Behavioural Event Interviews (BEI): How to Run Them, With Example Questions

Most interviews ask candidates what they would do. Behavioural event interviews (BEI) ask what they did. That small shift makes a big difference, because past behaviour in similar situations is one of the better guides to future behaviour.

Structured interviews of this kind are among the strongest predictors of job performance in hiring research. (Sackett et al., 2022)

What a BEI is

A behavioural event interview asks the candidate to describe specific past situations in detail: what happened, what they did, what they thought, and what the outcome was. The interviewer listens for evidence of the competencies the role needs.

The STAR structure

Help candidates, and yourself, organise answers with STAR:

• Situation: what was the context?
• Task: what were you responsible for?
• Action: what did you specifically do?
• Result: what happened, and what did you learn?

The Action part matters most. Keep asking, "What did you do?", because candidates often describe what "we" did.

Example questions by competency

Problem-solving

• "Tell me about the most complex problem you've solved at work. How did you approach it?"
• "Describe a time your first solution didn't work. What did you do next?"

Teamwork and collaboration

• "Tell me about a time you had to work with someone difficult. What did you do?"
• "Describe a time you helped a colleague succeed."

Leadership

• "Tell me about a time you had to lead people who didn't report to you."
• "Describe a difficult decision you made that wasn't popular."

Customer focus

• "Tell me about a time you went beyond what a customer expected."
• "Describe a situation with an angry customer. What did you say and do?"

Adaptability and change

• "Tell me about a major change at work. How did you handle it?"
• "Describe a time you had to learn something new very quickly."

Integrity

• "Tell me about a time you were under pressure to cut corners. What did you do?"

Resilience

• "Describe a time you failed at something important. What happened next?"

Probing well

Good BEI interviewers ask follow-ups:

• "What exactly did you say?"
• "What were you thinking at that moment?"
• "What would you do differently now?"
• "How did the other person react?"
• "What was the measurable result?"

Vague, rehearsed answers fall apart under specific probing; real experiences get richer.

Scoring

1. Decide the 5–8 competencies for the role beforehand.
2. Write a short rating scale for each (for example 1–4, with descriptions).
3. Take notes on specific evidence during the interview.
4. Score each competency independently, ideally before discussing with other interviewers.
5. Compare scores in a debrief and discuss differences using the evidence.

Common mistakes

• Asking hypothetical questions ("What would you do if…?") instead of past ones.
• Accepting "we" answers without probing.
• Letting one great story dominate the overall impression.
• Different interviewers asking completely different questions.
• Not training interviewers.

Combining BEI with assessments

BEI works best when you know where to probe. A good assessment highlights a candidate's likely strengths and gaps, so the interview can test them. Future Path's recruitment reports include a Behavioural Event Interview guide mapped to each candidate's gaps, with suggested questions, so every interviewer focuses on what matters for that person.