These questions explore how a candidate has acted in past situations, particularly in relation to workplace scenarios. For example, a candidate might be asked to describe a time they faced a challenging technical problem and how they approached resolving it, or to explain how they handled a disagreement with a team member. The goal is to assess soft skills, problem-solving abilities, and overall suitability for the team and company culture.
The use of such inquiries allows employers to gain deeper insights than are typically revealed through technical assessments alone. They offer valuable perspectives on a potential employee’s interpersonal skills, adaptability, leadership qualities, and ability to learn and grow within the organization. The emphasis on past behaviors as predictors of future performance has its roots in industrial and organizational psychology and has proven valuable in predicting job success and employee retention.
