Behavioral Interview Questions That Reveal Character
Experience can be trained. Humility, drive, coachability and integrity are much harder to teach. These questions help you see them in an interview.
Behavioral interview questions that reveal character ask candidates to describe real past situations rather than hypotheticals. Strong examples include: What is the hardest thing you have done in your life? Tell me about a time you were wrong and how you handled it. Describe feedback that was hard to hear and what you did with it. Tell me about a time you helped a coworker succeed. Listen for ownership, humility, learning and how they talk about other people.
I hire for traits over experience. Some of the best hires I have made had little directly related experience, but they had the traits that make someone successful: humility, drive, emotional intelligence and integrity. One recruiter we hired had a background that did not relate to the role at all. We trained him, he excelled, and he went on to win top producer awards. We can train experience, but you cannot necessarily train traits.
The challenge is seeing those traits in an interview, where everyone is on their best behavior. Behavioral questions help, because they ask people to describe what they actually did, not what they would do. I wrote about the work-ethic side of this in Interview Questions That Reveal Work Ethic. These questions go further, into character.
The question I ask most
One of my favorite questions is simple: What is the hardest thing you have done in your life? The answer shows you how someone defines hard work and difficulty. Some people describe a tough project at work. Others describe caring for a family member, working through school while holding a job or rebuilding after a setback. The story, and how they tell it, says a lot about their resilience and what they are willing to push through.
Behavioral questions by trait
- Resilience: “What is the hardest thing you have done in your life?”
- Humility: “Tell me about a time you were wrong. How did you handle it?”
- Coachability: “Describe feedback that was hard to hear. What did you do with it?”
- Teamwork: “Tell me about a time you helped a coworker succeed.”
- Integrity: “Describe a time you were tempted to cut a corner. What did you do?”
- Emotional intelligence: “Tell me about a conflict with a coworker and how it ended.”
- Drive: “What is something you taught yourself because you wanted to, not because you had to?”
- Ownership: “Tell me about a mistake that was yours. What happened next?”
What to listen for
The content of the story matters, but so does how people tell it. Listen for ownership: do they say I or do they blame others? Listen for humility: can they talk about being wrong without getting defensive? Listen for learning: do they describe what they would do differently? And listen for how they talk about other people. Someone who speaks respectfully about a difficult coworker is telling you something important.
Ask the follow-up
The first answer to a behavioral question is often polished. The follow-up is where you learn more. What did you do next? What would you do differently? How did the other person react? A few curious follow-ups move the conversation from a rehearsed story to a real one. Your curiosity is your best interviewing tool.
Do not judge only by the past
Hiring for traits means looking past the résumé. What someone has done so far should not be the only thing that decides whether they can succeed with you, whether the gap is a lack of experience, no college degree or a rough patch earlier in life. Look for the traits that predict success, and give people a chance to show what they can become.
Hiring and keeping great people is part of my culture keynote, You Are Capable of a Better Culture. See also How to Hire for Traits Over Experience and How to See Hidden Potential in People.
Hire for traits that are hard to teach. Ask behavioral questions about real past situations, such as the hardest thing someone has done, a time they were wrong or feedback that was hard to hear. Listen for ownership, humility, learning and respect for others, and ask curious follow-ups.
Frequently asked questions
What are good behavioral interview questions?
How do you assess character in an interview?
Why hire for traits over experience?
What does “what is the hardest thing you have done” reveal?
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