What type of interview question is, "Tell me about the most difficult shift you ever worked at your last job?"

The question "Tell me about the most difficult shift you ever worked at your last job?" is classified as a behavioral interview question. Behavioral questions are designed to assess how candidates have handled specific situations in the past, under the premise that past behavior is a strong indicator of future performance.

When interviewers ask behavioral questions, they are looking for concrete examples from the candidate's previous experiences to gauge their problem-solving skills, emotional intelligence, and ability to cope with challenges. In this case, by asking about a difficult shift, the interviewer is interested in understanding the candidate's capacity to manage stress, handle conflict, or navigate obstacles when they arise in a real-world work setting. The focus is on the actual experiences rather than hypothetical scenarios or technical knowledge, which further reinforces the behavioral nature of the question.

This method contrasts with situational questions, which typically present hypothetical scenarios for candidates to respond to, and technical questions, which assess specific knowledge or skills related to the job. Thus, behavioral questions provide invaluable insight into a candidate's past work behavior and decision-making processes.