Don behaviour-based questions place unnecessary stress on applicants?
Behaviour-based questions are never intended to place stress on applicants. In fact, often the opposite is true. Acceptable behaviour-based questions only ask applicants to provide examples of past performance in areas where they should have already demonstrated competence. For example, if good communication skills is one of the most important requirements for the job, qualified applicants will likely have demonstrated that skill in the past. Thus the question should be no more difficult or stressful than a question about the applicant’s technical skills related to the job.
