Types of interviews and how you can ace them

An interview is described as a conversation between an interviewer and an interviewee. It consists of questions and answers to determine whether the interviewee is well suited for the vacancy or post that they are being interviewed for. Interviews take place in different shapes and sizes. No interview can be described as right or wrong. While each type of interview has its pros and cons, it depends on the vacancy, industry, and other factors as to which interview strategy will work the best.

Let's take a look at different types of interviews and how to excel in each one of them.

Telephonic interview

The telephone interview is a largely popular interview method as it helps speed up the interview process by allowing the interviewer to cull the list of candidates and pick out the stronger ones. Although a CV is a fair representation of the qualification and experience of the candidate, a telephonic interview helps gauge the candidate’s ability and give a better look at their personality as well.

Features:

• It helps save time for the interviewer as well as the interviewee.
• The interviewer can refer to the candidate’s CV or other notes during the interview.
• The interviewer gets a clear idea of the interviewee’s phone manner, especially if the vacant post is a phone-based role.
• It allows long-distance candidates to have a chance to attend the interview.

Tips to appear for a telephonic interview:

• Make sure that you are ready for the interview.
• Get ready at least fifteen minutes ahead of the scheduled telephone interview.
• Find a quiet place with no distractions to take the interview call.
• Keep your CV and any other information you might hand within reach so that you will be able to answer questions easily and confidently.

Also read: How to Tackle Telephonic Interview

Video interview

With the developments in technology, it has become as easy as 123 to hold video interviews, regardless of where the candidates are located. Some of the popular apps that are used for holding video interviews include Skype, FaceTime, and WhatsApp and so on.

These days interviewers prefer video interviews rather than telephone interviews as it offers several additional advantages.

Features

• It allows the interviewer to observe the body language of the interviewee.
• Distance is no longer an issue.
• It's the next closest thing to an actual face-to-face interview.
• It is cheaper and faster than a face-to-face interview.
• The interviewer will be able to discern the interest of the interviewee for the position easily.

Tips to appear for a video interview:

• Wear formal clothing, just as you would for a face-to-face interview.
• Choose a calm and quiet location for your video interview. Experts recommend picking a background that appears professional, not cluttered.
• Be ready for any glitches or delays that might be caused by software or internet connectivity issues.

Also read: Skype Interview: Tips and Questions

Assessment day interview

This type of interview is often used to select the best candidate from a large group of interviewees. The assessment may be in the form of different tests based on the role the candidates are applying for.

This interview strategy is often used by companies when they are hiring graduates who have just graduated and do not have any experience. Companies and organizations often hold assessment interviews at predetermined testing centres.

In some cases, the assessments are held in different cities across the country for a nationwide search for the best candidates for the vacancies.

Features:

• The assessment interview strategy is often the first step in culling down the large group of potential candidates.
• Interviewers get a chance to know the candidates better.
• The competition among candidates helps them perform better.
• The candidates can be assessed on various skills depending on the assessments they are put through.
• Assessment day interviews require more staff as it plenty of candidates are expected to show up.

Tips to appear for an assessment day interview:

• You will be assessed on different skills, so stay on your toes at all times.
• In case the assessment involves group work, remember to be a team player and display leadership skills.
• Assessment day interviews are often created to test candidates of different skill levels, so do not stress out or get nervous easily.

The case interview:

The case interview involves tossing a case or a problem to the candidate and observing their solving techniques. In some cases, the problems are randomly chosen to see how well the candidates can think out of the box, while in other cases, the cases or problems are based on the role they are applying for.

Features:

• This is a good strategy to observe the candidate solving a problem using different methods.
• Many software companies use this strategy to ascertain the code writing skills of potential candidates.
• The service industry uses this approach to find out how a potential candidate will act in the face of a challenge.
  Tips to appear for a case interview:
• Look through different challenging questions and familiarize yourself with how to arrive at a solution.
• Do not panic when you are given a question you are not familiar with. Try breaking it down and answer it step by step.
• In most cases, the interviewers are not interested in whether the candidate has gotten the correct answer. They are more concerned with the process used by the candidate.

