Interview Categories
Interview Mantra: K (Y×C×P)
K= KNOW KY = KNOW YOURSELF
Y=YOURSELF KC = KNOW YOUR COMPANY
C=COMPANY KNOW THE PROCESS
P= PROCESS
- Bruce Barton
1. Screening Interviews
2. Telephonic Interviews
3. Face To Face Interviews
4. Panel Interviews
5. Group Interviews
6. Structured Interviews
7. Campus Interview
8. Performance /Situation Interviews/ Stress Interviews
9. Online interviews
10. Presentation Interviews
11. Video Conferencing
12. Dinner Interviews
Screening Interviews
This is the most primary type of interview. In this category the candidate is categorized by different set criteria's like: subjective, departmental, academic, profession & experience.
Note: Most people loose their hold in interview at the screening rounds, wherein this round is very crucial.
Why is the Screening Crucial?
Through this process only the candidate is invited for interview.
- One must be very particular, while filling his forms or forwarding his CV/Resume.
- Where the hand written details are to be forwarded we need to be very cautious about spellings, vocabulary, and grammar as well as writing skills.
- People are using internet as the main source of communication but they are least tentative in making the ID's matching with their profile, here also most of the candidate loose points. We should always go for decent Email: ID's
- We also need to keep in mind that the photographs that we affix in our CV / Resume need to be updated and need to also match with the desired profile.
Telephonic Interviews
Seeing the time frame many of the organization are focusing on the telephonic rounds. The basic criteria of the telephonic interview session are to judge employment objective, education, or required skills.
Note: Responding to the telephone/mobiles is much tougher than carrying it. Since these interviews can often occur unexpectedly, it is important for a candidate to know the best practice of using it.
How to handle Telephonic Interviews?
Telephonic interviews basically check’s the communication skills and interpersonal etiquettes of a candidate; hence it becomes important for us to talk confidently and maturely at the time of interaction.
- When we receive any such call, we should always greet the person and should talk clearly
- Avoid or reduce distractions. Always search a quite place for interaction.
- You need to have enthusiasm and self confidence while answering the questions.
- Keep small note of your academic/ professional details and highlight your strengths.
- Avoid caller tones and absurd openings at telephonic rounds. In your absence groom your acquaintance to receive telephonic calls properly
- Make it more professional by your voice, mannerism and always pay thanks back at the end of the call.
Face To Face Interview
As it is well said," First impression is the last impression". Face to face interview works like a mirror for the interviewee and interviewer. It can be explained as a direct answer to a demanded question so we need be well prepared for the face to face interaction.
Note: words play a powerful role in this kind of interactions so, when you come to face such interactions you need to be well advance prepared about yourself, your profile, subjective contents, company profile, work experience as well as the current industrial demand.
Handling Face To Face Interactions:
- Face to face interview can make or mar the prospects of a candidate for his further rounds. The impression you make will be a lasting one. It is vital to look your best. Dress conservatively and in good taste and be confident and calm.
- Always focus on your SWOT analysis. You can win your interview by your strength and opportunities but on the other hand you should also highlight your weaknesses in such a positive manner that it leads you to a door of self evaluation and opens a way of self improvement.
To master face to face interactions a candidate need to impose five listed elements within self.
1. Punctuality 2. Politeness 3. Professionalism 4. Positive Attitude 5. Pro-activeness
Panel Interview
Panel interviews are also titled as committee interviews. These interviews are basically conducted with several individuals at one time, typically sitting around a conference table to evaluate the multiple skills of the candidate. The main purpose of such interactions is to provide a unanimous decision for the acceptance of the candidate.
Best Deed to Face Panel Interview:
Commonly great everybody: But face to the more mature person and if a lady is also a part of panel rounds than never forget to honor her. Be confident and sit smartly while facing panel interview. Keep eye contact with each person, with special attention to the individual who asked the question.
Remember that you can't suffice each panelist satisfaction but your maturity, handling stress and positive interaction can win many success chances as many HR experts believe that the real check of a candidate is panel rounds so one needs to be prepared with all dimensional skills.
Group Interviews
As per the limitations of time the group interviews are becoming popular day by day. Basically group interviews are conducted to see the participation, communication and leadership skills of a candidate.
Note: As it is a team work where the main purpose is Together Everyone Achieves More (TEAM), but we should never forget the main theme behind this round is to lead within the group. A candidate need to be smart enough to show his strengths living within the group and ultimately shine at the end to achieve results favoring him because the whole group will not get the job, it will come to that candidate who is the STAR * (Situation, Task , Achievement, Result) performer.
