Different Types of Interviews
by Nita Wilmott
Screening
Interviewing is often just as stressful for the interviewer as it is
for the job seeker. Knowing the different types of interviews, and why
and when they are successful, can help make the interviews more
comfortable for both parties.
Screening Interviews
Interviews divide into two categories: the screening interview and
the hiring or selection interview.
Screening interviews are used to qualify a candidate
before he or she meets with a hiring authority for possible selection.
The hiring or selection interview can take on many
different forms. Screening interviews are the normal process for
companies to weed out candidates for a single job opportunity. These
interviews are usually quick, efficient and low cost strategies that
result in a short list of qualified candidates. These interviews save
time and money by eliminating unqualified candidates.
If invited to a face to face screening interview, it will usually be
with a third party recruiter or someone from the Human Resources
department. These are considered the gatekeepers for a company. They are
typically experienced and professional interviewers who are skilled at
interviewing and screening candidates. These interviewers should be
effective at judging character, intelligence, and if the candidate is a
good fit for the company culture. They also should be good at
identifying potential red flags or problem areas in the candidate's work
background and general qualifications. Some examples of screening
interviews include the telephone interview, the computer interview, the
videoconference interview and the structured interview.
Telephone Interviews
The telephone interview is the most common way to perform an
initial screening interview. This helps the interviewer and the
candidate get a general sense if they are mutually interested in
pursuing a discussion beyond the first interview. This type of
interviewing also saves time and money. They may be tape recorded for
the review of other interviewers.
Computer Interviews
The computer interview involves answering a series of
multiple-choice questions for a potential job interview or simply for
the submission of a resume. Some of these interviews are done through
the telephone or by accessing a web site. One type is done with pushing
the appropriate buttons on the telephone for the answer you are
submitting. Wal-Mart uses this method for screening cashiers, stockers,
and customer service representatives.
Another type of computer interview is provided by accessing
a website while using a computer keyboard and a mouse. Lowes Home
Improvement uses this type of screening. Some of the questions on both
of these types of interviews are related to ethics. As an example,
"If you see a fellow co-worker take a candy bar and eat it, do you
a. Confront co-worker, b. Tell the supervisor, c. Do nothing."
Types of Interviews - Selection Interviews
In contrast to screening interviews, you can use the more traditional
hiring or selection interviews. These hiring interviews are two-way
streets where the candidate will also interview the employer for job
suitability. Most of these interviews take place in an office setting in
one of several formats such as: one-on-one interviews.
One-on-One Interviews
This is the traditional interview in which candidates meet with
employers in person, one-on-one. Each candidate is given a somewhat
unique interview. It can be loosely structured. Both the candidate and
employer usually walk away from this interview with a sense of whether
or not the fit is right. ( If
you want to hire the right person try asking
these questions)
Serial interviews
Serial interviews occur when candidates are passed from one
interviewer to another interviewer throughout the course of a day.
No decision is made until the final interview has taken place and
all the interviewers have had a chance to discuss each other's
interview. As a candidate, you have only one chance to make the right
first impression. A candidate should be energized and ready for the next
interview.
Sequential Interviews
In sequential interviews, the candidate meets with one or more
interviewers on a one-on-one basis. This is done over the course of
several days, weeks or even months. Each interview is supposed to move a
candidate progressively towards learning more details about the
position, the company, and hopefully, an offer.
Panel Interviews
In a panel interview, the candidate appears before a committee
or panel of interviewers. This type of interview is usually done for
time and scheduling efficiency to accommodate the panel. Candidates are
evaluated on interpersonal skills, qualifications, and their ability to
think on their feet. This type of interview can be intimidating for a
candidate. The candidate sometimes feels that they have no control over
the panel. In a panel interview, the candidate should focus on one or
two key members and control their reaction. However, it is very
important to make eye contact and communicate individually with each
member of the group or panel.
Group Interviews
In a group interview, a company interviews a group of candidates for
the same position all at the same time. This type of interview gives the
company a sense of a candidate's leadership potential and style. The
interviewer wants to view what tools of persuasion the candidate uses.
Does the candidate use argumentation and careful reasoning or does the
candidate divide and conquer. An interviewer may call on the candidate
to discuss an issue with the other candidates, solve a problem
collectively, or discuss the candidate's qualifications in front of
other candidates.
This type of interview can be overwhelming for a candidate. The
candidate needs to understand the dynamics the interviewer establishes
and determine the rules of the game. He needs to avoid overt power
conflicts, as they make the candidate look uncooperative and immature.
The interviewee needs to treat other candidates with respect while
exerting influence over them. Simultaneously, he needs to keep his eyes
on the interviewer so that he does not miss important cues.
Situation or Performance Interview
In situation or performance interviews, candidates may be
asked to role play one of the job functions. This is done to assess
specific skills. Candidates can be given a specific, hypothetical
situation or problem. They are asked how they would handle it or to
describe a potential solution. This can prove to be difficult if the
interviewer does not provide enough information in order for the
candidate to recommend a solution or a course of action. This type of
interview is used to select candidates for a job opening for Customer
Service Representative in a department or discount store.
