What is a Gallup Interview and How is it Different?

Job interviews are already stressful enough, but did you know there are now different styles of interview?  Employers are looking at unique ways to gauge if a candidate is the proper fit and are using out of the box ideas to do so.  Gone are the days of only prepping for, “what’s your greatest strength?” Say hello to a new era of behavioral related questions that you maybe don’t need to prep for at all.

One such way is known as the “Gallup Interview.”  It was invented by a psychologist, so you know it’s going to be a brain game.  Rather than have you do blot tests and tell your interviewer if you see a bat or a flower, your potential employer will ask you generalized questions about how you would react to certain situations or how you have reacted in the past.  This is so the interviewer can see if your behavioral patterns line up with the role they are interviewing for without worrying as much about past experience. The idea behind Gallup Interviews is that you can guess how successful someone will be in a job based on their responses. This is good for you as a candidate, too. You can tell the interviewer how situations you’ve had in your previous employment translate to their work environment and their goals related to the role.  

This may sound bizarre, and it kind of is, but it could ultimately tell an employer much more about you than your qualifications on a paper.  The person giving the interview will thoughtfully select the Gallup questions to give information on a specific role, as they are created to look for specific behaviors.  So, although it may seem out of left field if an employer asks you, “Why is it important to keep a promise?” It was asked with a very specific purpose. Of course, they will ask you about situations you have had at work, but you can’t be sure what or how they will phrase it.  They could ask generally how you deal with challenging situations or they could ask what kinds of people you enjoy working with. It varies a great deal.

How on earth do you prepare for such questions?  You don’t. The point is that your responses are off the cuff and are not pre-planned to suit their needs.  They’ll be able to tell if you’ve been practicing. Of course, you should think back on work experience in general so that your memory isn’t rusty, but you don’t need to have a script. This could almost reassure you if you don’t get the gig: maybe it means you wouldn’t have found success in it based on your behaviors.

Have no fear, just be yourself.  And if all else fails, questions like, “If you had a million dollars, what would you do?” or “What type of creative activities do you enjoy?” are always great for a first date!