24 questions
Word, Excel and PDF
Scoring rubric 1–5

Behavioral Interview Questions to Ask Candidates

Q: What is a behavioral interview question?

A question that asks for a specific past situation ("tell me about a time you...") rather than an opinion or a hypothetical. The premise is that past behavior predicts future behavior better than stated intentions.

Q: What is the difference between behavioral and situational questions?

Behavioral questions ask about something that happened ("tell me about a time"); situational questions ask about a hypothetical ("what would you do if"). Behavioral answers are harder to fake and easier to verify.

Q: How do I score behavioral interview answers?

On a 1-5 scale per competence, writing the literal evidence next to the score. Weight the competencies by how much they matter for the role and compare candidates on the weighted total, not on overall impression.

A behavioral interview question asks for one real past situation, not an opinion: «Tell me about a time you…». The evidence is in the details the candidate can give (what they did, why, what happened). Ask two per competency, follow up with STAR, and score the evidence on the same 1-5 scale for every candidate.

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Behavioral questions are the highest-validity tool an interviewer has, and also the easiest to waste. Most lists online are written for candidates: how to prepare a polished answer. This one is for the person asking.

Each of the 24 questions below tells you which competency it measures, what a strong answer contains, the follow-up that separates a real story from a rehearsed one, and the red flag that should make you dig deeper.

24interview questions

6question sets by competency

1–5scoring rubric for every answer

How to ask a behavioral question so the answer is usable

Three rules. One: ask for a specific situation, never a habit («tell me about a time», not «how do you usually»). Two: follow the STAR structure with your follow-ups, not with the question itself: if the candidate skips the Action or the Result, ask for it. Three: write down what they did, in their words. You will score that, not your impression of them.

Situation

What you are listening forA concrete context: team, deadline, constraint

Follow-up if it is missing«When was this, and what was your role exactly?»

Task

What you are listening forWhat was expected of them, not of the team

Follow-up if it is missing«What were you personally responsible for?»

Action

What you are listening forFirst-person verbs and decisions

Follow-up if it is missing«What did you do first? And then?»

Result

What you are listening forAn outcome they can measure or describe honestly

Follow-up if it is missing«How did it end? What would you do differently?»

Communication

You are testing whether they adapt the message to the listener and check that it landed.

Tell me about a time you had to explain something complex to someone who did not share your background.

What a strong answer shows: They name the listener, what they simplified, and how they checked understanding.
Red flag: They describe the topic at length and never mention the other person.

Describe a situation where a misunderstanding cost you or your team time. What did you change afterwards?

What a strong answer shows: They own their share and made a concrete change (written follow-up, a different channel, a summary).
Red flag: The misunderstanding is entirely the other person’s fault.

Give me an example of difficult feedback you gave to a colleague or a report.

What a strong answer shows: Specific behaviour, delivered privately and early, with a follow-up.
Red flag: «I am very direct» with no example, or feedback that was really a complaint to a third party.

Tell me about a time you had to deliver bad news to a client or manager.

What a strong answer shows: They led with the fact, brought data and an alternative.
Red flag: They delayed the news until it was unavoidable.

Teamwork and collaboration

Conflict handled well, credit shared, dependencies managed without blame.

Tell me about a disagreement with a colleague and how it was resolved.

What a strong answer shows: They tried to understand the other position before winning the argument; the outcome is stated.
Red flag: The story ends with them being right and the other person leaving.

Describe a project where you depended on other people to deliver your part.

What a strong answer shows: They managed the dependency actively: early alignment, visible deadlines, escalation when needed.
Red flag: The delay is described as something that happened to them.

Give me an example of a time you gave up something you wanted for the good of the team.

What a strong answer shows: A real trade-off with a reason, and no resentment.
Red flag: They cannot think of one.

Tell me about a colleague who was not pulling their weight. What did you do?

What a strong answer shows: A direct conversation first, then escalation with facts.
Red flag: They covered for the person indefinitely, or went straight to the manager.

Problem solving

How they frame a problem, what they ruled out, and how they decided with incomplete information.

Tell me about a problem nobody on the team knew how to solve. What did you do?

What a strong answer shows: They broke it down, tested a hypothesis, and asked for help at the right moment.
Red flag: A heroic solo effort with no method.

Describe a decision you made with incomplete information.

What a strong answer shows: They stated their assumptions, decided, and corrected course when data arrived.
Red flag: They waited for certainty that never came.

What is the biggest professional mistake you have made, and what did you learn?