Group interview

Although group interviews are not used commonly, it is still an effective strategy in picking out competitive candidates who can handle stressful situations and speak up in a crowd.

Sometimes the group interview involves the interviewer asking the same question to the entire group and listening to the different answers given by the candidates.

In other cases, the candidates are given a topic to discuss, during which the interviewer will carefully assess and analyze the skills displayed by the individual candidates.

Features:

• Interviewers can pick out candidates who are articulate and can get their thoughts across without too much trouble.
• Group discussion on an industry-related topic allows the interviewer to get a look at which candidates are better prepared for the role.
• Group discussion place lesser individual pressure on the candidates.

Tips to appear for a group discussion:

• Brush up on your interpersonal skills.
• If you are discussing a topic, remember to put your points across respectfully without being rude or condescending.
• Rather than shouting the loudest, try to stand out of the crowd by talking confidently and to the point.

Also read: 12 Group Discussion Tips You Must Know

The lunch interview

The lunch interview is chosen by interviewers when they want to learn more about the candidate and their personality. This interview strategy is preferred during the last stages of the interview process. If you have been called for a lunch interview, concentrate on being confident and articulate.

Features:

• The lunch interview is a great way for the interviewer to see the candidate in a more casual environment.
• The way a candidate acts in an informal setting offers the interviewer a better insight into their personality.

Tips to appear for a lunch interview:

• Do not dress too casually, even if the interview location seems to be casual.
• Be careful not to spill anything accidentally.
• Be polite to the staff at the restaurant.
• Relax a bit and try to have a more casual conversation with the interviewer. This is your best chance to find out more about the company you are interviewing with.

Panel interview

Panel interviews consist of a face-to-face interview between the interviewee and one or more interviewers in the same room. One of the biggest advantages offered by a panel interview is the fact that the selection procedure remains clear of any personal bias or nepotism that might creep in during the interviewing process.

Each interviewer in the room gets the chance to take a deep look into the candidate’s personality, character and strength, making the entire process transparent.

Features:

• Different experts can judge the capabilities of the candidate in a single interview.
• The panel interview is usually one of the last stages of a long interview process.
• Candidates for senior roles in an organization are often chosen put through a panel interview.
• A panel interview is a great way to access the interviewee’s ability to deal with stressful situations as they have to field questions from different members of the interview panel.
• In some cases, the panel interview is held to determine which of the final candidates will do better in the role.

Tips to appear for a panel interview:

• Be well prepared for any question that the panel interviewer might throw your way.
• Appear confident and deliver your answers politely.
• You will need to impress all the members of the interview board to be selected, so remember to make eye contact with everyone.
• If the interviewers interrupt one another, take your time and address both of them while answering their questions.

Face-to-face interview

Individual or face-to-face interviews have remained the most effective and most popularly used interview tool across the world.

It is an efficient form of assessment, wherein it allows the interviewer to ask different questions and assess the candidates based on their answers, body language, and confidence. Although an individual interview does not last longer than forty-five minutes, in some cases it does take longer.

Features:

• The interview can be held at the organization or in a more casual setting, depending on the flexibility of the interviewer and the interviewee.
• The individual interview strategy is a great tool to assess candidates.
• It is the popular method preferred by interviewers when the number of candidates is not too high.
• Interviewers get a chance to assess the body language of the candidate and make their decision based on the information collected.

Tips to appear for a face-to-face interview:

• Dress appropriately for the meeting.
• You need to be well-groomed and smell fresh when you walk in for the interview.
• Candidates who are on time make a better impression than those who are late.
• Practice an interview session in front of the mirror or with a friend to improve your answer delivery and confidence level.
• Read up on all the information you can find out about the company and the industry it is based in.

Also read: 21 Interview Skills You Need to Crack an Interview

Regardless of which type of interview you will be attending, you need to be well prepared and be able to display your skills and talent to the interviewer. So brush up on those social skills and get ready to crack the next interview that comes your way!