Insights
The Power of Behavioral Interviewing in Executive Talent Assessment
The wrong hire – especially in a leadership position – can cost a company a quarter of a million dollars according to a SHRM survey. In addition to lost funds, a bad executive hire can also lead to economic uncertainty for shareholders, instability in customer or client relationships, strained employee morale and lost momentum.
To reduce the risk of a bad hire, many organizations employ standardized talent acquisition strategies for assessing candidates. One of the most prominent and effective methods today is behavioral interviewing.
Behavioral interviewing is an interview technique that uses past behavior to predict future performance. It aims to uncover specific examples and patterns of behavior in candidates by asking questions about their experiences, actions and outcomes in previous roles. This strategy can help executive search professionals determine a candidate’s ability to excel in a leadership position.
Together, we’ll explore behavioral interviewing's effectiveness in uncovering key competencies and predicting future performance for tomorrow’s leaders.
5 Advantages of Behavioral Interviewing
Behavioral interviewing enhances the rigor, objectivity, and effectiveness of executive talent assessment by providing a structured approach to evaluating candidates' past experiences, behaviors and competencies in relation to the demands of the executive position.
1. Predictive Validity
Behavioral interviewing focuses on past behavior as a predictor of future performance. For executive roles where leadership, decision-making and strategic thinking are paramount, understanding how candidates have behaved in similar situations in the past provides valuable insights into their potential for success in the role.
Behavioral interviewing allows assessors to probe candidates on specific examples of when they have demonstrated leadership competencies in their previous roles, providing a more accurate assessment of their suitability for the executive position.
3. Depth of Insight
Behavioral interviewing requires candidates to provide detailed examples of their experiences, actions and outcomes, allowing interviewers to gain a comprehensive understanding of the candidate's capabilities, leadership style and decision-making processes.
4. Reduction of Bias
By focusing on objective evidence of past behavior, behavioral interviewing can help to minimize unconscious bias in the assessment process. Instead of relying on subjective judgments or gut feelings, assessors can often make more informed decisions based on concrete examples of a candidate's performance and behavior.
When using the behavioral interviewing strategy, it is recommended that organizations use hiring teams – three to five individuals – to assess candidates. AESC’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion: Creating Competitive Advantage Through Fairness, Inclusion and Belonging found that through the use of diverse hiring committees (interviewers with varying perspectives and backgrounds), there is a reduction of bias and it signals to the candidate that the organization is committed to diversity.
5. Alignment with Organizational Goals
AESC’s Optimism as a Competitive Advantage report explains that culture is a key driver of organizational success, and, according to Harvard Business School, leaders have a strong influence on shaping culture. This demonstrates the importance of ensuring selected candidates are not only capable of fulfilling the requirements of the executive role but also fit well within the organizational context. Behavioral interviewing can be tailored to assess specific competencies and behaviors that are aligned with the organization's values, culture and strategic objectives.
Leverage Behavioral Interviewing for Executive Search Success
Harness the advantages of behavioral interviewing to evaluate and assess executive candidates for future success. AESC offers a three-hour, on-demand Effective Interviewing ELearning program to help talent acquisition professionals become expert behavioral interviewers, including:
- Ideal for individuals who are looking to learn and reinforce the key interviewing skills needed to make competent hiring decisions for your client.
- Individuals who have recently come from the industry with basic interviewing skills.
- Individuals looking for a refresher on interviewing skills.
This course explores how professionals who make hiring decisions can utilize the techniques behind behavioral interviewing to culminate successful results and thus, better serve their clients. By evaluating a candidate’s past and present behavior through competency-based behavioral interviewing, future on-the-job performance can be predicted.
- By the end of the course, participants should be able to:
- Define jobs in behavioral terms and examine key performance areas not found on resumes.
- Strengthen team interviews.
- Apply the Interview Funnel questions to drill down and identify competencies.
- Determine the candidate’s fit with a company’s values and culture.
- Keep interviews legal and make solid hiring decisions.