What a strong answer shows: A real mistake with a root cause and a changed behaviour.
Red flag: A disguised strength («I work too hard»).

Give me an example of a process you improved. How did you measure the improvement?

What a strong answer shows: A before-and-after number, even a rough one.
Red flag: «Everyone said it was better.»

Results orientation

Whether they set targets, hit them, and stay honest when they do not.

Tell me about the achievement you are proudest of. How did you measure it?

What a strong answer shows: A number, a deadline, and their specific contribution inside a team result.
Red flag: A team result presented as personal, or no measure at all.

Describe a time you missed a target. What happened?

What a strong answer shows: Honest analysis and what they would do differently.
Red flag: They have never missed one.

Tell me about a goal that seemed unrealistic when you received it.

What a strong answer shows: They negotiated scope or built a staged plan with milestones.
Red flag: They accepted it silently and missed it silently.

Give me an example of a time the goal changed halfway through.

What a strong answer shows: They re-planned quickly and communicated what would be dropped.
Red flag: They finished the original plan anyway.

Adaptability

Resistance acknowledged, then overcome. Learning under time pressure.

Tell me about a tool or process change you found hard to adopt.

What a strong answer shows: They admit the resistance and describe how they got past it.
Red flag: «I love change» with no example.

Describe a situation where the rules changed overnight.

What a strong answer shows: They prioritised, communicated, and executed.
Red flag: They waited for someone to tell them what to do.

How did you learn something new when there was no time to learn it properly?

What a strong answer shows: A personal method: who they asked, what they read, what they skipped.
Red flag: They cannot think of a time they had to.

What has changed your mind recently at work?

What a strong answer shows: A concrete fact or argument that moved them.
Red flag: Nothing has.

Leadership (for roles with reports)

Only ask these if the role manages people or influences without authority. Otherwise skip them; a strong individual contributor should not be penalised for a thin leadership story.

Tell me about someone you developed. Where are they now?

What a strong answer shows: A plan, delegated responsibility, and an outcome for the person.
Red flag: They developed «the whole team» and nobody in particular.

Describe an unpopular decision you had to make.

What a strong answer shows: They explain the reasoning they gave and owned the cost.
Red flag: They cannot think of one, or blame the decision on someone above them.

Give me an example of negative feedback you gave to a strong performer.

What a strong answer shows: Specific, timely, with a way forward.
Red flag: They avoid feedback with people who deliver.

Tell me about a time your team disagreed with you. What did you do?

What a strong answer shows: They listened, decided, and explained the decision.
Red flag: The team «came around» with no detail on how.

Scoring the answers

Use the same 1-5 scale for every candidate and every question, and write the evidence next to the score. A score without the sentence that justified it is worthless a week later.

Free scorecard

Download the interview scorecard.The 1-5 rubric, the weighted score calculated for you, 30 questions by competency and a feedback template. Excel, Word or PDF. No sign-up. Better still: tell Voicit which scorecard you use and it fills it in for you after every interview, with the candidate’s literal answers.

Excel (.xlsx)Word PDF

1
No example, or an example that contradicts the competency
2
Generic or hypothetical; the candidate talks about what they would do
3
A real example, limited in scope or with a vague result
4
A real example with a measurable result and a lesson
5
Exceptional and repeated: more than one situation, consistent behaviour

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What is a behavioral interview question?

A question that asks for a specific past situation («tell me about a time you…») rather than an opinion or a hypothetical. The premise is that past behaviour predicts future behaviour better than stated intentions.

How many behavioral questions should I ask in one interview?

Eight to twelve in a 45-60 minute interview: two per competency, four to six competencies. More than that and you stop following up, which is where the evidence is.

What is the STAR method for interviewers?

A way to check an answer is complete: Situation, Task, Action, Result. You do not need to explain it to the candidate; use it to decide which follow-up to ask when a part is missing.

What is the difference between behavioral and situational questions?

Behavioral questions ask about something that happened («tell me about a time»); situational questions ask about a hypothetical («what would you do if»). Behavioral answers are harder to fake and easier to verify.

How do I score behavioral interview answers?

On a 1-5 scale per competency, writing the literal evidence next to the score. Weight the competencies by how much they matter for the role and compare candidates on the weighted total, not on overall impression.

Can I use these questions for junior candidates?

Yes, but accept examples from studies, internships or personal projects. The competency is the same; the context is smaller.

Keep reading

Interview questions to ask candidates: the complete guide Interview scorecard template (free Excel, Word, PDF)The behavioral event interview (BEI), step by step How to conduct a panel interview

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