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Build a behavioral interview question set by competency

Practice: Asking for a format you can use. About 5 minutes.

About this exercise

You're building a structured interview for a customer service team lead. You need exactly 4 numbered questions, one per competency in the order listed, each written as 'Competency: Tell me about a time...', plain text, under 100 words. Leave out the hiring manager's off-limits personal questions, and don't add follow-up probes or scoring notes.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

  • Asking for 'interview questions'. The AI writes 10-15 questions in bold sections with probes and red flags. Try: Be exact: "Exactly 4 numbered questions, one per competency. Plain text, no probes."
  • Trusting the AI to count words. AI is bad at counting. Ask for a total word limit and it often lands over it. Try: Cap each question instead: "each question under 20 words."
  • Not tying to competencies. The AI writes general questions that don't map to what you score. Try: Show it: "1. De-escalation: Tell me about a time you calmed an upset customer."
  • Hypotheticals. AI mixes in 'What would you do if...', which tests imagination, not experience. Try: Add: "Behavioral only: real past situations, no hypotheticals."

What a strong prompt includes

  • Maps to competencies
  • Asks for behavioral questions
  • Keeps off-limits questions out
  • Sets the number of questions
  • Asks for plain text

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