development.”

Question #19 In your previous roles, did you have a time when you disagreed with a supervisor’s decision? If so, how did you handle it?

Situation: “In my previous role at Company X, there was a moment when my supervisor decided to implement a new software system across the department. The problem was that I didn’t think it was compatible with our current workflows.”

Task: “I felt it was important to address my concerns because the decision could potentially affect our team’s efficiency and morale.”

Action: “I was respectful and I requested a meeting with my supervisor to discuss the potential impacts of the new software. I prepared a detailed analysis comparing the proposed system with our current one, and I made sure to highlight the challenges and potential disruption it could cause.”

Results: “My supervisor appreciated the initiative I took and how thorough my analysis was. After a constructive discussion, we agreed to a trial period for the new software alongside our existing system. This allowed us to objectively assess the pros and cons without fully committing. Eventually, this led to some modifications to the system so it could suit our needs better.”

Question #20 Tell me about an experience that helped you feel like part of the team at your previous job.

Situation: “At Company X, when I first joined the marketing department, the team was in the middle of a major campaign launch. Everyone was busy and I felt like I couldn’t really find my place there.”

Task: “But I wanted to integrate into the team and really contribute to the campaign.”

Action: “So, I volunteered to take on a task everyone was overlooking—managing the outreach for user feedback, which was critical for the campaign’s next phase. I coordinated with different team members to gather the necessary information and crafted a strategy to collect feedback.”

Results: “This let me work closely with different team members and helped me learn about their strengths and working styles. I feel like my success there allowed me to contribute to the campaign and really solidified my position on the team. It made me feel like a valued member of the group, and the team appreciated my efforts, so it was great.”

Question #22 Sometimes, clients can be difficult to work with. Can you describe a situation when a client was wrong and you had to correct them?

Situation: “Absolutely. One of our past clients at Agency X came to us because his Facebook advertising strategy wasn’t working. He was driving traffic but wasn’t getting any conversions, so they thought that it was because they weren’t reaching the right audience. We realized, though, that it was actually because their product homepage wasn’t really that convincing. The client, however, was adamant about ‘not fixing what wasn’t broken.’”

Task: “I had to somehow communicate with the client that the service he wanted wasn’t what he needed - there was no way for us to fix his Facebook ads if his homepage wasn’t selling the product.”

Action: “We had to give the client an ultimatum - they either go with our approach or we wouldn’t be able to get the results and hence, work with them.”

Results: “After some back and forth, the client grudgingly agreed to do an A/B test between the existing landing page and one that we’d propose. So, we tested the two landing pages with the same ads he’d been running and ended up getting better results threefold. From then on, the client was a lot more willing to allow us to experiment with whatever we proposed.”

Question #23 Describe a time you dealt with a frustrating customer or stakeholder.

Situation: “Working in customer support, you really get to talk with many different kinds of people. I remember having one angry customer call the help desk once to complain. He kept repeating that the product he bought was faulty and demanded that I resolve the situation then and there.”

Task: “Customers calling for refunds happen all the time, but this one was different since he just kept shouting over the phone the whole time. I had to get him to calm down if I wanted the call to go anywhere.”

Action: “Fortunately, I had experience dealing with loud customers and knew the first thing I had to do was listen to his story. Halfway through telling his story, he calmed down once he realized I was trying to help. He explained that the product was supposed to be a gift, and that’s why he was so frustrated. Then, I offered two solutions: a refund or a replacement for his product with express delivery.”

Results: “The customer opted for the replacement option. I called him back once they received the order just to check in if he was happy with the product. He turned out to be happy both with the product and our service, and he thanked me for the help.”

Question #24 Everyone makes mistakes they regret. Is there a situation where you wish you had handled things with a client differently?

Situation: “This one client we worked with was particularly difficult. They were extremely unpleasant to work with, and they treated our staff pretty badly. The management, however, insisted on sticking with them since they made up a good chunk of our income. At one point, though, the client just barged into our office and started yelling at their account manager for a small mistake on their end.”

Task: “At this point, I realized that working with the client was really affecting our staff negatively, and we’d be losing some good employees if we kept working with them. A few people had already put in their two weeks’ notice, including the account manager, and more would probably follow.”

Action: “So, I set up a meeting with the management team and gave them concrete facts and figures about the client. Sure, they were paying us good money, but they were really hurting workplace morale.”

Results: “Unfortunately, even after hearing me out, the management didn’t want to let go of the client. They decided that, overall, the impact the clients had on the team wasn’t worth losing the profit. Looking back, I wish I had talked to management sooner before the company had gotten used to the income from that client. Needless to say, I didn’t stick around long after that.”

Question #25 Tell me about your first job in the industry. What did you do to learn the ropes?

Situation: “Well, my first job in the field was as a junior DevOps engineer. While I did have extensive knowledge of the field, I didn’t have much experience doing it.”

Task: “This made it very hard for me to get started with the job. While I was working almost all the time, I wasn’t getting too much done.”

