Behavioural Interviews The STAR Method
STAR is a strategy to use in response to behavioural questions.
Behavioural or situational questions focus on your past performance in a similar situation. This technique is used by employers to evaluate a candidate’s experience and behaviours. For example:
“Tell me about a time when you had a customer complain. How did you approach the situation? What was the outcome?
Situation - Give the context of your situation
I had a customer who complained that their meal was overcooked and took far too long. They were quite angry, as they were now late for an appointment.
Task - Explain the task you were required to complete
As a manager, it was up to me to talk to the customer and try to solve the problem for them.
Action - Describe the specific actions you took to achieve the task
The first step I took was to calmly listen to them and ask questions to clearly identify the issue and make sure I was not missing anything.
I then apologised and asked if they had time for a replacement meal or would prefer a refund.
Result - Describe the result of your actions
“Which resulted in” “The benefit was” “The advantage was”
The outcome was a very happy customer who felt listened and acknowledged. They took the refund, and I followed up with the staff member responsible. They said they would visit the restaurant again and they did.