Hello all,

For beginners, BEI refers to Behavioral Event Interviewing.

In a behavioural interview, the interviewer asks the applicant for specific examples of past behaviours that relate to the requirements of the job.

The ground premise: the best predictor of future performance is past performance under similar circumstances.

Behavioural questions are much more difficult to exaggerate or distort than any other the other types of interview questions.

A lead or opening question followed by a series of probing questions elicit responses containing detailed information on roles, situations, actions and outcomes from past job-related experiences, events, or accomplishments. They go beyond hypothetical “what would you do if..” situations by asking for real life examples. The more recent and longstanding the past behaviour, the greater the predictive power. Questions are based challenging real-life situations and the possible range of behavioural responses.

What do you need to have, if you want to implement BEI in your interviewing process??

Essentials:
1. A well designed application form
2. Evaluation form for Interviewers
3. A descriptive competency matrix / competency definitions for each job role
4. A rating scale based on these competencies

The next step is to get your interviewers trained on BEI. After the training is over, give your interviewers a chance to practice the skills and the techniques learnt during the training program at live interviews. Subsequently you might see a trend of inter-rater reliability if the training program was indeed effective.

BEI training programs generally cover interviewing techniques like the STAR and STEP techniques which help an interviewer collect accurate information from a candidate during the interview so as to validly predict the candidate’s job performance.

Some of the common selection problems, which BEI might help you to solve, are:

• Interviewers missing important information
• Interviewers overlooking job motivation and organizational fit
• Interviewers have not organized selection elements into a system
• Interviewers make snap decisions about applicants.
• Interviewers allow one characteristic to influence their overall judgment
• Pressure to fill the position affects judgment

With more and more training programs on interviewing effectiveness on the rise, its time BEI becomes an important part of the hiring process.

Hope this helps : )

Hema

The premise that an individual's past performance most accurately predicts his/her future performance is the basis of Behavioural interviewing.

Most large organizations employ the Behavioural Based Interviewing approach to select Co-op students and new employees. A Behavioural Based question is designed to examine the applicant's past behaviour in situations similar to those that comprise the prospective job duties. Employers assess three key performance predictors in the interviewee's
answers: technical ability, behaviour or performance skills, and personal preferences.

A Behavioural Based response requires you to provide specific examples of past events that demonstrate your skills and abilities. You must also provide accurate references to names, dates, numbers, times and locations. This approach allows employers to obtain information that is authentic; in addition, the employer gains insight into your probable future performance.

Key Performance Skill Areas

Employers consider at least seven key performance skill areas when conducting a Behavioural Based interview:

* ability to influence others;
* interpersonal skills and competence;
* ability to grow and adapt;
* communication skills;
* level of commitment and motivation;
* organizational ability; and
* problem solving and decision making

Behavioural Based Question Examples

Your ability to influence others: Tell me about a time when you were able to overcome resistance to your ideas. Describe the situation. Who was involved? What was the outcome?

Interpersonal skills: Tell me about the most frustrating person with whom you have worked. What made this experience difficult? How did you resolve the situation with this person?

Ability to grow and adapt: Tell me about the last time you were criticized by a supervisor/professor? How did you respond to the criticism? Do you feel the criticism was valid? What did you learn from the situation?

Communication skills: Tell me about a time when you had to work hard in order to fully understand what another person was saying to you. What was the situation? What was the outcome?

Level of commitment and motivation: Describe a time when you faced obstacles in reaching your objectives. What were the obstacle you encountered? What did you do to go around or remove them?

Organizational ability: What do you do to ensure that you meet project deadlines? How do you monitor and track your progress? How satisfied are you with your system of controls?

Problem solving and decision making: Tell me about the most difficult problem or decision you have faced at work. What was the situation? How did you decide what action to take? What was the outcome?
Building a Behavioural Based Question

An employer will go through these steps when developing a Behavioural Based Interviewing question:

1. Skill analysis: employer analyzes skill sets necessary for position described.
2. Listing of critical skills: skill set is evaluated and ranked in order of importance.
3. Behaviour analysis: behavioural characteristics required of the position are noted.
4. Conclusion: question is developed around the skills and behaviours required of the job.

Preparing for a Behavioural Based Interview

The key to a successful Behavioural Based Interview is preparation. Thorough preparation requires you to complete several tasks:

* Research the company;
* Analyze the job description for which you are applying;
* Break the job description down into skill areas;
* Rank the skills in order of importance;
* Prepare ten Behavioural Based questions; try to anticipate what the employer may ask, based on the skill set described in the job description; and
* Prepare concise answers that include examples. Rehearse your answers aloud. Use examples from work experience; school; University; volunteer work; sports and extra curricular activities.

Employers evaluate your behavioural based answers throughout the interview and upon completion of the process. Different scales are used; however, employers generally rank responses from "high" to "low" in order to assist them in choosing the right candidate for the position.

The following source was consulted during the writing of this section:
"Behavioral Based Interviewing - Critical Skills for Employers and Educators" CEA/CCEA Joint Conference, San Diego, CA April 6, 1997. Presented by: Sharon Cobb, North Dakota Stae University, Fargo ND; Randy Dostal, Hutchinson Technology, Hutchinson, MN; Mark Van Beusekom, McGladrey & Pullen, LLP, Minneapolis, MN.

Regards

Prof. Tandon

In behavior coding, aspects of interviewer and respondent behaviors are coded as a means of identifying questions that may need to be reworded or redesigned, or questions that are more difficult for respondents to answer.

You may visit http://209.85.175.104/search?q=cache:EzYr-ky5a60J:srsstats.sbe.nsf.gov/docs/research/6-41.pdf+behavioral+coding+in+interviews&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=4&gl=in for BEHAVIOR CODING STUDY.

Cheers

Ruchi