Action: “So, what I did was take a lot of my personal time to really work and learn the ins and outs of DevOps. I also made sure to talk to my team and get their input on daily tasks.”

Results: “A few months into the job, I managed to learn the ropes and ended up being a lot more productive.”

Question #26 Have you ever had to put in long hours to finish a task? How did you handle it?

Situation: “At Company X, right before a major product launch, we realized that the software had a critical bug that could potentially delay the release.”

Task: “It was crucial to fix the bug quickly to make sure we met our launch deadline. The pressure was on, but I was determined to resolve the issue without compromising the product quality.”

Action: “I decided to stay late for several nights in a row. I was working alongside a small, dedicated team. We systematically tested and retested the software to isolate the issue. Throughout, I made sure to keep everyone motivated and focused by organizing brief update meetings and making sure we took short breaks to stay sharp.”

Results: “Our hard work paid off. We identified and fixed the bug just in time for the launch. The product was well-received, and the team’s effort saved the release, and we really felt like working together under that pressure helped us bond.”

Question #27 Can you give me an example of when you had to adapt to a new and sudden change in the workplace? What happened?

Situation: “Sure thing. In my previous position as an account manager at Company X, we had to suddenly change all of our CRM software and move all the data to a new tool. The CRM tool we’d been using till now wasn’t fit for a growing team, and on top of that, they were upping their pricing, so it wasn’t really worthwhile for us.”

Task: “I was put in charge of finding the replacement CRM, as I was the one who knew the previous one inside-out. And this was also an opportunity for me to clean up our outdated info and start fresh. All the while, I still had to handle my daily responsibilities as usual.”

Action: “So, the first thing I did was ask our sales associates and lead generation teams what they thought of the old CRM and if there were any new features they were lacking. After doing a bit of research and asking around, I found the perfect tool that had it all - sales analytics, email integration, and more. And because I typically have no problem with learning new tools, I stayed in one evening, transferred our data to the new tool, and wiped the old account. Finally, I sent a new announcement to the entire team about the new software, along with a video tutorial on how to use it.”

Results: “We completed the transfer with four days to spare, the team was satisfied with the new CRM, and my daily responsibilities as an account manager didn’t suffer.”

Question #28 Tell me about a time when you felt extremely stressed out by work. What caused it, and how did you manage it?

Situation: “In my previous job as a project coordinator, there was a time when two major projects with tight deadlines overlapped. It was during a staff shortage, so the workload was significantly higher than usual. I was honestly overwhelmed and it looked as though there was no end in sight. It was a cycle of trying to hire people while juggling all my responsibilities, so I couldn’t find time to do anything.”

Task: “I needed to make sure both projects were completed on time without compromising on their quality but I had really limited resources. So, I had to really push to find a solution.”

Action: “First, I prioritized my tasks daily. I needed to focus on the most critical aspects of each project. I made sure to communicate openly with my team and supervisor about the challenges, and I sought out their input so I could distribute tasks efficiently and set realistic expectations. I also made sure to take short breaks throughout the day to clear my mind and maintain my focus. At this point, every second had to be productive, so I did my best to stay on track.”

Results: “I’d say things worked out. We met the deadlines for both projects. It was really challenging, but I think that without my organizational skills and clear communication with my team and supervisors, we wouldn’t have made it. Immediately after those projects were delivered, I took a week off work to recover. I just needed some downtime to really find that work-life balance again. Once I was back, I teamed up with management, and we started looking for more staff so we could prevent that whole situation from happening again in the future.”

Question #29 Give me an example of when you had to suddenly perform under pressure. What happened, and how did you handle it?

Situation: “As a seasonal worker, there have been a lot of times when I had to juggle extra responsibilities. My last position as a line cook at Restaurant X comes to mind. That summer, we were pretty much always full and, sometimes, even understaffed to handle all the customers. To make things worse, we didn’t have the best shift system at the time either. So, if someone were to unexpectedly not show up for their shift, we’d have to put out the fires as they came up.”

Task: “This is exactly what happened when one of our waitresses had to call out due to a personal emergency.”

Action: “So, I stepped up and took her shift as soon as I had clocked out of mine as one of the line cooks. Luckily, I had previous experience working as a waiter.”

Results: “I was tired and a bit uncoordinated at the beginning, but at the end of the day, everything worked out just fine.”

Question #30 Have you had to switch between an in-office and a remote or hybrid work environment? How did you navigate the change?

Situation: “At Company X, at one point, we had to switch from an entirely in-office setup to a remote work environment almost overnight.”

Task: “The challenge was to adapt quickly to maintain productivity and communication without the face-to-face interaction we were used to.”

Action: “So, I set up a dedicated workspace at home to mimic my office environment, which really helped me maintain a routine. I also started using digital tools more effectively, like scheduling regular check-ins with my team through video calls and managing projects through shared online platforms.”

