Choosing the most effective interview type is important to hiring the right candidates. Each interview format has its own strengths, and understanding them can help you tailor your approach to meet your hiring goals.
Let’s take a look at the different strategies that can be adopted by interviewers and human resource professionals.
Group Interviews
In a group interview, multiple candidates are interviewed simultaneously. They respond to the same questions, sometimes in turn or at others in the form of a discussion. Group interviews facilitate assessing how candidates interact with one another. Observations during these sessions provide insights into teamwork and collaboration skills, allowing direct comparison.
However, group interviews may prove to be expensive, hard to assess, may not always relate to the job in question, and may lack personal contact.
Ideal for roles that require strong interpersonal abilities and teamwork. If you have watched the popular TV show “The Apprentice,” a group of aspiring candidates are given tasks in the form of teams. Often naturally aligning the candidates as per their skills. This is similar to that scenario, which provides for tagging the right people for the right roles in real time.
Panel or Board Interviews
In panel interviews, several interviewers participate concurrently. They may all ask questions or designate a lead interviewer, while others observe and participate where required. Panel interviews provide diverse perspectives and allow for a comprehensive evaluation.
On the flip side, an applicant may feel outnumbered or intimidated, or possibly the panel members may argue within themselves.
It is useful for senior positions or when multiple stakeholders are involved in the hiring decision. Public sector interviews are commonly conducted in a panel format, where the highest-level management, concerned people from the hiring department, and the Human Resources team are present to evaluate the candidate from different perspectives. Sometimes a psychologist is also present at interviews, which are for jobs in security or defense establishments.
Behavioral or Biographical Interviews
Behavioral interviews focus on past behavior. Candidates explain how they handled specific problems or events. The assumption is that past behavior predicts future responses.
Assessing how candidates apply their skills and experience to real-world scenarios. Valuable for roles where practical problem-solving and adaptability matter.
The interview questions will be something like the following: ‘A key competency for this position is the effective management of change. Can you relate to me based on your personal experience at a time when you had to demonstrate this specific competency? What were the circumstances? What was the result?’
Hypothetical (Situational) Interviews
Hypothetical interviews present imagined scenarios. Candidates describe how they would respond. Evaluating critical thinking, decision-making, and creativity. The questions asked are derived from the job description, and candidates are required to imagine themselves as the job holder and describe what they would do in a variety of hypothetical situations.
Personally, situational and behavioral interviews can be part of other types of interviews, as it depends on the type of questions being asked.
These interviews may be relevant for roles where quick thinking and adaptability are essential. There is no guarantee that the candidate will actually behave in the way suggested. The quick thinker will score at the expense of the person who can take action more effectively than they can answer riddles.
An example question would be: “Imagine you have to complete a project with very limited funds so that a larger project can be acquired from the stakeholders. What would be your approach to completing the project within time?
Directive Interviews (Structured Interviews)
Directive interviews, also referred to as structured interviews, involve the interviewer asking a predetermined set of questions to all job candidates. This method ensures that questions are planned in advance, enabling hiring managers and HR professionals to feel prepared, minimizing bias during the interview, and standardizing the interview process.
In a directive interview, the interviewer does not improvise or deviate from the set questions based on the candidate’s responses. This enables a consistent and impartial evaluation of all candidates by ensuring that each candidate is asked the same questions in the same order, facilitating the comparison of responses and qualifications.
Moreover, structured interviews can be tailored to accommodate various hiring strategies and positions, providing a clear framework for both interviewers and candidates, ensuring consistency, and minimizing bias.
Non-Directive Interviews
Unlike structured interviews, non-directive interviews take a more conversational approach. Rather than following a strict script, the interviewer acts as a facilitator, guiding the discussion through open-ended questions. This allows candidates to talk in detail about their experience, thought process, and motivations.
Digging deeper, these interviews provide valuable insight into the candidate’s personality, aspirations, hopes, and ability to adapt to the company’s culture.
For this reason, non-directive interviews are particularly useful for assessing soft skills such as communication, problem-solving, and teamwork, as well as a candidate’s fit with a company’s values and working environment.
Striking Balance: Semi-Structured Interviews
Semi-structured interviews fall between the rigor of structured interviews and the open nature of non-directive interviews. The interviewer has basic questions designed to gather specific information about the position and the candidate’s qualifications.
However, unlike structured interviews, the order and wording of these questions can be adjusted based on the candidate’s answers. This allows the interviewer to expand on interesting points or explore unexpected experiences that may be relevant to the position.
This flexibility is especially useful when evaluating roles that require great adaptability and critical thinking. By allowing the conversation to flow organically based on the candidate’s answers, the interviewer can learn more about how the candidate handles tasks, solves problems, and thinks independently in real-world scenarios. can be understood. This approach is suitable for a variety of roles, from project management to sales, where the ability to adapt to changing circumstances and think critically is important.
Stress Interviews
Stress interviews intentionally create anxiety-inducing situations to observe candidate reactions. This is useful in evaluating how candidates handle pressure and stress and is relevant for roles where stress tolerance is critical.
It should be kept in mind that it requires a very skilled interviewer who knows how to navigate without alienating and losing a suitable applicant. It has the danger of affecting the company’s public relations image Relevant to only a few positions.
It may have an appeal to managers who are attracted by the idea of injecting at least some stress into the interview ‘to see what they are made of’. Most candidates feel that the procedures are stressful enough without adding to them.
Note that all these strategies revolve around soft skills or the “knowledge” of hard skills, and the evaluation of hard skills is only truly possible after the candidate has spent considerable time working on the job. That is why a probationary period exists to facilitate exits.
Undoubtedly, understanding these interview types empowers you to choose the right approach based on your organization’s needs.
Whether you’re seeking team players, problem solvers, or visionary leaders, tailoring your interview process ensures better hiring outcomes.
Remember, each interview type serves a purpose, and combining them strategically can lead to a well-rounded evaluation of candidates. Happy interviewing!
Some useful links:
https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/interviewing/types-of-job-interview
https://insightglobal.com/blog/different-types-of-interviews-pros-cons/
Credit: Featured image from freepik.com
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