"In looking for people to hire, you look for three qualities: integrity, intelligence, and energy ... and if they don't have the first, the other two will kill you."

~ Warren Buffett

What's the Impact of a Failed Hire on the Success of your Organization?

For leaders, there is no substitute for creating great teams across the organization ... and to do that, you need the best individual contributors you can find. To achieve that goal, strengthening your recruiting and interviewing skills is one of the most important tools you can develop. This series of Behavioral Interview Questions are powerful tools to get to the heart of the competencies you’re seeking when recruiting and interviewing candidates for a role in your organization. Each one of these is a thorough and very specific tool to help you probe the foundation of a candidate's competency in a wide range of specific areas.
What's the Impact of a Failed Hire on the Success of your Organization?

What's the Success Rate for New Hires?

This is what you'll find on the first page when you search Google for hiring statistics.

• 46 percent of all new hires fail within 18 months [Leadership IQ]
• 40-60 percent of management new hires fail within 18 months [Harvard Business Review]
• Nearly 50 percent of executive new hires fail within 18 months [The Corporate Leadership Council]

Hiring statistics tell a woeful story about the failure of new hires ... but you can improve on those results by objectively assessing the accomplishments and track record of prospective employees.
What's the Success Rate for New Hires?

Lary is one of  the brightest and most energetic professionals with whom I have ever worked. His skills in dealing with privately held firms and the aggressive and  creative solutions make him a valuable asset to any business.

~ F. Bart Smith, President (retired)

Behavioral Interview Questions will dramatically improve your results

We may agree that the best way way to achieve "hiring success" is to engage an experienced executive recruiter with a proven track record and whose process has demonstrated an ability to hire the right candidate.

But, that approach may not be affordable or practical for most hires, particularly as it relates to non-executive positions in your organization.

Behavioral Interview Questions represent a great solution.

A favorite mantra at Exkalibur is, “There Is No Substitute for a Great Leadership Team” … but we apply that expectation to every team in your organization.

That’s why we have collected and organized a series of Behavioral Interview Questions to objectively probe specific competencies for candidates at all levels. Over these years, they have been updated, expanded and revised to become valuable, battle-tested tools to help identify and hire the best candidates for any role.

Each Behavioral Interview Question is organized into three areas:

  • Assess Candidate Responses

    The first section across the top of each page will help you assess whether the candidate's responses present strong evidence that they possess that competency, and offers guidelines to address the gradations between the extremes of “YES they do” and “NO they don’t”.

  • Assess Candidate Skills

    Below that section on the left-hand side, is a list of "Probing Questions" for each competency that you can ask to assess those skills.

  • Assess Candidate Competency

    Alongside each Probing Question, you’ll find an Interpretive Guide to help you evaluate the candidate's responses, ask clarifying questions and guide you toward an objective assessment of their competency.

Try It For Free

There are 28 Behavioral Interview Questions in the complete series, organized in three categories:

  1. Business Competencies
  2. Leadership Competencies
  3. Technical/Functional Competencies


Click the tabs to view each category and look for the "Free Preview" button to view a sample.

You'll be required to register to view the sample.

You can purchase all of them as a bundle or purchase each category separately.

I’ve known and worked with Lary for more than 15 years as a business partner, consulting colleague and adviser and have found that Lary’s financial skills and creativity result in high quality results for his clients. I am certain that Lary’s strong work ethic, client focus and successful track record bode well for future clients just as they have formed the foundation of a long-term and highly valued relationship for me.