Results: “My setup allowed me to stay connected with my team and I was just as productive as I was at the office. I’d say the transition was smooth, and we managed to meet all our project deadlines. I learned a lot about how flexible I can be and just how important clear communication is when you’re working remotely.”

Question #31 Have you ever led a project?

Situation: “Yes, I led a project at Company X where we were tasked with launching a new product line that was crucial for entering a new market segment.”

Task: “My responsibility was to oversee the project from conception to launch. This included coordinating between different departments, managing the budget, and making sure we met all milestones on time.”

Action: “I started by assembling a cross-functional team, making sure we had all the necessary skills covered. We held regular planning meetings and I set up a clear timeline with specific goals for each phase of the project. To keep everything on track, I used project management software to monitor progress and address any issues ASAP.”

Results: “The project was a success. We launched the product on schedule and within budget. It was well-received in the market, and it significantly boosted our company’s visibility in the new segment. I’d say leading that project taught me a lot about strategic planning and the ins and outs of cross-departmental collaboration.”

Question #32 Tell me about a time when you successfully delegated tasks to your team.

Situation: “Well, at my first job as a team leader, I had to really get to know most of my team in order to delegate tasks appropriately.”

Task: “Most team members were new to the company, so I didn’t have much to go with.”

Action: “So, I sat down with each team member individually, really got to know them and their strengths and weaknesses, and distributed tasks based on their personalities.”

Results: “Team members were pretty happy with the tasks they got and started off their relationship with our company on a positive note.”

Question #35

Have you ever wanted to improve the company culture? What did you do to contribute?

Situation: “Well, I don’t have a lot of work experience that’s relevant here, but I do have an example from when I was a student. During my junior year at high school, I noticed that a lot of students felt disconnected from the school as a community, particularly those of us who weren’t involved in sports or any major clubs like theatre.”

Task: “So, I wanted to create an opportunity to make everyone feel included. Something that could engage a broad range of people and foster a sense of community for everyone.”

Action: “I worked with the student council to organize a ‘Culture Week,’ where each day was dedicated to celebrating different student backgrounds and interests. We set up workshops, performances, and presentations where students could share about their cultures, hobbies, and unique talents. I also reached out to different groups at our school to encourage them to participate and help them feel like part of the community.”

Results: “The event was a big hit and it even became an annual tradition. Students who previously felt left out were now a lot more involved and visibly happier at school. It was really rewarding to see how a couple of new activities can help people connect with each other and find their place among everyone else.”

Give me an example of a goal you failed to meet and how you handled the situation.

Situation: “Well, I started university with the intention of becoming an engineer. But, during my second year, I realized that, despite my interest in the subject, the academic environment and the course load just weren’t the right fit for me. So I made the decision to drop out.”

Task: “I was really disappointed in myself, and I felt like everyone else was disappointed in me, too. So, I moped around for a few days, then my immediate goal shifted to finding a stable job while I figured out my next steps. I needed to support myself financially, but I also wanted to use my time to explore other career options that might align better with my skills and interests.”

Action: “I took a part-time job at a local tech store, where I ended up becoming the shift leader within a few months. Meanwhile, I spent a lot of time researching different fields and I eventually stumbled into digital marketing. I was drawn to the creative and analytical aspects of it, so I started learning more through online courses and tutorials.”

Results: “Working part-time gave me the flexibility to delve into the field and hone my skills. Over time, I built a portfolio by helping friends and local businesses with their social media marketing. It was a pretty good practical experience, and it helped me land a full-time job in a digital marketing agency. So, although I never got that engineering degree, it turned out not to be a huge setback after all. Now I’m in a field I’m passionate about and where I can put my skills to good use.”

Tell me about a time when you made a risky decision and it didn’t pay off.

Situation: “At the organization where I volunteered, we planned a big event to open up more discussions about sustainable energy sources and green transitions in an area where most people worked with fossil fuels.”

Task: “We wanted to create a space where we could discuss how the area could transition towards green energy and hear what people’s concerns were, but we knew it could be a touchy subject for some of the locals.”

Action: “I took a risk and invited a couple of well-known activists to speak at the event. I was hoping they would draw a big crowd and spark meaningful conversations. Even though a few volunteers at the organization were worried it might cause some backlash, I thought it was worth the risk.”

Results: “Unfortunately, I was wrong. It turned out to be too much, too soon. Instead of creating a place for dialogue, the high-profile activists brought out protestors, and we saw lower attendance than we expected. The event didn’t have the impact we were aiming for, and that was tough to see. I realized I made a mistake by not listening to the other volunteers. But I definitely learned how important it is to understand the community you’re based in and to do the groundwork before taking risks like that.”

If you have not faced the situation.

“I don’t think I’ve been in a situation like that before, but here’s how I would approach it.”

https://igotanoffer.com/blogs/tech/google-behavioral-interview

https://www.tryexponent.com/blog/the-complete-google-behavioral-interview-guide

https://leetcode.com/discuss/interview-question/5305486/Google-L4-(OFFER)

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