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Many companies, including Vale use behavioural interviews to allow you to demonstrate competencies critical to success in the role you are interviewing for.
Being prepared for a behavioural interview can give you a clear advantage over your competition.
What is behavioural interviewing? It is a form of interviewing that focuses on
the past school- and work-related
performance of candidates. The interview
process is designed to allow candidates to show how they have demonstrated
specific competencies in past experience.
So what is different about behavioural interviews? Perhaps the essential
difference is that behavioural interviewers ask competency-related questions
that focus on past examples of demonstrated ability rather than asking
hypothetical questions. In short, they ask 'when did you demonstrate...'
rather than 'what would you do if...' This is based on the fundamental
premise that the 'best predictor of future work performance is successful past
performance in similar situations.'
Why are companies using behavioural interviewing? There are several reasons that
so many companies have chosen this method of interviewing:
-
They can design specific behavioural questions to determine which candidates
possess the particular competencies required. They are interested in whether
candidates have demonstrated these competencies in past work experience and how
past performance relates to the requirements of the current position.
- They can use reference checks to validate the specific situations, events and
examples that candidates provide in the interview.
What can candidates do to prepare for a behavioural interview? When candidates -
internal or external - are going to participate in a behavioural interview,
they should:
-
Review the job advertisement or posting to identify the behavioural
competencies that are being examined by the interview panel. Candidates should
look for key words such as 'leadership,' 'coordinate,' 'work independently,'
'teamwork' and 'innovation'
- Reflect on their past and present work, school or co-curricular experience and
recall situations or circumstances where they have demonstrated such things as
'leadership' or 'the ability to work independently' as noted in the
advertisement. Consider the need to:
- Describe a specific situation;
- Outline their role or task in that situation;
- List the actions that they took; and
- Describe the results of their actions
Other preparation tips
- Bring several copies of your resume. Many companies including Vale use panel
interviews where more than one interviewer may be present
- Be prepared to discuss your expectations of the company and come prepared with
written questions that you need answered about the job, the company, benefits
and compensation, the work group you would be working with etc.
© Vale 2010
Last Updated: Friday, March 30, 2012
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