Master Behavioral Interviews with the STAR Method
Master Behavioral Interviews with the STAR Method
Unlock Your Potential in Product Management Interviews Through Structured Storytelling
The STAR method has been recognized as the best way to answer behavioral interview questions. Today’s newsletter will outline the STAR method and provide guidance on how to use it.
What are Behavioral Interview Questions?
Behavior based interview questions are common when interviewing for product management positions in today’s marketplace. These questions focus on a candidate’s past experiences to determine if they would be a good fit for the role. This is done by asking candidates for specific examples of how they demonstrated relevant skills, traits, and competencies in their careers.
The underlying theory for behavior interviews is that someone’s past behaviors in a good indication of their future performance. These can also reveal a candidate’s level of experience and ability to handle the types of situations that may occur in a role.
Depending on the company, behavior interviews may be structured so that every candidate is asked the same set of questions. Their responses are recorded and evaluated using a predetermined set of ratings by the interviewers. These ratings are then used to compare all candidates to determine which one may be the best fit.
While the interview process is subjective (as all human interactions are) evaluating candidates based on the same set of questions and scoring criteria may help to remove bias from the process. At the end of the day, hiring managers want to ensure they hire the right people, and behavioral based interviews are one of the tools they can leverage to do so.
How to Identify Behavioral Interview Questions
These questions focus on the past, so they’re fairly easy to identify. Most behavior questions start with one of the following:
Tell me about a time when…
Give me an example of…
Describe when…
What do you do when…
Have you ever…
Of course, they don’t have to start with one of these exact phrases, but you get the idea.
Types of Behavioral Questions
There are several types of behavioral questions aimed at assessing different competencies. Two broad categories are Job Function and Cultural Fit.
Job Function questions target specific tasks and actions for the role. In product management, you may be asked about a time you had to develop a roadmap or use KPIs to influence stakeholders.
Cultural Fit questions focus more on the type of organization you’re interviewing with. For example, the culture at an NYC start-up could vary greatly from that of a 100-year-old company headquartered in Spain.
Core Competencies
Within the categories above, you may be asked questions that target certain competencies. These could include:
Leadership
Teamwork / Collaboration
Problem Solving
Communication
Time Management
Decision Making
Strategy and Goals
Conflict Resolution
Flexibility
You may not be asked questions in each of the categories, but these are the types of competencies you’ll likely be evaluated on.
STAR – The Key to Answering Behavioral Interview Questions
Behavioral questions can be tricky. While I believe it’s best to answer most types of interview questions with a short, concise response that takes no longer than 60 seconds, these questions are the exception. The best way to answer a behavior question is to tell a well-structured story using the STAR method.
STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action, and Result. Using this method to structure your answer enables you to tell an easy-to-follow story that highlights your actions and accomplishments. Preparing to answer questions using the STAR method, helps you create repeatable stories and prevents rambling.
S = Situation
Starting with the Situation sets up your story by telling the listener the challenge or situation you faced. It’s important to talk about specifics, such as who, what, when, and where this situation occurred. It’s also important to keep this brief as this is just the set-up to your story.
T = Task
The Task is the goal that you need to accomplish. This should also be short. Try to include measurable metrics if possible.
A = Action
Action should be the longest part of the answer. This is the meat of the story when you can share the specific actions you took to address the situation. While most products are built by a team, you must highlight the specific actions you took to drive progress and ensure success.
R = Result
The Result concludes your story. Many people miss this part, but it’s necessary. Think of it as the wrap-up of the movie. We want to see that everyone lived happily ever after, and not be left guessing what happened (like the end of the Sopranos).
This section should be shorter than Action, but long enough to demonstrate success. Ideally, you can choose 2 or 3 results to talk about.
Summary
The best way to answer behavioral questions is using the STAR method. Structuring your responses to include the Situation, Task, Action, and Result enables to you confidently and effectively answer any behavioral interview question that comes your way.