The Behavioral Interview versus the Case Interview
I was talking to a friend the other day who spent years in the travel industry during the glory days and now finds herself underemployed, over 50, and job hunting. Unfortunately she is not alone but I was happy she came to me for advice about how to best prepare herself for a results-oriented interview. As is the case with many “boomers” my friend has been accustomed to asking the questions as the interviewer not answering them as the job seeker. I thought she should know about two popular business-interviewing styles: the behavioral interview and the case interview.
The behavioral interview is based on the premise that past performance is the best indicator of future performance. Companies using behavioral interviewing are looking for content skills, transferable skills and self-management skills. This interviewing technique surfaced in the 1970’s when a group of industrial psychologists offered business an alternative to the standard questions about the applicant, his/her strengths and weaknesses and why the applicant wanted to work for the company. The traditional questions did not give the interviewer any indication of what skill sets (problem solving, decision making, communication, organizational, interpersonal) the applicant possessed. Nor did the questions enable the interviewer to predict the applicant’s future success with the company.
The behavioral interview provides the opportunity for the future employer to evaluate the applicant based on how he/she handles real life situations in both professional and personal life. The interview is objective instead of subjective. There are basically three types of questions in a behavioral interview: behavioral, leading and theoretical.
Behavioral
- Job related past behavior (open ended, verifying, why questions)
Leading
- Yes or no responses required
Theoretical
- Situation oriented to test your ability to answer questions
The best way to prepare for a behavioral interview is to practice the PAR or STAR method in response to questions. Use recent, applicable, professional or personal scenarios.
- Address the problem (P) or situation/task (S)(T)
- Describe the action you took (A)
- Explain the result (R)
While diverse industries such as airlines, retail and waste management are using the behavioral interview, many college business programs have exposed students to the case interview. This interview technique is also an alternative to traditional interviewing. Much like the behavioral interview, the case interview was developed to gain a sense of the applicant’s skill sets. The case interview concentrates on the candidate’s thinking process, problem- solving skills, analytical skills, creativity, communication skills, business savvy and ability to work under pressure. The interview consists of a discussion between the interviewer and the interviewee about a hypothetical situation. This method of interviewing is commonly used by consulting firms, management-consulting firms, and investment-banking companies.
Unlike the behavioral interview in the case interview the interviewer is not looking for answers or a solution to the problem. There is no standard method for preparing like PAR or STAR but timed practice and rehearsing are beneficial. Vault.com and Harvard Business School have case studies available for case interview practice. To be a successful candidate of a case interview be aware of the following:
- Time management (15-20 minute interview)
- Listening
- Ask questions for clarification and information
- Business sense
- Use of educational knowledge to analyze the situation
- Ability to identify the problem
- Put the problem in perspective to formulate a plan
- Develop potential solutions
Helping my friend acclimate to the changing world of interviewing prompted me to ask how many HR people are taking into consideration that the over 50 applicant may never have heard of the behavioral interview or the case interview? Does this mean those applicants do not have the skill sets you need in your organization? No, but it may be time to re-examine your interview strategies to accommodate a multigenerational workplace.
Don’t forget to visit the online store to add to your human resource issues library. One of the most requested/popular titles is: Preparing for your Interview
