5/26/2019 Resource Details

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Interviewing Overview: Interview Formats

 

A company can choose to conduct their interviews using any number of formats depending upon the

nature of the position. While your focus for each will vary slightly your goal is still to present your

accomplishments relative to the role you are interviewing for. Here is what you might expect to

experience:

One-on-One

The one-on-one interview format is the most common and consists of just you and one interviewer. It

can be conducted either on the telephone or face to face. This format is the easiest for rapport building

as you are dealing with just one individual. Try to focus on how they are asking their questions as this

may give you clues to the most appropriate response.

Round Robin

The round robin (or sequential format) interview consists of a series of brief meetings where you move

from person to person. Companies use this method to obtain a variety of assessments of each of the

candidates. Done effectively, each interviewer will have specific aspects of the interview process

assigned to them. For example, one or two interviewers may be charged with focusing on ‘can’

questions, another group may focus on ‘fit’ questions, and a third group may focus on ‘will’ questions.

Again your focus is to establish rapport with each interviewer and help them see that your background

matches their needs.

Panel

This format refers to interviews where you are meeting with a number of individuals all at once. A

panel at its simplest may be comprised of, in addition to the hiring manager, a manager from another

department to ensure an unbiased assessment, and a human resources professional to ensure that all

candidates experience the same process. While panel interviews can seem the most intimidating, this

process does ensure that all candidates are treated fairly.

Try to sit where you can easily make eye contact with each member without having to twist
around to see everyone. When responding, look first at the person posing the question and then
make eye contact with the other panel members. In addition to being respectful of everyone, it
also helps you read the mood in the room.
If a panel member seems hostile or is rude to you, remain calm and professional. Respond in a
respectful manner and ask questions to prompt him or her to interact with you.
If the panel consists of peers, be prepared to take control if no one else does.
If the interview is with a panel of superiors, don't take control even if needed.

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This is your chance to showcase your group presentation skills. Try to quickly “read” the
personality of each interviewer and adjust your responses to that individual.

Stress

The stress interviewing format is very rare. It is designed to assess your ability to think on your feet

and respond in stressful situations. Should the interviewers act sarcastic, angry, confrontational, and

challenging, just focus on the issues being presented without getting angry or hostile in return.

Situational

Situational interviews are designed to assess your analytical and problem-solving skills by presenting

either real or hypothetical situations and asking you how you would react to or deal with each of the

situations. Often in the middle of the exercise, the assessment team will present additional information

or new details to assess the candidate’s ability to change and shift plans. Be ready to showcase your

flexibility.

Directed

In this format the questions are often carefully scripted to provide a rigorous process by which to

assess specific qualities and skills. This format maintains consistency in the content of each interview

which helps when there are several different people conducting interviews and helps ensure that all

candidates are treated fairly. You will want to be well-prepared with your strength statements and

accomplishments.

Non-directed

The non-directed interview format ranges from an unorganized discussion with an inexperienced

interviewer to a deliberate broad-ranging discussion used by highly experienced interviewers. While it

is not the most effective method for determining most strengths, it can be very effective in assessing

an individual’s ability to interact and position their accomplishments relative to the companies needs

without the support of a formal structure. You will want to be alert to moments in the conversation

when you can relate and accomplishment or ask an insightful question.

Behavioral

Behavioral interviewing refers to the format where the questions focus on eliciting specific examples

from your past employment. The theory is that past performance predicts future performance. This

method is viewed as one of the best for obtaining information for the best hiring decisions. The

"Challenge-Action-Result" response format is not only perfect for behaviour-based questions, but also

for most interviews in general.

Group Interviews

A group interview is usually designed to uncover the leadership potential of prospective employees who

typically have significant dealings with customers. The front-runner candidates are gathered for an

informal discussion. The goal of this group approach is to observe the candidates interpersonal, team

leadership and influencing skills.

Interviews involving Meals

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On the positive side, interviews over meals can provide a sense of the corporate culture and allow you
to get to know potential colleagues in a more relaxed atmosphere. On the negative side, social
settings can be problematic as candidates tend to let their guard down and they now have other factors
to manage in addition to the ‘interview’. A couple of quick tips are; try to have a snack prior to the
meeting so that you can focus on developing rapport and answering questions rather than your
stomach and avoid ordering ‘challenging’ foods such as spaghetti, ribs, chicken, soups or overstuffed
sandwiches. For other tips on managing these types of interviews, business etiquette publications are
good sour

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