Behavioral Interviewing vs Situational Interviewing
Interviewing candidates for a job can be tricky, especially when the decision of hiring them will have a significant impact on your business. Human Resource Management (HRM) Software can assist HR professionals during the hiring process, and they can benefit from knowing the differences between two popular interviewing techniques: Behavioral Interviewing and Situational Interviewing.
Behavioral Interviewing
Behavioral interviewing is a method where the interviewer assesses how the candidate reacted to past situations in their career. The idea is that past behavior is a good predictor of future behavior.
For example, if you want to evaluate a candidate's problem-solving skills, you can ask them to describe a situation where they encountered a problem, what they did to solve it, and what the outcome was.
A study conducted by SHRM shows that behavioral interviewing is one of the most effective interviewing methods. Out of all the interview techniques that were surveyed, the SHRM found that 29% of the interviewers preferred behavioral interviewing ^(1).
Situational Interviewing
Situational interviewing involves asking the candidate hypothetical questions where they need to explain how they would react to a given scenario. The idea is to give a hypothetical situation and then assess how the candidate would address the situation.
For example, if you want to evaluate a candidate's leadership potential, you could ask them to imagine they are leading a team who is not meeting their targets and what actions they would take to remedy the situation.
According to SHRM's survey, 23% of interviewers prefer situational interviewing ^(1).
Which method is better?
The choice between Behavioral and Situational interviewing methods comes down to personal preference and the position being interviewed for.
Behavioral interviewing is particularly helpful when you're trying to assess how the candidate will behave in specific situations. This method has been proven to be effective in predicting job performance.
On the other hand, situational interviewing can help determine how the candidate will react in hypothetical situations that might arise in the new position. This can be particularly helpful when you're trying to judge how the candidate thinks and approaches problems.
HRM Software and Interviewing Techniques
Many HRM software companies today offer interview management tools that allow HR professionals to manage and conduct interviews efficiently. With this type of software, HR professionals can manage the entire interviewing process, from scheduling interviews to evaluating candidates.
HR professionals can choose between the two interviewing techniques, depending on the position, and add predefined questions or create custom scenarios based on the organizational needs.
Conclusion
Behavioral and situational interviewing methods are both effective techniques for evaluating candidates for a job. The choice between the two methods will ultimately depend on the company's interviewing style or preference and the position being interviewed for. The good news is that HRM software can support HR professionals throughout the interviewing process, including the ability to choose an interviewing method that aligns with the job opening.
References
- Society for Human Resource Management. (2020). Interviewing Candidates Survey. Retrieved from https://www.shrm.org/hr-today/trends-and-forecasting/research-and-surveys/Documents/Interviewing%20Candidates%20-%20Survey%20Findings.pdf