Ever wanted to know how to nail your behavioural interview? Expedia Group share their advice on how you can prepare for and stand out at your interview.
What is a behavioural interview?
A type of job interview where you should provide examples from past employment or experiences and outline how you behaved in those circumstances. It’s more than just answering questions, take this as an opportunity to demonstrate your interests, experiences, competencies, strengths and values that are relevant to the role. Strong answers highlight what makes you the ideal candidate and how you can contribute to not just the team, but the entire organisation.
This is your chance to shine, demonstrate your knowledge of the firm and persuade us why we need you!
Competency vs. Strength questions
It can be confusing to know exactly what your interviewer wants from your answers. Here’s a simple guide to the key differences between competency-based and strength based questions.
Competency-based questions work on the principle that your past behaviour is the best indicator of future performance. An example could be: ‘Tell me about a time when you set a goal to improve your performance. Explain the goal. Did you achieve the goal? Why or why not?’
Strength-based questions are common in early careers interviews where you lack work experience. They focus on your aptitude and motivation. For example: ‘Imagine you have missed a deadline. How would you feel and what would you do to tackle the situation?
What Makes a Good Answer?
There are some key points you should follow to successfully answer an interview question:
- Keep it relevant to the question
- Provide a clear explanation of what you did and why you did it
- Be clear on the impact of your actions
- Use structure to display clarity of thought
- Follow the STAR technique- Situation Task Action Result
STAR Response Example
The STAR technique will help you prepare clear and concise answers to behavioural interview questions. Let’s look at an example.
"Tell me about a time that you used your organizational skills to improve a situation at work."
When I took on the job as an assistant, I soon learned that there was no easily accessible system for retrieving information on past campaigns. Each of the five consultants had their own computer files. I suggested to the director that we set up a shared online filing system with past campaign materials that would be accessed by all staff. I interviewed each of the staff to get input about how to categorize the files and proposed a system that was implemented. The system was a success; it is still in place four years later. My supervisor mentioned this accomplishment as one of the reasons for my raise at my recent performance review
Interview Preparation
“Fail to prepare, prepare to fail”. If you want to show us why you’re the best candidate for the role, follow these key steps.
- Research our organisation - You don't have to be an expert on our firm, but you should have a general understanding of what we do and how we do it
- Review the job spec – Check out what skills, competencies and attributes would make a stand out candidate
- Craft your story – We want to know about how your skills, motivation and accomplishments will enable you to be successful in the job. Build your story around it to create a personal brand and set yourself apart from other applicants
- Rehearse your answers – It’s natural to feel nervous so it can be helpful to go through some common interview questions, using the STAR technique to come up with strong answers
- Prepare some questions – Asking questions is a great way to show your interest in our company. Have questions on key topics including development opportunities, emerging industry trends and company culture
- Plan the logistics – Plan your day out, allowing extra time for delays. For virtual interviews, set up your technology in a distraction free space
Tips for success
So, it’s interview day – what now?
- Remember that all your past experiences matter! Whether it’s a school project, voluntary work or sports club, we want to know about how your unique skills and experiences
- Present your transferable soft skills like leadership and teamwork
- Be receptive to feedback
- Answer questions clearly and concisely
- Familiarise yourself with our Expedia Group Values
- Don’t be afraid to ask questions for clarification
- Think about how you present yourself - first impressions count, make sure that you maintain eye contact and show positive body language – shows you’re interested
We want culture add, not culture fit
At Expedia we believe that hiring people who match our company’s DNA will create homogenous teams where innovative thinking is stifled and growth is hindered. Instead, we want our people to add to our culture. Focus on what you can bring to Expedia, your unique perspective and you can enhance our company’s culture.
What to do if you don’t know how to answer
It’s natural to be nervous for an interview. Here are some do’s as don’ts for when you are unsure of a question…
Do
- Pause
- Make something up
- Ask a follow up question
- Say, “I don’t know”
Don’t
- Use the power of the pen
- Fear silence
- Be honest
- Use fillers
Expedia Group Interview process
We hope that you found these hints and tips useful – good luck with your interview!
Find more about our vacancies and what we have to offer at Expedia Group.