Helpful Job Resource Blog

Appearing for a job interview this week? Make sure you’re prepared for what lies ahead! Here are four of the most popular interview formats that recruiters love to use.

One-On-One Interview

The traditional job interview is a one-on-one interview, held between the applicant and one company representative. In most cases, this is usually the department manager or the person you’ll be immediately working under, depending on the nature of the position.

The one-on-one set up gives the interviewer a chance to personally interact with you so that they may fully explain the job requirements and assess whether or not you’ll make a good fit.

Since it’s a more personalized setup, the interviewer is likely to ask you to elaborate upon details about yourself and your past experience. They may pick up on specific things mentioned on your resume and ask you specific questions.

Panel Interview

In contrast to the traditional interview format, here you’ll be faced with a panel of interviewers instead of just one. It may have 3–5 company representatives from various departments, including human resources and management.

Panel interviews have become quite popular over the last decade and are especially used by larger organizations. They are an effective way of getting the collective opinion of the various panel members who can compare notes regarding the applicant.

Each interviewer usually asks a set of questions related to their position to get a better idea of the candidate. Panel interviews can also prove to be beneficial for the interviewee as they’ll be assessed by a group of members instead of the decision lying on just one person. This can work in their favor if they make a strong impression on most of the recruiters.  

Group Interview

Sometimes, companies conduct group interviews as a way to prescreen applicants before moving to the next round. Since you’re not the only candidate being assessed in this situation, it’s important to interact with the other applicants as well as the recruiters.

Interviewers particularly evaluate whether you display leadership skills. While you want to display these abilities, it is also important that you don’t come off as arrogant. Keep an amicable attitude.

Behavioral Interview

Behavioral interviews are very specific. Here, the interviewers ask you questions that are based on the types of challenges employees face in the position you have applied for. This is meant to see how you will act if faced in a similar situation.

Interviewers also ask questions pertaining to your past performances to predict your future ones. The idea is to see how you dealt with a certain situation previously to determine the course you’re likely to take if faced with a similar problem. For instance, if you’re applying for a position in the disaster restoration industry, you may be asked about how you tackled a previous crisis situation, the result it had, and what you learnt from it.

An experienced recruiting company will easily be able to determine whether you’re the right choice for the position you’ve applied for. Do your research on the type of interviews usually held by the organization so that you’re prepared for whatever situation the recruiting services send your way!