The Most Common Types of Interviews

The number of unemployed people in the United States is 5.9 million. Besides, other employed people are not satisfied with their current positions and are applying for other jobs.

The high rates of unemployment have made employers to devise new strategies to get the best offers. The changes have been made in almost all recruitment segments, including the interview process.

Unlike before, there are many types of interviews nowadays. Employers choose the most suitable candidate depending on the market, as well as the type of candidate they need.

In most cases, employers don’t specify the type of interview they will use. For this reason, you must be conversant with all types. Here are the commonly used ones.

1. Telephone Interview

A telephone interview is usually the first recruitment step for many companies. Employers and recruiters use it to shortlist their candidates and learn more about them through the phone.

During a phone interview, the recruiter may ask a few simple questions about yourself. Their main aim is to listen to how intelligent you are when answering questions.

To pass this stage, show excitement, respond politely and thank your employer for contacting you. Also, express your interest to meet them in the future. Most telephone calls do not last for long. On average, they take 15 minutes.

2. Video Interview

Video interviews are done through Skype, Facetime, or Hangouts. They are alternatives to traditional telephone calls and are usually done when the parties are quite far from each other.

The fact that both the recruiter and that candidate can see each other improves professionalism. It also gets rid of the multitasking temptation.

Through the facial expressions, the recruiter can note the most serious candidate. Video interviews are quite simple. They take an average of 30 minutes.

3. Panel Interview

In a panel interview, one candidate gets interviewed by a group of people. For instance, if you are a marketing manager candidate, your interview panel might be made up of an accounting manager, sales manager, HR manager, and the CEO.

Although the panel is made of many people, the interviewers ask one question at the time. The setting is quite tough because the questions are not asked in any order.

The trick here is to pay attention to each question and show consistency when answering. Also, maintain a face to face connection to the specific recruiter who asks a question.

In most cases, a panel interview does not have a limit on the time you should take to answer the questions.

4. Group Interview

In a group interview, several candidates face the recruiter at the same time. This is usually done before the one on one interview starts. The main aim of the group interview is to assess interpersonal skills and the ability to work as a team.

In this interview, all candidates are asked to give a brief introduction about themselves. After that, they are given small tasks to either complete in smaller groups or as the whole group entirely.

Those who participate well in the team get the opportunity to go to the next hiring stage.

5. Presentation Interview

Some recruiters give the candidates small assignments and ask them to present them. This means that you have to practice beforehand to show your interest and dedication.

To benefit from this interview, be prepared, be confident, and communicate well. The interviewers will only be looking for how well you can speak before people, and how much you can research on assigned tasks.

6. The Case Interview

In a case interview, all the job candidates are issued a case study to find a solution or a strategy. This interview is used in the professions which require fieldwork work, such as surveying.

To win this interview, you must show excellent analytical skills. You must structure your answers in a superior order to show that you got your solution through a good step by step process.

This interview does not need correct answers. Interviewers only need to see how well you can investigate, research and present your work

7. Portfolio Interview

A portfolio interview is done for the technical positions only. In this interview, the candidates are expected to show evidence of their past work and performance. The recruiter uses past work performance to know how much they can perform in the future.

The only trick to win in a portfolio interview is to be confident with your performance. You must gather all descriptive files and pieces of evidence that show that you have done similar work before. You must also keep with modern trends such as technology.

If possible, talk about your strengths only and don’t mention incidences where you were defeated. Lastly, make sure that your portfolio is visible enough.

8. Puzzle Interview

A puzzle interview is used to shortlist candidates in cases where the competition is very high. The main aim of the recruiters is to observe how intelligent you are or how fast you can think.

The interviewers also use this method to observe how well you can deal with a problematic situation or pressure.

The best way to win a puzzle interview is by staying calm and solving the puzzle using a step by step approach. You must also be creative.

Before you answer the puzzle, take your time and indulge the recruiter.  Your answer may not be right, but you should be able to give a reasonable explanation for the solution you provide.

Familiarize Yourself with All Types of Interviews

As earlier mentioned, the traditional method of conducting interviews has evolved. Recruiters are also looking for creativeness, and that’s why they have come up with many types of interviews.

To be on the safe side, familiarize yourself with all kinds of interviews.  Also, research on the different ways to answer each type of interview before you prepare to attend one.

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We match manufacturing, military leaders and business people to exceptional firms in America. Our focus is based on trust, tenacity, and talent. Contact us today to get a connection to the best selling companies.