Job Preparation

Recap

In our last post, Find Romance with Behavioral Dating Questions Part 1 (BDQ), we explored the application of hiring techniques in dating. Specifically, we looked at applying the behavioral interview technique to dating, an interviewing methodology that is widely used in recruitment and selection to better assess job applicants and predict future job performance. Behavioral Interviewing is based on the theory that by assessing how someone behaved in a certain situation in their past you can predict how they will react to the same situation in the future. Applying this premise to dating, by assessing how someone behaved in a past relationship situation, you may be able to better assess how they will behave in a similar situation with you. In part 1, you learned first hand just how easy and fun it was to use behavioral dating questions on your next date. So you if you haven’t already done so, check out our post, BDQ Part 1 before proceeding.

After publishing BDQ 1, we received overwhelming feedback from our readers requesting a follow up post on dating tips and techniques to handle BDQ’s. Here at HRIM, we do feel responsibility to our loyal readers now that we have let the proverbial “genie out of the bottle” and “released” the BDQ’s into the blogosphere. For this reason, this post will focus on how to answer these type of dating questions. Below are a few dating tips on this topic.

How to Answer

So how do you answer behavioral dating questions? Like a true HR consultant, I will say that the answer depends. How to answer follows a very complex, highly scientific method and depends on many factors. It depends on if you want the job? You must ask yourself if you really want an offer? Are you interested in the job? (It is important to note how I refrained from using the word “position”, I am trying to run a family program here). So depending on your interest, your answers will have to be tailored accordingly. Let me illustrate using the questions above. In each example, I will provide an answer that you can use on your next date depending on whether you are interested or not interested.

Behavioral Dating Question 1:

Tell me about a time when your significant other was talking to you but you were not interested. Did you fall asleep? How many cups of coffee did you drink?

Interested: “There has not been a time when my significant other speaks and I was not fully listening. My partner’s feelings and thoughts are important to me so when he/she speaks, I make sure I drop whatever I am doing to be fully present.”

Not Interested: “I’m sorry, did you say something? What was the question again?”

Behavioral Dating Question 2:

Describe a situation when you forgot a significant date like your anniversary, her birthday, Valentines Day, and so on? How long did you sleep on the couch? How much did you end up spending to make up for this mistake?

Interested: “There has not been a time that I have forgotten an anniversary, birthday and so on. Those dates are important to me and I make sure I plan our day ahead of time and get her a gift that is so well-thought out not even she could have chosen better.”

Not Interested: (If it is a birthday) “I didn’t really forget her birthday. Even though I cannot cite which culture, in some cultures one’s official age and “date of birth” includes gestation period. And if we consider this, it is really difficult to pin point the actual “birthday”. As for Valentines Day, I treat him/her so well that every day is like Valentines Day. As for how much did I end up spending, not much, fortunately I was able to mega-size the meal for only 49 cents. And about anniversaries, not sure why but I never made it to one.”

Behavioral Dating Question 3:

When you are in a relationship, sometimes you are asked to attend an event with your partner’s family and/or friends but you do not really want to go. Give me an example of when that happened to you. What excuse did you make up to get out of your responsibilities?

Interested: “I have not had a time when I did not want to attend a function with my significant other’s family or friends.”

Not Interested: “I usually come down with a strange illness and state in the interest of public safety it is best that I do not attend. I regretfully decline and valiantly suggest that event continue despite my absence. I then order pizza and go out with my friends.”

As you can see for yourself, your response depends only on your imagination and interest in the “candidate”. So until next post, where we cover dating reference/criminal background checks (I prefer to call it finger painting at the police station), biometrics (yes, you guessed right, that involves a plastic cup) and much, much more, we wish you continued success in your career and romantic search. Well I should probably wind this post up but before I do, maybe we should play a song. So many songs, so many choices, so difficult to choose.  Did you say, Space Age Love Song?  (From only one of the greatest 80’s bands with only the best coiffure) Sure I wont object to playing that.

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Note to reader:

Behavioral Dating Questions (BDQ) and related answering techniques are still under research and rigorous testing here at the HRIM lab. Please use the suggested techniques at your own risk. As such it is strongly advised that you wear the standard personal protective equipment (PPE) such as goggles, helmet, shin pads, and so on when using our answering techniques (shin guards especially with the one about forgetting birthdays and anniversaries).

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