Which type of interview focuses on recalling past work experiences?

Behavioral interviews are specifically designed to assess how a candidate has handled various situations in the past, with the underlying belief that past behavior is the best predictor of future behavior in similar circumstances. During these interviews, candidates are often prompted with questions that require them to provide specific examples of their past work experiences, such as times they solved a problem, worked as part of a team, or overcame a challenge.

This approach allows interviewers to gain insights into a candidate's competencies, problem-solving abilities, and interpersonal skills based on real-world examples. By focusing on concrete instances, behavioral interviews aim to reveal how an individual approaches work-related scenarios and interacts with colleagues, ultimately indicating how they might perform in the job they are applying for.

In contrast, situational interviews pose hypothetical scenarios to candidates to evaluate how they would approach possible future challenges, while cognitive ability tests assess reasoning and problem-solving skills, and integrity tests measure the honesty and reliability of an individual. Each of these other interview types serves different purposes and focuses on distinct aspects of a candidate’s characteristics or capabilities, which is why they do not concentrate on recalling past work experiences like behavioral interviews do.