What is Group Interview?
We all have to go through various sets of group interviews so as to be able to land a job in a particular company. Be it a telephonic interview or a group interview, or the ultimate personal interview. But tackling all these different types of group interview have different steps to be followed. And this article will deal with the various steps you can follow to shine in a group interview and move a step ahead. But before discussing that, we need to understand what you mean by group interviews or group discussions and their importance.
It is the interviews where the candidates applying for the same position are brought together in a room and tested on their responses to the questions and how they would react in a teamwork environment. How well the candidates can work with other team members and whether they are able to take in the suggestions of their team’s members or do they think of themselves as superior and put the other candidates down. The interviewer does this by putting you in hypothetical situations and evaluating you on the basis of how to handle or tackle the situation or the issue. There are various sets of skills that are tested here by the company:
- The way that you address the problem
- The way of communication adopted by you for the communication within the team
- The amount and the way of teamwork undertaken by you
Group interviews are often considered much more stressful than other types of interviews. Hence it is also believed that this group interview gives the employer and the interviewer a better insight into how well the interviewee handles the stressful situations and if you are the best person for the job or how suitable you are.
Preparation of Group Interview
Now that it is understood what the group interview is, and have an idea why it is required for the company’s job. But other than that, there are several other reasons why the companies conduct the group interview. It is believed and understood that the group interview is conducted by companies that require their employees to have a lot of interaction with the customers and require the employees to be able to think on their feet and keep their cool in situations so that they are much more equipped to solve the problems better. But this advantage of the group interview does not restrict the benefits of the group interview to such industries only. Other companies can derive various other benefits from group interviews.
The following reasons explicitly explain the benefits that the various companies are able to derive from this type of interview:
- The preparation of group interview questions is quite cost-effective compared to the one-on-one interview because the time and the money involved in interviewing one person can be used for a group interview with 15 people instead.
- The group interview activities are also time effective because going through each application separately can be quite a tiresome process and time-consuming hence group interviews tend to save the organization’s time.
- Group interview questions have to provide efficiency in the case of companies that intend to hire a large number of people at once because it streamlines the process of hiring people and interviewing them people.
- It also helps the interviewer to mimic the job situation so that they are able to judge the candidate in a better way and judge if they are able to adjust to the work environment of the company.
How to Prepare for Group Interview Questions?
Now that you have understood the exact meaning of group interview questions and why the companies conduct them, we can take the group interview much more seriously, which requires a little more group interview preparation for the candidate. But there is no need to worry; the article tells you exactly what you should be doing in a group interview to be able to stand out and shine during the group interview questions.
Sometimes you might think you are going in for a one-on-one interview, but you reach the destination to find yourself in a group interview. The group interview activities might catch you by surprise. A group might not necessarily mean that there are a lot of candidates for you to stand out among, but it might also mean that there is more than one interviewer in front of whom you have to sell yourself and prove your worth. You often find yourself in a situation where you are tested or are put in a situation and asked how to handle the situation. The basic aim of the group interview is to judge how well you are able to communicate your ideas and how well you can think on your feet.
This might scare the group interview activities. But don’t worry; You can easily ace the interview by considering the following points and being well-prepared for the group interview questions. There is no rocket science here that you can’t understand.
Tips
6 different tips are mentioned below:
1. Conceal your thoughts
The first group interview tips Sometimes it might happen that the group interview setting takes you aback as you had expected it to be a personal interview but do not let that show on your face. It might interpret various things from your expression as the interviewer seeks someone who can work in a team and talk to people. Confidently walk into the room and prepare yourself for whatever comes your way. Also, don’t be too confident, and don’t try and judge everyone. No matter how much you want to size everyone up, just do not do it. It could lead to either of two things; you could feel underconfident or overconfident. And both these scenarios are not good for you. Hence, just keep your thoughts to yourself and don’t let them show on your face.
2. Try and be friendly
Try to befriend your co-candidates instead of sizing them up. Initiate conversations and avoid being quiet or checking your phone. It puts a good impression on the interviewer and shows you are people-friendly, a good team worker, and a networker. Plus, friendship may help you in the interview. So, be friendly and earn some brownie points.
3. Try and talk to everyone.
The third group interview tips for using your competition with the candidates to your benefit. Try to address everyone in the room by their first names, at least as much as possible. This is projecting you as a leader in the eyes of the interviewer, which you want. Also, you can use the conversations you strike with fellow candidates to your aid when the situation arises.
Incorporate other candidates’ views into your answers and build upon them. It saves you from repeating someone else’s answer and impresses the interviewers. Even when alone with multiple interviewers, involve everyone in your response. It puts you in a better situation and leaves a better impression.
4. Be true to yourself
Tips for a group interview are one of the most clichéd lines but hold the highest importance. Many times it happens that, to impress the interviewer, people often overdo things or might take a little aggressive approach. Cutting people off mid-sentence or not paying attention to what they are saying can harm the image or persona you are trying to create about yourself; if you are not a leader or a bold leader, don’t try to be one. It can backfire and have some hazardous results. Nobody is of the opinion that they are comfortable working with someone who doesn’t even pay attention or due respect to what you are trying to say. So just be yourself and try and show your true self in the best possible. Be noticed for all the right reasons.
5. Do not ramble
A group interview can make it particularly difficult for you if you are shy or not used to speaking in a crowd.
But when you do speak up, make sure that what you speak has a purpose and solid base. Also, do not apologize for speaking up or interjecting because you are not. Doing this will just harm the image you are trying to create in the interviewer’s mind, so just try to keep your apology to yourself. Also, if you think constantly talking will help you get noticed, that is not the right thought process. You just need to speak something substantial. Do not repeat the answers; do not speak anything that tarnishes the image. The preparation of the group interview you have done for the interview will probably go out of the window because the points you have thought of are probably something that everything else has also considered. So just ensure it will carry the conversation forward when you say something. And your thoughts will have something valuable to add to the ongoing conversation.
6. Listen carefully
Just thinking about what you are going to say next is not going to help you. You need to listen as well. It is of as much importance as the process of speaking your thought. If you don’t know where the conversation is headed, then you can’t expect yourself to contribute anything meaningful to the conversation and hence just come across as a dumb person. Also, if you intend to use the first name of the people, then listen to them when they speak, or else you will just forget their names and lose that edge over everybody else. Also, if you have a thought that you want to speak, don’t cut the conversation in the middle; instead, jot down the point and speak when it is your turn.
Also, ensure the interviewer remembers your face when you leave the room. Be it a small thank you, a silly joke you crack, or just asking where to follow up. Stand out from the group. Cracking a group interview is not difficult if you realize what you must do and can skip doing it during the group interview. And you are good to go. Just don’t try to overdo things. It can never end up in your favor. It will always come across as something you are trying to force, so keep away from that. Don’t let your fear overpower you. As I said above, it is not rocket science.
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This has been a guide to group interview questions. Here we are discussing the 6 tips for a group interview. You may also look at how to prepare a group interview-
