Behavioral interviews examine past to gauge future performance
In my job search, recruiters have told me there is a trend toward behavioral interviews. They are saying that when they are able to arrange a meeting for me at a company, I should be prepared to handle that type of questioning by the hiring manager or the human resources representative. I am not familiar with behavioral questions and I would appreciate an explanation. What should I expect and how best to address it?
Behavioral interviewing has been gaining popularity with interviewers as an alternate screening tool. In addition to the list of standard questions that we all have come to expect, a few behavioral ones are thrown into the mix. In behavioral interviewing the applicant is asked about how they behaved in a particular past experience because it is believed that one of the best indicators of future performance is the applicant's past performance.
Practicing how to handle such questions will make you more comfortable and more adept when addressing them.
Employers usually think first about behaviors that are needed in the open position, and based on that develop questions to elicit responses that might demonstrate the candidate's performance in those areas. Some examples of behaviors employers might want to know about are: flexibility, independent thinking, presentation and listening skills, planning ability, team participation, attention to detail, handling change, professionalism, and dealing with frustration. The interviewer will typically ask questions that start off sounding like an opportunity to converse or to share about yourself.
Among the questions they might ask, are: ''Describe to me a situation where you had to handle a major disagreement or a conflict."; ''Tell me about a time when you faced difficulties in getting a project completed on time."; Tell us about the time when you had to lay people off in your department at your former company."
Each of these are usually followed by additional probing questions such as, ''Can you explain more about how it played out and how you handled the matter after the announcement was made?" Or, ''How did you react when your suggestions were not accepted?"
John Haas, founder of consulting firm Management Strategies Group in Newton, says another type of frequently asked question is referred to as the ''incident" or ''situational" interview question. ''Here the company interviewer develops generic or hypothetical scenarios of typical or difficult situations that an incumbent would face on the job. These often come from the actual challenges that were experienced at that company. The applicant is further queried about what the key issues are and how he or she would proceed as next steps."
This gives a sense of the applicant's ability to see the relevant issues and his or her abilities with problem solving.
Recently, I interviewed a candidate and asked him to tell me about a situation in which he had a conflict at work. He proceeded to describe a real work problem and how annoyed he became by others in his group who were not trustful of his expertise in the matter. He stated that his frustration grew because of his team members refusal to accept what he was certain was correct information. After further probing, it became clear that he is very persistent and would not back down from his position. He ended by saying that he told the parties involved that they would just have to ''agree to disagree."
I then asked him, now that time has passed and he had the chance to reflect further, if there were opportunities to handle it differently? He said he would have pushed even harder to overcome their objections and that he was sorry that he had not done that in the first place.
As you can see, this one small example is quite telling and reveals a great deal about the choice of behaviors one can display in his response to a behavioral question.
Criminal report depends on employer
I was convicted of a drug-related felony about 18 or 19 years ago. Basically, I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Is there a time limit, say seven years, in which a potential employer can still get this information when he or she does a criminal records check? Or do they receive every offense ever recorded, no matter how long ago it was?
In Massachusetts, companies, agencies, hospitals, schools, and other organizations must first apply to the Criminal History Systems Board for approval to receive criminal records. There are two categories of criminal offender records, or CORI, reports: the ''publicly accessible" or general report, and the ''expanded" report. Some employers may apply to get the general report and a special application must be made by a potential employer to receive expanded reports. The expanded reports are often given to employers such as day-care centers, youth athletic organizations, eldercare facilities and the like and their applications for approval to receive expanded reports are considered on a case-by-case basis.
Attorney Sally Adams of the labor and employment law practice at Seyfarth Shaw says an 18-year-old felony conviction ''may well show up in an expanded CORI access inquiry. Otherwise the employer is limited to the publicly accessible CORI report." Therefore, the answer to your question depends, in large part, on the type of employer making the request for information.
In Massachusetts, job applicants are often asked if he or she has been convicted of a felony in the last five years? In your case you can truthfully answer, no.
To do a background check, a potential employer must also obtain your authorization in the form of your signature on a consent form that discloses the types of checks they intend to do.
I think that it is especially helpful for you to know that an individual may obtain a copy of their personal criminal record from the criminal history board. In that way you may get to see what a potential employer who does a CORI check will receive. Also, the board will assist in correcting inaccurate criminal records if necessary. The board's website is available through the Executive Office of Public Safety on www.mass.gov. You can also obtain additional information or have your questions answered by calling 617-660-4640.
Employer can say when on vacation
The company I work for is in financial difficulty and has completed a series of cost-saving measures. They are now telling employees they are planning to close for one week in June and that all of us will have to take one week of our paid vacation at that time. Many of us have summer vacation plans with our families or with friends and don't want to go then. Is it legal for an employer to order us to take our accrued vacation at a time that is assigned by the company? The manager says their goal is to try to save the company and also not to have to pay out vacation in the event that they do eventually go under. We are located in Worcester.
This is a tough situation for your employer and for its employees. When an employer provides paid vacation time to employees it has the right to determine when that time will be taken. Your employer falls under the Massachusetts employment and labor related laws, which state that accrued vacation time must be paid to the employee as prescribed by the company's policy or practice. The law does not address the timing of the vacation.
Although you are understandably unhappy about your loss of choice in the selection of your vacation time, it appears that your employer is trying to protect its employees from lining up with other creditors if the company does go under or if a bankruptcy occurs. In this case it appears that the employer has the discretion to schedule vacations in the manner that you have described.
E-mail questions to jobdoc@globe.com or mail to Job Doc, The Boston Globe, P.O. Box 55819, Boston, MA 02205-5819. Linda J. Lerner is a Boston-based executive coach and a human resources consultant to small businesses and to individuals. 