Group Interviews: Strategies for Success

You've been invited to a group interview and now your wondering what that really means. It generally means that you are interviewing in front of a panel of employees either by yourself or with a group of candidates.

The purpose for conducting this type of interview is to place candidates in a stressful situation in order to gain further insight into how they handle themselves. For this reason it is important to understand what you might encounter and how to handle it professionally.

Being Part of a Group Interview

You may find that your group interview consists of a group of candidates all vying for the same position and interviewing together in front of a group of employee representatives. A group interview such as this has several purposes.

First, it allows an organization to get through the interview process more quickly. Next, because individual interviews can vary in their content, a group interview allows participants the opportunity to observe candidates at the same time, under the same conditions, and responding to the same questions. Finally, by thrusting candidates into what many would be classified as a stressful environment, interviewers have a chance to evaluate their communication and interaction skills, as well as their composure under difficult circumstances; qualities that are very important in many positions.

For instance, if one candidate stands out because she is more aggressive in her responses and behavior in an effort to overshadow the other candidates, she may be seen as someone who lacks teambuilding skills. The candidate who deflects questions and seems uncomfortable in this environment may have the company representatives wondering if she would be able to lead others. It's similar to the way teachers might perceive students in a classroom.

How to Handle Yourself

If you want to excel in this kind of environment, it will be necessary to strike a balance between asserting yourself while not being offensive. That means you want to take the time to demonstrate what you know without stepping on the toes of others.

Be professional and confident by sharing the floor and agreeing with other responses to questions or embellishing what has already been said. Avoid the desire to make faces if someone says something you do not agree with. As in any interview situation, take your time to respond. Think your answer through.

Here are five steps to a more successful group interview process:

• Introduce yourself to the panel members and provide them with a copy of your resume.
• When a question is asked, address the person who asked it and then make eye contact with each of the other panel members too.
• Make your responses just long enough to answer the question. Don't ramble on.
• At the end of the interview, take advantage of any opportunity to ask questions and thank the interviewers for their time.
• Follow up a few days later with thank you letters.

Group interviews should not be any more intimidating than one-on-one interviews. Just think of them as opportunities to have a discussion about how your background, experience, and the company's needs might be a natural fit. Then you'll be able to excel at the group interview process.