Interviews

This is a structural conversation where one participant asks questions and the other answers. It is also referred to as one-to-one conversation between the interviewer and the interviewee in which the candidate exchanges information with the goal of determining the candidate's qualifications and appropriateness for a post (Misoch, 2019). A job interview is a procedure when a prospective worker or applicant for the position is assessed by an employer or the hiring team for potential employment in their business, office, or organization. The interviewer's goal is to determine whether or not the candidate is qualified for the position and possesses the necessary levels of training and expertise during the interview process. This can be in front of a panel of interviewers or just one person depending on the nature of the company (Roulston, 2014)

Importance of an Interview

An applicant has the opportunity to demonstrate to an employer his potential and abilities to perform for the company once the opportunity to be a part of the company are being given. It is crucial to prepare in advance as to capture the attention of the interviewer and makes them stand out from the rest of the applicants.  Researching the company, the type of work it does, the employer, and your skills that can be applied to that specific organization are all part of interview preparation. In an interview attention to details are crucial elements like your appearance, demeanor, attitude, and punctuality besides that background research on the company lays a first-hand impression (Oliver, 2021).

Process of Interview

The interviewing procedure typically varies depending on the position that has to be filled and the firm. A single candidate is often interviewed for a job by one to three interviewers who are representing the employer; the employee's future supervisor is typically present for the interview. A human resources specialist will frequently be part of a bigger interview panel. Job interviews typically last less than two hours, whereas the meeting may only last 15 minutes (Misoch, 2019).

In situations where there are a lot of applicants or the position is extremely difficult or coveted, many rounds of interviews may be used. Early rounds will often be shorter and less in-depth, and they may feature fewer employees from the employers (Oliver, 2021). a typical first-interview form

 

Types of Job Interviews

Companies has their specific procedure for hiring employees and schedules interviews in accordance with their demands, work ethics and culture based on the position to choose the best candidate. These are conducted in various means such as traditional, Phone, Video, Case and so on. Hence, they are carried out in various means (McKinley, 2020).

• Screening Interview: The initial stage of an interview that is the job selection process by the employer to determine and identify the applicants’ qualifications in line with the job specific requirements based on the company, hiring position and its requirements. Typically, this is a spoken interview with a human resources representative. It can happen in person or over the phone, and he authorized person tries to verify the information on the candidate's résumé to see if the applicant satisfies the minimal requirements for the position. Your academic history, talents, training records, the job description, and a list of references must all be included in your resume (Editorial Team, 2022).

 

• Individual Interview: The most typical interview format is the individual interview, also referred to as a personal interview. It usually involves a one-on-one conversation within the company, and this cannot be done over the phone (Roulston, 2014). The interview can often last between 30 and 90 minutes, or it may even go longer if it involves any form of actual work that the relevant authorities may want to observe in order to assess the candidate's suitability for the position. If the interview lasts 30 minutes, it is best for the candidate to get straight to the point and provide an impactful response to every question. The interviewer would anticipate replies with far more in-depth examples to substantiate the representations offered if the interview lasted 60 or 90 minutes (McKinley, 2020).

 

• Selection Interview: This is a free flowing open- end process that is used to determined if the right candidates who are deemed for the position are chosen for the next step, which may or may not be the ultimate selection process, following the screening and personal phase (Editorial Team, 2022). The procedural phase that always causes people the most stress and anxiety is the selection interview. The employer is now aware that the applicant is highly qualified for the position. The employer wants to know whether or not you have the personality required to fit in. A candidate may have the talents to do the duties that are necessary to complete the job. The effectiveness of the entire team could be hampered by a candidate who struggles to communicate with management and peers (Oliver, 2021).

 

• Group or Committee Interview:  This is where a group of members interviews multiple candidates that the same time. Group interviews are conducted depending on the role and jobs specific especially if it requires technical knowledge (Editorial Team, 2022).  The candidate will meet with numerous decision-makers at once during this stage it's a productive technique to interview applicants as it allows for several readings or perspectives at the same time. In a group interview, maintaining of eye contact with each interviewer contributes in a different and significant way to the decision-making process. Any group naturally divides between leaders and followers, so the interviewer can quickly determine which type each candidate belongs to and who is most qualified for the position. The interviewer tries to determine whether a candidate is a team player in addition to figuring out whether they are a leader or follower. For one's own benefit, one should always attempt to appear natural during the interview. Acting like a leader when you aren't one or pretending to have a trait you don't have could land you a position that isn't right for you (Herrity, 2022).

