An interview is a formally structured face-to-face conversation between a potential employer, aka the interviewer, and a job applicant, namely the interviewee. It is a vital stage of the hiring process.
An interview is conducted best with an introduction that leads to small-talk, asking critical questions, and allowing for open-ended resources. It should be slow, safe, and personal.
Formal and informal job interviews
A traditional approach set in a professional outlook between a prospective client and a firm can be noted as a formal interview. It is usually conducted for a comparative evaluation during job hunting that calls for in-person task-oriented or Committee interviews.
Informal interviews do not have a specific location, they can be conducted in a casual setting. A chat over coffee or a casual conversation can help candidates express themselves and provide a better platform for work culture.
Situational job interviews
Situational interviews test how a candidate can react under pressure by presenting a candidate in a hypothetical situation and asking for means to escape that. They are a great way to eliminate prospective employees who inhabit unprofessional tendencies.
Situational interviews test the candidate’s problem-solving skills, assessing a difficult working circumstance and exploring how one aces it with ease.
Panel job interviews
The presence of a group of two or more interviewers in the interview meeting calls for a panel interview. This kind of multifaceted challenge is more difficult than traditional ones. Here each member asks specific questions.
This creates group dynamics and assesses the presence of the mind of the candidate. This intimidating kind of interview can be used well by keeping calm and practicing hard. Panel interviews leave no room for personal preference, a reliable method of the hiring process, they familiarize the candidate with the work environment in a brief time.
Group job interviews
A group interview helps in observing the behavior of employees, where a single interviewer interviews multiple candidates. There are group presentations, practice tests, and role-playing exercises in such interviews.
This is an ideal opportunity to screen many candidates at one go, saving time and marking the best out of a lot. This kind of interview tests how a candidate behaves with colleagues, how one can be a crowd-pleaser, or how one can use his collaborative skills.
Phone and video call job interviews
In the initial stage of the hiring process, a telephonic interview is conducted before scheduling an in-person meeting. This helps in taking cognition of the type of candidate that one is and how confident he is in his oratory skills.
The first stage of an interview, the telephonic interview, must be taken seriously as one’s first impression has a lasting effect. Once answers are received as per the standard, online video conferencing platforms like Microsoft Teams, Zoom or Google meet are used to schedule a meeting.
Here, the punctuality of the interviewee is tested along with his body language.
Lunch or dinner job interviews
A not-so-traditional way of interviewing, the lunch or dinner interview, is an all-encompassing opportunity for an employer to check the nonverbal characteristics. This is the perfect go-to interview starting from dining etiquette, how one interacts with the waiter, the attire one carries, and the representation one can possess in public gatherings.
As schedules get tighter, lunch or dinner interviews are a trendsetter now, helping candidates ease up, make conversations that test their social skills, and help in getting to know the interviewer and interviewee more.
The face-to-face job interviews
The face-to-face interview is a structured and standardized interview protocol where the target candidate is tested on his ability to answer difficult questions, how he makes eye contact, his additional emotional responses, and if at all he is qualified for the job. The final stage of the hiring process is the oldest and the most accurate screening process where the candidate cannot provide any false information. Being honest and authentic is the main goal to ace this interview.
Competency-based job interviews
Competency-based interviews are a lookout for the talent ingrained in a candidate, they are a way to search for that additional spark and specific skills that a candidate hones which can be put to use in the work culture. Gathering what experience one has from a lesson or how one situates and behaves in a particular scenario can analyze a candidate’s specificities. This interview examines a candidate critically where his competency is accessed.
Some general job interview questions you can ask
In an interview, a candidate can expect some basic questions to prepare himself.
● Why does a candidate want to work in a particular firm?
● How does a candidate’s experience be a befitting role in the present job he is in?
● What are some of the greatest strengths that a candidate possesses?
● What is a candidate’s favorite part of the working culture? A little practice, preparation, and giving one’s best shot can land him his dream job. Start our free trial, subscribe to our newsletter, and learn more about acing interviews at a wink.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
- The conversational interview. This is probably the most common type of interview
- The direct interview
- The stress interview
- The behavioraI interview
- The practical interview
Take responsibility for your decisions and your actions. Don’t make negative comments about previous employers or professors (or others). Don’t falsify application materials or answers to interview questions. Don’t treat the interview casually, as if you are just shopping around or doing the interview for practice.