business for sale

Past performance on the job is a pretty good indicator of future performance on the job. That being said, there are specific behaviors associated with a person's performance, be it exceptional or not-so-exceptional (behaviors). If an interviewer can match the behaviors needed to be successful in a particular job with the behaviors that a person already has…well…that's what we call a fit! And the better the fit, the more likely that the employee will be successful on the job. One of the ways that this is done is through behavior-based interviewing. Some experts estimate that behavior-based interviewing can more than triple the likelihood of predicting on-the-job performance. (Carolyn Hirschman in HR Magazine, March 1998) And, let's not forget the associated decrease in employee turnover!

In the "old days", we called this the "Will Do" factors. Will Do factors addressed the person's motivation to do the job. It asked questions that brought to light the person's abilities, motivations, willingness and propensity to perform in a specific position under various sets of circumstances.

A rose by any other name….

Behavioral interviewing is based on the concept that history does indeed repeat itself. So, faced with a situation in your organization, a person will probably handle it similarly to how he or she has in the past. The interviewer determines the specific behaviors that are needed for success on the job, and then seeks out potential employees that can show they can exhibit those same behaviors.

The following tips will help you make the most of behavior-based interviewing:

1. Know the skills, abilities and behaviors that are key to success in a particular job. What are the core competencies critical to success? To find this out, carefully review the job description. But more than that, look at the most successful employees that are currently in the job. What are the traits that make them successful? Do you have an employee that you ever wished you could clone? Analyze what they do and how it affects success in the job. Talk to the supervisors. Then develop questions that address the specific behaviors that you've identified as important. Only ask questions that relate to those behaviors!

2. Questions should be situational, and preferably address situations that are familiar to the interviewee. For example, let's say you've identified the following behavior as important to job success: "The ability to make decisions with limited information". Now, you pose this situation to the interviewee:

You need to make a decision today regarding the purchase of a new software package. One vendor has given you all the information you need, and you're still waiting for complete information from the other two vendors. The vendor that has given you all the information has a reputation for poor service after the sale, and in your mind, they are your last choice. However, the other two vendors cannot get all the information you need for at least another three days, so you're not even sure if their packages meet all the basic requirements. Your boss tells you that a decision must be made by 5:00 pm today. What do you do?" Could an applicant really answer this question? The applicant might say, "I'd follow the company procedure." Or, the applicant might take a fateful stab at what he or she thinks you want to hear. The point is, how could the applicant possibly know how to handle situations like this in your organization. They don't have a clue as to your specific procedures, and that doesn't get you very good information.

A better question to ask to address this behavior is, "Tell me about a time when you had to make a decision based on having limited information?" Or, "Describe a situation where a decision needed to be made under a tight deadline, without having all the needed information, and how you handled it?" Now, some people have asked me, "Wh