~ Kevin J. Sharps, Director, Financial Services Consulting practice

  • 1
    BUSINESS COMPETENCIES
  • 2
    ENTERPRISE EXPECTATIONS
  • 3
    LEADERSHIP COMPETENCIES
  • 4
    TEAM BUILDING CAPABILITIES
  • Continuous Learning. Exhibits Self Control. Takes Initiative. FREE PREVIEW Conflict Management. Negotiating. Engages in (Systematic) Problem Solving. Focuses on the Customer.
  • Reading the System. Leads & Aligns the Organization. Policies, Process & Procedures. Respecting Diversity. Innovation. Quality. Creates the Platform.
  • Integrity. Attention to Detail. Commitment to Task. Communication. Flexibility. Decisiveness. Tolerance of Ambiguity.
  • Leads the Team. Planning Prioritizing & Goal Setting. Energizing Others. Relationship Management. FREE PREVIEW Teamwork. Decision Making & Problem Solving. FREE PREVIEW Project Management.

What's Included

In the full bundled package, you will receive 28 individual Behavioral Interview Questions, in 3 categories, that will help you assess a variety of the core competencies you expect from a qualified candidate.

  • The 28 Behavioral Interview Questions are organized in three categories: - Business Competencies - Leadership Competencies - Technical/Functional Competencies Click the tabs to view each category and look for the "Free Preview" button in each to view a sample. You'll be required to register to view the sample. You can purchase all of them as a bundle or purchase each category separately.

  • Business Competencies

    15 Behavioral Interview Questions that will help you evaluate a candidate's integrity, innovation, decisiveness, priorities, commitments, and other business competency skills.

  • Leadership Competencies

    7 Behavioral Interview Questions that will help you obtain objective evidence of a candidate's initiative, self-control, focus, engagement, and other important leadership qualities.

  • Technical/Functional Competencies

    6 Behavioral Interview Questions that will help you assess a candidate's ability to manage important relationships, negotiate successfully, manage a team and apply conflict management skills.

I am consistently impressed by the breadth of Lary’s knowledge. He has a gift for being able to help others understand important business concepts.

~ Liz Bishop, Managing Senior Vice President

Lary gives it to you straight. His experience, intuition and compassion will help you to realize your full potential as a leader.

~ Barry Friedman, CEO

Lary began advising our company when we were going through some difficult challenges, and now, two years later, we are in a completely different and significantly better place. His advice was specific, direct, and not always what we wanted to hear, and that was invaluable. Lary has been quick to cut through to the heart of an issue. His coaching, prodding, and tough questioning helped us to make changes that truly and measurably have helped both our top and bottom lines. 

~ Paul Levitan, CEO Galaxy Desserts, Inc.

Find Your Ideal Candidate

By asking these Behavioral Interview Questions, you can uncover OBJECTIVE EVIDENCE to help you determine if the candidate has the competencies to succeed in your organization.

Buy Now

Lary R. Kirchenbauer

CEO, COO, CFO | Columnist, Speaker, Writer

I want to help you Become a More Effective Leader and Build a More Successful Business.

 During my professional services career that started over 30 years ago, I have provided clear, unbiased and direct counsel to CEO’s successfully building their companies.

Currently, I am an executive leadership coach in the San Francisco Bay area for individuals as well as peer groups of C-Level Executives.

I am also a professional author. For over 5 years, I have published more than 125 newspaper columns under the title of Building a Business for the North Bay Business Journal, which until late 2012, was an affiliate of the New York Times. You will see that there are 550+ additional articles in our Library on topics bearing on leadership and building a business.

I have also published three e-books about leadership as well as business finance. I am also a public speaker and have spoken extensively to business groups on the subjects of leadership, capital strategy and cash flow, ownership transition and other topics related to leadership and business building.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope we’ll have a chance to meet somewhere down the road and that you will feel free to reach out to me directly if I can help you as you grow as a leader and build a successful business.
Lary R. Kirchenbauer

As both a leadership coach and friend, I have sought out Lary’s counsel on a number of business issues.  He only knows one way to shoot,  and that’s straight as an arrow and right between the eyes.  His advice is well thought out and delivered in a way that adds significant value to the process.  Lary was an incredibly valuable resource to me when dealing with a difficult board during a difficult turnaround process and again when I was trying to raise capital for a new venture.

~ Steve Tamburelli, Co-Founder, Vinitas Wine Group