How to Conquer Group Interviews?
- To conquer group interview a candidate need to first win his group, by his magical communication, content, knowledge and command on the topic in which the interaction is proceeding.
- He should show his STAR performance at the different stages of interaction.
- Should also steal the dialogues of the team players and lead them by his interpersonal skills and would show brilliant task for the demanded situation and at end can achieve the targeted results.
Structured Interview
Structured interviews are commonly used for research departments are basically pre structured on a set pattern. They are also known as a standardized interview or a researcher-administered survey.
Note: The designed questionnaire need to also include all necessary details in-order to reach to the maximum possible results.
As these interviews are more statistical so the interviewing body need to plan systematically and must focus on the reliability and validity of results.
Campus Interviews
Campus interviews are becoming popular day by day. Corporate visiting campuses for recruitment generally test candidates on their technical expertise, aptitude, and personality. These rounds are based to check the academic & industrial knowledge of the candidate.
Criteria of Campus Interviews:
The candidate's communication skills and aptitude is judged through group discussions and written tests. His personality is evaluated trough presentation skills. Some companies also conduct online test at the preliminary rounds. Keeping in mind the corporate stress some companies also focus on psychometric test to know candidates maturity and his ability the handle stress.
Advantage to the Candidate:
The best advantage for a candidate to win the campus interview is that he is well advance familiar about his interview destination and can perform better as it is the most comfortable environment for him.
Performance/ Situation/Stress Interview
In this category candidates are given certain task related to their workforce to perform. These situations can be categories in different areas as Academic, Social, HR, Marketing, Finance, IT, IB Etc.
The motive of such interviews is to get the best results on spot. These rounds can also be categorized under audition interviews: like singing, dancing, acting etc. Candidates are asked to deliver presentation or demo in their respective area and even could be asked to solve certain stressful situations.
The most important thing to remember during the situational rounds is you show your competency.
Online Interviews
Internet is the best way of communication today. It is also the fastest and the cheapest medium of interaction.
Tips for Online interviews:
- Candidate need to write precise and to the demand of the questions.
- Candidate need to have good command on his writing skills.
- Spellings, formation and editing need to be checked before sending the mails.
- One must be aware of formal writing.
Presentation Interview
With the emerging change interviews have also taken up electronic impacts within. It is becoming increasingly common for presentations to be delivered as part of the recruitment process. It enable employer to assess individual's talent for effective organization growth. Communication skills, Confidence, presentation, body language, concepts are certain parameters to collate and analyze information. Now the usage of projectors, laptops has also added professionalism in the delivery of the candidates and hence the corporate is focusing more on the presentation skills.
Tips for Better Presentation Interviews:
Dress professionally: Matching Profile. It is well said, “Dress Before You Address”
- Rehearse the topic as much as possible.
- Know your target audience.
- Command on topic as well as with the time frame.
- Good body language
- Pleasing personality/Smiling attitude
- Audience friendly attitude.
- Complete homework including entire aspects.
- Good blend of knowledge and humor.
- Voice modulation.
Video Conferencing
The widest form of interaction is video conferencing. This form of interaction is very common in most of the international brands. It is more conventional and time saving. The basic requirement to conduct such type of interview is camera, microphone and software.
Dinner Interview
These interviews are becoming popular day by day but the most important aspect to remember about such type of interaction is that we needn't to forget that we are not going for party or dine out where the most hidden aspect is the interview. Remember that the purpose of the dinner interview is to get to know you. Eating should always be secondary to conversation.
Think to Remember:
Most of the companies ask employee for a dinner interview to check confidence and acumen of handling stress and also social grace.
Tips to follow:
Know all dinning and business etiquette in advance. These etiquette will always give you the edge over another candidate.
- Dress smartly.
- Less interest on food and again more on communication skills.
- Emphasis more on non-verbal skills.
- Be confident and where you feel nervous wait for others to proceed first.
- Avoid taking that food for which you are not at all familiar.
- Take water before the core meal.
- Be polite. Remember to say "please" and "thank you" to your host and well as with the server.
Kavita Thapliyal
Business Communication and Soft Skills Trainer & Consultant
Web: www.visionsahead.com
Web: www.visionsahead.com
These Series of Articles can also be viewed at http://www.articlesbase.com/interviews-articles/interviewa-success-journey-to-a-successful-professional-career-706363.html
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