Employers may also use the group interview as a screening tool, especially if they want to evaluate how candidates handle competition or work as a member of a team.
It is becoming more common for employers to interview two or more candidates for the same job at the same time. This is called a candidate group interview. Some employers may do this simply to save money or to save time during the interview process. Interviewing job candidates can be expensive and time consuming if they are interviewed one at a time.
If the employer conducts a group interview of candidates, you may or may not be competing with the other people in the group. It depends on how many positions the employer is trying to fill. If the employer is trying to fill one position and interviews more than one person at a time, you probably will be competing with the other people in the interview for a position.
Employers may also use the group interview as a screening tool, especially if they want to evaluate how candidates handle competition or work as a member of a team. In such situations, candidates are given an opportunity to ask and answer questions, and will also be required to participate in group exercises or job simulations. Prepare a list of interview questions to ask that will help you stand out from the other candidates. There are several things that a job hunter can do to stand out above the competition if required to participate in a group interview.
Some of the most important things you can do to prepare for a group interview are the same things that you would do to prepare for any interview. Make a list of questions about the job before you go to the interview, but make sure that these are not questions that can be answered in orientation. Asking about breaks during an interview gives the impression that you are not interested in working. You will stand out if you ask questions in such a way as to indicate that you are interested in gaining insight as to the best way to get the job done.
When you are in the group interview, behave in the same way that you would in a one on one interview. Watch your body language by not slouching or folding your arms in front of you. Slouching gives the impression that you are either apathetic or have low energy. Folding your arms in front of you indicates to interviewers that you are either uptight or feel vulnerable. Keep your hands folded in your lap or on a tabletop.
Making appropriate eye contact is different in a group interview than in a one on one interview. If there is more than one interviewer, make eye contact with a person if you ask that person a question or if that person asks you a question. You will need to make appropriate eye contact with the other job applicants, especially if you are asked to participate with them in an exercise or simulation. Your group may be divided into teams and asked to solve a problem as a team. This can be difficult to do when you know that in the real world you are competing against your team members for a job and can lead to tricky interview situations.
The best way to handle this is to remember that the purpose for having you participate in an exercise is to gauge your ability to work as a member of a team. This is where your interview preparation pay off. If you come across as disagreeable or argumentative, you will most likely be out of the running. However, you should resist the temptation to blend into the woodwork. Saying little or nothing gives the interviewer the impression that you are either uninterested in the job or that you lack confidence.
Concentrate on the task or problem that you are given to accomplish or solve in the exercise. Ask questions that will help you gain information to solve that problem or accomplish the task. You can stand out by displaying leadership skills. Do this by eliciting knowledge or talents of the people on your team. Stay calm by focusing on the mandatory job skills required to complete the task. If you can avoid looking bad and help a member of your team look good, you can show that you have the confidence to not worry about being upstaged by a member of your team. This may seem counter-intuitive, but interviewers recognize that leadership ability is usually more difficult to find in the job market than many other skills.