5 Things You Need to Know About Behavior-based Hiring

Behavior-based hiring is an approach to recruitment that shifts the focus from credentials and experience to how a candidate behaves in certain situations. 

This method can uncover how potential employees might react to the real-life scenarios they’ll encounter in your workplace. Here are five essential insights into this hiring strategy:

1. It’s Rooted in Past Behaviors

Behavior-based hiring operates on the principle that the most reliable indicator of future performance is an individual’s past actions.

Interviewers using this method steer away from theoretical queries and instead prompt candidates to recount their responses to specific events they’ve encountered previously. The underlying assumption of this technique is that the manner in which a candidate has managed situations before will closely resemble their approach to similar challenges in the future.

Key Takeaway:

Assess a candidate’s history to forecast their future contributions.

2. Questions Are Key

The cornerstone of behavior-based hiring is the questions asked during the interview.

Instead of “What would you do if…?” the question is, “Tell me about a time when…”. This invites the candidate to share concrete examples of their past behavior.

Key Takeaway:

Craft questions that compel candidates to reflect and share real-life professional stories.

3. Competencies Over Qualifications

This hiring method values competencies and soft skills over traditional qualifications like degrees and certifications. 

Recruiters look for evidence of problem-solving, adaptability, teamwork, and leadership qualities that are critical for success in many roles.

Key Takeaway:

Prioritize the traits and skills that will contribute most significantly to your team’s success.

4. Predictive of Long-term Success

Behavior-based hiring isn’t just about filling a position; it involves investing in a long-term fit for the team.

By understanding a candidate’s behavioral tendencies, you can better predict their potential for growth, adaptability, and longevity within your company.

Key Takeaway:

Use this approach to align candidates with the future trajectory of your business.

5. A Framework for Fairness

This method can help mitigate unconscious bias by focusing on behaviors rather than on a candidate’s background or appearance. 

By standardizing questions and making decisions based on consistent criteria, it paves the way for a fairer hiring process.

Key Takeaway:

Standardize the interview process to ensure fairness and objectivity.

Behavior-based hiring is an innovative and increasingly popular way to assess potential employees. It moves beyond the resume to find candidates whose past behaviors demonstrate they have the skills and competencies to excel in a role. 

By focusing on real-world examples, you get a clearer picture of how a candidate operates and what they’ll bring to your team. Embrace these five principles, and you’ll be well on your way to making informed hiring decisions that contribute to the lasting success of your organization.

About Focus HR, Inc.

Focus HR, Inc. uncomplicates the people side of business by providing small business owners with outsourced HR, project HR, and Leadership Coaching. For more information, please contact us today! If you liked this post, please subscribe to our blog. You can opt-out at any time. 

To learn more about FocusHR and for updates, please like our Facebook page and follow us on LinkedIn.