 

• Behaviour-Based Interview: This is an interview technique where the interviewer evaluates the candidate based on his past behaviour in different situations in order to predicts their future performance. Comparatively, behavioural interviewing outperforms conventional interviewing techniques by a wide margin. In order to demonstrate their aptitude for important behaviors such as teamwork, problem-solving, communication, creativity, adaptability, and organizational abilities that would be beneficial to the organization in the future, the candidate should be well-prepared. The explanation of a specific scenario, along with the candidates' responses in terms of the situation, the task, the course of action they will take, and the expected result, may be needed of the candidates (Dolye,2022).

 

• Practical Based Interview: Choosing a candidate with the requisite application skills is vital in addition to qualifications, some practical skills are also desired. These abilities are examined at the time of the interview, and the test may be a part of the practical experience-based interview (Misoch, 2019). During this problem-solving interview, the candidate will be given a number of challenges to demonstrate their creative and analytical abilities. Additionally, on sometimes, a group presentation is necessary to evaluate your communication abilities. Candidates can be required to take a quick test during the interview to gauge their technical knowledge and practical skills. Try to unwind as much as you can, and focus on your talents rather than your weaknesses (Fobes, 2021).

 

• Stress Interview:  This is where the companies use a gauge candidate’s response to stress. This lets the interviewers to identify the candidate’s ability to deal with stress and handling of various high priority tasks, dealing with challenging customers and situations and their co-works and manage tasks effectively (Dolye,2022). It is a technique, nevertheless, that some employers use to weed out employees who are unable to overcome obstacles. In this unusual interview format, the interviewer tries to bait you to see how you respond. The interviewer might be trying to artificially raise the stress level of the scenario by asking questions so quickly that the candidate doesn't have time to react to each one. A second interviewer may attempt to generate tension by being silent in response to a candidate's remarks. The interviewer may also pose odd queries in an effort to learn more about the interviewee's interviewing style than about the job candidate's potential responses. The objective is to determine applicants' weaknesses and how effectively they handle pressure. Techniques like weird silences, frequent interruptions, and challenging interrogation with hostile questions will stretch your boundaries (Kohler,2022).

 

List of References

1)      Alison Doyle, 20 May 2022. The balance: Interview Strategies. How To Prepare for a Behavioral Job Interview, Vol 20. Pp158

 

2)      Carson Kohler, 2022. What’s a Stress Interview? And How to Prepare for One. Don’t let a stress interview add to your already-established job-search stress.

3)      Forbes, 1 March 2021. ENTREPRENEURS: Four Practical Interview Skills To Help You Land Your Dream Job

 

4)      Indeed, Editorial Team, July 23, 2022. What Is a Screening Interview? Everything You Need to Know. https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/interviewing/screening-interview#:~:text=A%20screening%20interview%20is%20a%20part%20of%20the%20job%20selection,interview%20during%20the%20hiring%20process.

 

5)      Jennifer Herrity, 10 August 2022, Group Job Interview: What It Is and How To Succeed at One. https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/interviewing/how-to-succeed-at-a-group interview#:~:text=A%20group%20interview%20is%20when,a%20meeting%20or%20team%20project.

 

6)      Kathryn Roulston 2014. Analyzing Interviews.

https://books.google.lk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=R-6GAwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA297&dq=interviews&ots=L68dZWt9Li&sig=UAoYYy7dfGVSLaBfZbctk2ZdJbA&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=interviews&f=false

 

7)      Morgan McKinley 8 August 2020. The Different Types Of Job Interviews And What To Expect. https://www.morganmckinley.com/article/different-types-job-interviews-and-what-expect

 

8)      Sabina Misoch, 19 october 2019. Qualitative Interviews. Vol 15. Pp5

  

9)      Vicky Oliver, 11 November 2022. Harvard Business Review: 10 Common Job Interview Questions and How to Answer Them