The more advanced you are in your career, the more weight your behavioral interview will carry. This is because, as a more senior leader, you\u2019ll need to be able to manage others, meet deadlines, and collaborate with other teams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To prepare for your next behavioral interview, we\u2019ve compiled some of the top behavioral-based interview questions from companies like Automattic, Dropbox, Microsoft, and Buffer. Here are some sample behavioral interview questions and answers from leaders at remote tech companies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n1. Tell me about one of your favorite projects that you\u2019ve worked on.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
This question comes from Lynn Collette, Design Director at Automattic. She likes this question because you can learn a lot about how a person thinks. When Collette asks this behavioral interview question, she is listening to how you talk through your challenges, make choices, and work through a problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How to answer this behavioral question<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Try using what\u2019s known as the “STAR method” or the “STAR technique.” “STAR” stands for “Situation, Task, Action, Result.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n
You\u2019ll answer by describing the event or project (situation), explaining what you had to deliver (task), saying what steps you took to complete the project (action), and what the outcome was result).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The approach that the STAR method employs tells a story that\u2019s short and compelling and will work for many of the behavioral interview questions on this list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2. Tell me about a specific thing you did that positively impacted a program or project you worked on.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
This question comes from Alastair Simpson, VP of Design at Dropbox. With this question, Simpson says he\u2019s looking for humility. It\u2019s a tricky question since you want to both show your leadership abilities<\/a> and problem-solving skills<\/a> and also credit others who helped you succeed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s research<\/a> that shows that 25% of technology projects fail outright; 20 – 25% don\u2019t show any return on investment; and as much as 50% need massive reworking by the time they\u2019re finished. It may be that many of the projects you\u2019ve worked on struggled along the way. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When you answer, make sure you show how you\u2019ve learned from projects that failed and been able to take that learning with you to another project in a positive way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Read More<\/strong>: 10+ Important LinkedIn Best Practices for Remote Software Engineers<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Microsoft\u2019s Courtny Cotten, Remote Design Team Lead, contributed this question during our Remote Career Success Stories<\/a> interview. He likes this story because it allows you to speak to your ability to collaborate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCan they talk about others and how they were impacted by them? How were they influenced by somebody else? What are the skills they picked up? Because that’s what I want,\u201d said Cotten. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI want somebody that will be able to collaborate and see the good in each other. And we all have somebody that’s kind of lifted us up and believed in us when we didn’t a hundred percent believe in ourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Many people may be tempted to make this question all about themselves. Try to strike a balance between talking about someone who inspires you while still relating your answer back to your approach to the role for which you are interviewing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Katie Wilde, VP of Engineering believes this question is a good way to kick off a behavioral interview. She uses this question to open the conversation and to encourage you to speak a little about yourself in a way that doesn\u2019t feel interrogational. This question is her way of asking, \u201cTell me about yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n While it is often an opening question used at interviews, be aware that you still need to answer in a way that\u2019s relevant to the job. Speak to some of the tasks listed in the job description. If it\u2019s a role where you\u2019ll be writing code, for instance, talk about when is your ideal time of day to write productively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Try to incorporate as many elements of the job description as you can to show you have the right experience. For remote jobs especially, it\u2019s crucial to show you know how to stay productive<\/a>, but it’s also just as important to show you know how to manage your time effectively<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Read More<\/strong>: How to Get Your Online Profile to Stand Out to IT Recruiters<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Zapier\u2019s Lisa Smith, Engineering Manager, wants to know how you\u2019ve learned from past weaknesses. This question is one of the most common behavioral interview questions, though you may hear a variation such as, \u201cTell me about your weaknesses\u201d or \u201cTell me about a time when you failed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n No one is perfect, and if you pretend to be, you\u2019ll be giving a recruiter a reason to distrust your answer. Rather than give a non-answer \u2014 \u201cI\u2019m too organized\u201d \u2014 make an effort to walk through a project that went wrong, what you learned in the process, and how you\u2019ve overcome your shortcomings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Recruiters are looking for candidates that are responsible, open to feedback, and can learn from their mistakes. Perhaps give a time when you struggled with cross-cultural communication on a remote team<\/a> and how you handled it, for example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n GitLab\u2019s Matt Nearents, Senior Product Designer, uses this question to learn more about a candidate\u2019s ability to take feedback and work well with others. Managers have to be especially good at accepting input, resolving conflicts, and working with people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It may be that you\u2019ve never had a conflict with another coworker, but try to think of a time when you disagreed with client feedback or otherwise had to compromise your opinion with someone from the team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Use the STAR approach to talk about a time when you had a different opinion or received some tough feedback. Calmly explain your perspective and show how you worked to find a compromise. If you\u2019re interviewing for a leadership role, try to pick an example where you helped others on your team work through a conflict and collaborate better<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Read More<\/strong>: How to Network: a Guide for Remote Software Developers & Engineers<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Nadia Udalova, Head of Product Design at Moonpig, knows how important it is to find candidates who are comfortable in client-facing roles. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Even if you don\u2019t expect to work with an external stakeholder, you may need to protect your team\u2019s internal resources from others in the company looking for assistance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You must be able to show that you can manage expectations, protect your team, and still meet client demands. Take the STAR technique to talk about a time when you had to balance the needs of your remote team with the needs of the company or client. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Focus on showing that you had great customer service and respected the needs of the stakeholder while protecting your direct reports from burning out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Last but not least comes this question from Steph Smith, Head of Trends at The Hustle. It\u2019s an important one that\u2019s even more interesting for teams that are working purely remotely and don\u2019t often have the opportunity to chat in the breakroom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Answer this question honestly!<\/p>\n\n\n\n This common interview question is one where the only wrong answer is no answer at all. The interviewer wants to get to know you better. Obviously, some answers are better than others (e.g., \u201cwatching Netflix\u201d isn\u2019t going to inspire anyone), but as long as you can talk passionately about something you do outside of work hours, you should be in good shape. For example, you could talk about how you continue learning in your spare time even with a busy schedule<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Behavioral interviews can be intimidating, but at the end of the day, recruiters are looking for authentic, honest answers. (Also, make sure you ask the interviewer questions of your own<\/a>!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you can\u2019t think of any specific situation or challenge in response to a behavioral question, say so and explain why. Humility, openness, and professionalism will go a lot further than trying to make something up to sound impressive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For more advice, insight, and tips for finding a software development job, head back over to the Arc blog<\/a>!<\/p>\n\n\n\nHow to answer this interview question<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
3. Tell me about a person you’ve worked with who’s had a great impact on you.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How to answer this important behavioral interview question<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
4. Tell me what a productive day at work looks like to you.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Answering this interview question<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
5. What’s been the most challenging problem you have faced and how did you solve it?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How to answer this one<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n6. Tell me about a time when you had a conflict with a coworker<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How to answer this behavioral interview question<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
7. Tell me about a time when you had to push back. What actions did you take?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How to reply with the right answer<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
8. Do you have hobbies?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What the interviewer is looking for<\/h3>\n\n\n\n