Most hiring managers entirely miss out on this incredible interview tool.
Past-tense questions don’t identify adaptable, high potential candidates.
Observation 🧐
When it comes to hiring the right talent, the questions you ask can make or break your ability to identify truly capable candidates. Two of the most powerful interview techniques (situational and behavioral questioning) serve different purposes and can dramatically impact who you hire and how candidates showcase their abilities.
Behavioral interviews focus on past experiences.
They're built on the premise that past behavior is the best predictor of future performance.
Questions typically start with "Tell me about a time when..." or "Describe a situation where you..."
Behavioural example: “Describe a quota you missed. What happened and what did you learn?”
Behavioral Interview Benefits:
Concrete evidence: Provides specific examples of past performance and decision-making
Skill validation: Confirms candidates have actually navigated similar challenges successfully
Cultural fit assessment: Reveals how candidates have operated in real workplace dynamics
Stress testing: Shows how they've handled pressure, conflict, or failure in actual situations
Situational interviews focus on hypothetical scenarios.
They present candidates with potential future situations and ask how they would handle them.
Questions often begin with "What would you do if..." or "How would you approach..."
Situational example: “You inherit a team at 60 percent of target halfway through Q3. Walk me through your 30-60-90 plan.”
Situational Interview Benefits:
Potential assessment: Uncovers problem-solving abilities and thinking processes
Adaptability evaluation: Tests flexibility and ability to apply skills to new contexts
Inclusive hiring: Levels the playing field for candidates from non-traditional backgrounds
Future-focused: Assesses readiness for specific challenges they'll face in the role
Creativity showcase: Allows innovative thinkers to demonstrate unique approaches
The Power of Situational Interviews for Diverse Hiring
Situational questions are absolutely critical, especially when building diverse teams with varied backgrounds. Here's why: just because someone hasn't experienced something in the past doesn't mean they can't excel at it in the future.
When I jumped from American Express to Salesforce I had never sold SaaS. A live case-study interview let me show how I would tackle a new sales cycle, not just what I had done before. Without that situational exercise, my resume would have landed in the “nice-but-not-a-fit” pile.
Situational questions open doors for candidates with transferable skills and they help hiring teams see beyond direct experience. Research backs this up: both situational and past-behaviour questions predict on-the-job success when they are asked in a structured way.
Role plays and case study presentations are excellent forms of situational interview techniques. They let candidates step into the shoes of the role they're applying for, showing their potential rather than just their history.
When designing situational questions:
Base scenarios on real challenges the role will face
Make situations realistic and specific to your industry/company
Allow time for candidates to think through their approach
Ask follow-up questions to understand their reasoning process
Example: "You're in the late stages of a deal cycle that you’ve committed for the quarter and your key contact goes completely dark. Walk me through how you would handle this situation."
Both question types should be used in combination
The most effective interviews use both approaches strategically. Behavioral questions establish credibility and demonstrate proven capabilities, while situational questions reveal potential and adaptability. This combination is particularly powerful when hiring for roles that require both expertise and the ability to navigate new challenges.
For leaders serious about diverse hiring and identifying high-potential candidates, situational interviews aren't just helpful, they're essential. They create opportunities for talented individuals to showcase their capabilities regardless of whether they have a traditional background for the role.
The goal isn't to choose one approach over the other, but to use both thoughtfully to get a complete picture of each candidate's abilities, potential, and fit for your specific role and organization.
Thought Starter 🤔
For candidates when given situational prompts, use the ACE Framework.
Approach: share HOW you’d tackle the problem before you touch tactics (Think Frameworks, Key objectives, High level steps)
Considerations: Reveal your judgement, share your perceived risks and trade offs.
Expected outcome: Tie it back to business impact, share metrics and timeline.
Scenario: Your champion goes dark one week before quarter-end.
Approach: “Firstly, I will not have been single threaded in the deal with only one contact so late in the deal cycle. I would systematically engage each key stakeholder I have built a relationship with. My goal in my outreach is to understand key blockers and what is happening internally that may be impacting my champion from responding to me”
Considerations: “Biggest risk is appearing desperate and alienating my champion. I’d space touches 24 hours apart and use a variety of channels over the course of 5 days (phone, voice mail, email, text). If silence continues, I’ll craft messaging and ask my leadership to reach out to executive contacts.”
Expected outcome: “I’d target a live response within 5 days and if not, we must de-risk the forecast and identify where in the deal cycle we could have improved to avoid being ghosted in the future. I would also devote energy on other deals in my pipeline that could be potential backfill for this deal I committed.”
Tip: In role plays or case studies, think out loud so interviewers can score your logic.
Love 🥰
I have been known to break into a role play in the middle of an interview and see how a candidate can respond to the challenge. In sales, HOW you say something is more important than WHAT you say. This works after I’ve asked either a behavioural or situational question, that I want the candidate to expand on. I usually start with “I’d love to hear how that would sound live, would you be open to roleplaying that with me?”. It can be stressful for candidates, so read the room. But it is incredibly telling and demonstrates how a candidate is able to think on their feet and adapt.