Behavior of a person gives important messages about his character. “Organizational behavior” is a subject of study in Management Science, in which we read many important parts of behavioral science. Every office functions within a set decorum, Behavioral interview is done just to assess whether you are fit to work within that.
Now-a-days, experts in human resource management also lay a lot of importance on the personal information of the employee other than educational qualifications and work experience. Personal information includes character and conduct of the employee.
Behavior determines about your conduct. These days at most of the interview places, patience tests have become a common feature. This test is very simple. In the final round of selection, you are kept waiting for eight to ten hours. Usually one official of the personnel department comes to ask you about tea and coffee. But this is just a pretext; his motive is to study your behavior and to know how much patience you have to deal in difficult situations.
Patience test is also another form of behavioral interview.
Your appearance should cooperate fully with behavior to project the best image of your self. You need to project a positive image that will help in shaping up your behavior. Appearance and behavior are two sides of a coin. Try to be focused on;
Formality of dressing- For creating a good impression in the interview, make sure you look presentable. Experts suggest wearing clothes with sober color that will make personality look simple, noble and unadventurous. Keep your shoes polished and shining. Females should avoid wearing gorgeous garments, heavy jewelry and high heeled sandals.
Personality improvement- Personality is the cumulative traits of your individuality. Mind plays a key role in developing your personality. The need here is to stay conscious. Avoid lighthearted activities like dating and gossiping on the interview days. Solitude can bring in you a preparatory mood to make your personality presentable. Keep yourself well-groomed and smartly attired for the occasion. Make use of perfume, appropriate jewelry and mouth freshener to fit your personality into the need of the interview.
Your relaxed mood- In case of an appointment or interview, keep away from traveling in the over-crowded means of transport. Avoid talking excessively on mobile phones because that creates a lot of distractions in your mind. Make sure you are going alone without any company.
Put your best efforts to stay away from unpleasant interactions.
How to be positive in a behavioral interview?
Positivism lies in your conduct. You need to take care of your etiquette and behavior. Just keep in your mind that you are in an interview. You should not act and react as you do with your friends. Be conscious of the negative and positive sides of your behavior. These are some suggestions to keep your manners impressive;
Maintain graciousness in your talk- Try your best to be polite and courteous throughout the interaction with the interviewers. Avoid rude and stubborn attitude in your talk. Appreciate the comments of the interviewers and argue in a healthy way.
For example, if the interviewer opined that India should have a dictator, you better argue…” Sir, I do agree with this, but that should happen in the case our democracy fails fully in India, not before that”.
Be flexible with your opinions- Dogmatic remarks and stubborn mind-set are always considered negatively by the interviewers. Employers always like docile mentality in the employees. You need to adopt flexible approach to agree with the employer. Suppose there is a question from the interviewer that if you could stay up to midnight in case of any emergency work, then your reply should be work should get the priority not time.
Apply tactfulness in your views- In order to be tactful, always steer clear of controversy. Choose words and phrases which are not antagonistic in implications. Basically tactfulness is necessary in dealing with tough situations in the workplace.
Avoid bitter arguments- No body likes a person who argues a lot. Arguments are divided in to two parts, such as healthy and unhealthy ones. If you put your views through polite, persuasive dialogues, it is healthy argument. Any aggressiveness in your remarks would be judged as unhealthy arguments.
Keep your interest throughout the discussion- Make your best efforts to keep the discussion animated. Keep nodding at the interesting points of discussion. Make witty observations in the words of the interviewers. Avoid sharp judgments. Smile when interviewer says something humorous. Keep on smiling throughout the conversation.
Avoid looking disinterested and stay away from distractions.
Control your nervousness- Smiling is the best antidote for nervousness. It releases tension from your vocal chords and keeps your heartbeat under control. The second medication for nervousness is silence. Silence increases your will power to listen. Listening with patience before speaking is a positive ingredient in your behavior.
