I will begin this article by drawing a distinction between two interview names that are sometimes conflated in writings on this topic. The panel interview and the group interview. A panel interview is an interview in which one candidate is interviewed by various interviewers. A group interview is one in which at least two, but usually more, candidates are interviewed simultaneously. In this article our purpose is to describe how a candidate can perform and shine within the context of a group interview.
In any interview situation the likelihood is that you are being watched from the moment you enter the building in an attempt by your prospective employers to gain some clues about your character when your guard is down. In a group interview this will be magnified as your behaviour will be viewed in immediate contrast to the other potential employees. So arrive early. Be polite. If the opportunity presents itself and you have the gift, be charming to everyone, from the moment you walk through that door.
Having a short personal description of who you are and what you do previously prepared is a good idea for any interview situation but is also true for a group interview. There is a high probability you will be asked to introduce yourself to the group and something prepared beforehand is likely to be superior to something you will have to think up on the spot.
Your ice-breaking activity shouldn’t stop there however; if you can get to know your fellow interviewees before you enter the room do so. Ask them their names. Remember them. Use them. You never know from what point you are being observed. Pro-actively introducing yourself to your fellow candidates presents you as having networking potential and any groundwork done outside the more pressurised environment of an interview room will facilitate your ability to establish positive connections within.
As the primary purpose of group interviews is to see how candidates work in a team it follows that most involve a group task. This will usually involve you having to read some background material on your own before you begin to discuss and perform the task with the other interviewees.
Read critically from the outset. Take notes. Prepare mentally or in shorthand a brief summary of your understanding of the material. Many exercises for group interviews provide different candidates with different information which compels the participants to effectively communicate the information they have received so be prepared to do so. It is also probable that someone will be called upon to deliver such a summary and if you have it prepared you can volunteer yourself and immediately assume a strong presence within the group.
Keep aware of the time and keep solution focused. There is no good in discussing endless potential ideas if it means you are going to run out of time without deciding on a practical course of action. From the moment you receive the information you are being judged on your ability to understand it, distil and work as a team to find a practical solution to the hypothetical issue at hand: so stay focused on doing so. This article by business recruiter Neil Yang delves into these aspects of the group interview in some more detail.
If I had to shorten this article to just one point it would be this one. The fundamental reason for group interviews is to observe how candidates work with other people and no skill is more central to your ability to do this effectively than your ability to listen to others. Whenever the term communication skills is mentioned people usually think in terms of people being articulate and expressive however this is merely half the picture. The ability to actively listen, understand and process the information provided by our colleagues is central to effective teamwork and, therefore, to our possibilities of excelling in a group interview situation.
Taking active listening as the foundation from which all group interview success is based, the ability to build on other candidates’ ideas is a technique which exemplifies that primary listening ability as well as demonstrating your teamwork and creative skills. Praising another candidate for an idea and then refining or adding to that primary idea presents you as having influencing ability and that you are detail focused. With regard to this technique you may like to think about what language you would use to introduce your add-on to the original idea: “that’s a really strong idea James and I think it would work particularly well if we combined it with a social media campaign aimed at the 18-25 age group” is one, simple example.
Nothing cuts through jargon like an incisive question and nothing else displays your ability to absorb information and get to the heart of the matter. The ability to ask the correct question at the correct time is of course a skill some people possess more than others. However if you are fully engaged from the get go, thinking and listening critically to the information provided, then your probability of devising a line of suggestions or questions which cut to the heart of the matter and elevate the level of the discussion beyond bland generalities will be significantly increased.
My final point that builds from the “cannot be overstated” foundation of active listening comes full circle to verbal register. In group interviews you are constantly walking a tightrope between not fading into the background of the group and not dominating the discussion in an overbearing way. So let this be the barometer by which you judge whether to speak or listen. Speak with purpose.
Know what you want to say and your reason for saying it. Of course these decisions may be made in a split second and my intention is not to rob you of the natural fluidity of your speech but you must avoid the temptation of talking for talking’s sake. This might even involve you saying “could I think about that momentarily?” if you find you are stumped for an answer to a question rather than blurting out an inadequate answer.
This is true for any interview but is of particular importance in a group interview where your posture will be seen in direct contrast to that of your fellow candidates. The collaborative aspect of group interviews can often deceive the candidates into thinking a less formal approach is acceptable but an image can say a thousand words and slouching is never a good idea. Also if you find the discussion or task is not going as well as planned, be careful not to communicate that by your posture as you will compound the negative impression you are giving. Instead let the word resilience pass through your mind, sit up straight and get back in the game.
While we are on the subject of body language let us not forget to smile every now and again. No, not dementedly. Nobody wants a terrifying clown in the office but warmly, naturally and occasionally. You may spend hours deciding what to wear to the interview but no expensive tie can leave an impression like a genuine smile.
Involving those around you, particularly a candidate who is having difficulty inserting him/herself presents you as a facilitator of the discussion your group is involved in, which is a leadership role achieved through diplomacy rather than any brute assertiveness. This article by Priscilla Claman from the Harvard Business Review describes it as “managing the discussion” and states that by adopting this role you are “providing the structure for them all to move forward together”, which is a positive contribution by anyone’s standards.
Yes it is a false environment. Yes you must accentuate your positive skills so as to leave an impression in the limited time scale offered but, at the same time, remember to leave an impression of who you are. There is nothing more off-putting than a candidate obviously playing a role (laughing out loudly and wildly at a mildly amusing joke) in an effort to show appreciation or commandeering the discussion as a means of displaying leadership. Instead be present, forthright, inclusive and polite but, most of all, be you.
Written for CareerJunction by Mark Dempsey.