Audition Interview
Audition interviews work well for positions in which companies
want to see a candidate in action before they make a hiring decision.
Interviewers may take the candidate through a simulation or brief
exercise in order to evaluate the candidate's skills. This allows a
candidate to demonstrate his/her abilities in interactive ways that are
familiar to the candidate. The simulations and exercises should give a
candidate a simplified sense of what the applied for position requires.
This type of interview works well for job openings for computer
programmers, trainers, welders, and mechanics.
Stress Interview
A stress interview is generally intended to put the candidate
under stress and assess their reactions under pressure or in difficult
situations. A candidate may be held in the waiting room for an hour
before the interviewer greets her. The candidate may face long silences
or cold stares. The interviewer may openly challenge the interviewee's
beliefs or judgement. They may ask the candidate to perform an
impossible task on the fly, such as, convincing the interviewer to
exchange shoes with the candidate. Insults, rudeness and
miscommunication are very common. All of this is supposed to be designed
to see whether or not the candidate has what it takes to withstand the
company culture, the company's clients or any other possible stress.
Behavioral Interview
Many companies are increasingly using the behavioral interview.
They use a candidate's previous behavior to indicate their future
performance. Depending on the responsibilities of the position and the
working conditions, a candidate may be asked to describe a situation
that required problem solving skills, adaptability, leadership, conflict
resolution, multi-tasking, initiative or stress management. The
interviewer wants to know how the candidate handled these types of
situations.
There are several types of behavioral interviews.
- Structured interview with layered questions: skilled
interviewers commonly use this. They ask a series of behavioral
questions and non-behavioral questions. The questions often overlap
and are designed to gather information about each of the major
employer concerns.
- Informal interview: This type is casual and relaxed. It is
intended to get the candidate talking and too friendly. The
candidate may reveal more information than they might otherwise. As
you know, too much information, too soon, can eliminate you from the
candidate pool.
- Reverse Role interview: In this type of interview, the
interviewer is unprepared, short on time, hurried, distracted, or
very simply, unskilled at appropriate questions to determine if a
candidate can perform successfully in the position.
- Assessment Instruments/Testing: Various types of tests are
used to determine if a candidate is a good fit for the company.
These types of testing may be used. Personality inventories assess
personality types. Aptitude inventories assess aptitudes in certain
skill areas. Interest inventories assess interests in various
occupational categories. Combination instruments can be a
combination of any of these.
- Combination interview: This type of interview combines two
or more types of interviews. This could occur within the same
interview, on subsequent interviews or both.
Other types of interviews
Tag-Team Interview
The tag-team interview is often attractive to companies that
rely heavily on team cooperation. A candidate may be expecting to meet
one-on-one with an interviewer, but find themselves in a room with
several other people. Employers want to gain the insights of various
people when interviewing candidates. They want to know if a candidate's
skills balance the needs of the company and whether or not the candidate
can get along with other workers.
Candidates should use this opportunity to gain as much information
about the company as they can. Each interviewer has a different function
in the company and have their own perspective about the company.
Mealtime and Follow-up Interviews
Several additional interview styles help employers and job candidates
determine whether they are a good match.
Mealtime Interviews
The mealtime interview is used to determine what a candidate
is like in a social setting. But, interviewing over a meal can be a
candidate's worst nightmare or challenge. The interviewers want to not
only know how you handle a fork but how you treat your host, any guests
and the serving staff. A candidate must take cues from the interviewer
and always remember she is the guest. These tips will help you
with mealtime interviews.
- Do not sit down until the host does.
- Always order something less extravagant than the interviewer.
- Choose manageable food items, if possible.
- If the interviewer wants to talk business, please do so.
- But if the interviewer and/or guests want to discuss upcoming
travel plans or their families, do not, under any circumstance,
launch a business discussion.
- Remember ordinary manners: thank the host for the meal and
their time.
Follow-up Interviews
Companies bring candidates back for second and sometimes third or
fourth follow-up interviews. There are a number of reasons for
this. Sometimes they just want to confirm that you are their ideal
candidate. Sometimes they are having a difficult time deciding between a
short-list of candidates. Other times, other decision-makers in the
company want to gain a sense of who the candidate is before a hiring
decision is made.
Additional interviews may go in a variety of directions. When meeting
with the same interviewer, a candidate can focus on cementing rapport,
understanding where the company is going and how his/her skills mesh
with the company vision and their culture. Candidates may find
themselves negotiating a compensation package. Or they may find
themselves starting from the beginning with a new interviewer.
From my personal experiences, if a candidate is asked back for more
than two or three interviews, the company is not sure what
they want or need in a candidate. This can be a waste of time and
resources for both the candidate and the company.
Please welcome our Guest Author: Nita Wilmott (nitawilmott@valornet.com) is
currently a full-time student, majoring in Human Resources, at Tulsa
Community College in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She has previously owned two
businesses and worked in many corporations in a variety of industries.
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