Types of Interviews

Nowadays not all interviews are necessarily one-to-one, and you may be in for a rude shock if you were to assume so. These are a summary on what other interviews are like.

Panel Interview

The panels usually comprise of two or more members, for instance, Personnel Officer and Head of Section/Foreman/Supervisor.

Look at the person asking the question, and occasionally make eye contact with the others as you reply. Try not to be intimidated by this although feeling uneasy is normal. Bearing in mind the fact that the decision will be made by more than one person which in turn may increase your possibility of success.

Competency-based Interview

These interviews are designed to allow you to showcase your competency level, particularly in key areas of the job. You might be asked to discuss examples of your previous work and achievements. The examples you give should be different from those on your original Application Form, lest the interviewer think those are the only ones or they are stale. Before the interview it is useful to list the competencies needed for the job, though thinking about things you have done which help build up your case would be the icing on the cake.

Group Interviews

You may be invited to be assessed together with other candidates. This is to test how you might work as part of a team. Be prepared to take an active part in the discussion/task and put forward your ideas in an assertive but not aggressive way.

Skills Tests

These are designed to measure your understanding of the job or, the level of your knowledge. These might take the form of typing tests, driving tests, manual dexterity, etc. Find out what the test will involve and try to practice before the interview, if so briefed in advance.

Personality/Behavioural Tests

You could face questions on your thoughts, feelings and behaviour. Do bear in mind that they are not interested in how you behave most of the time, but rather, during work time. The end result is used as a guide to see if the person fits the job advertised. Analysis of these tests is highly skilled and may be used by organisations to supplement other recruitment methods. There is no such thing as a right or wrong answer as the overall picture is what is important, and if you were to falsify your results, and you end up employed, you may end up a wrong fit for the organisation – inevitably shortchanging either yourself or the company, or worse, both.

Aptitude Tests

These are designed to predict how well you might do certain tasks. They test abilities such as reasoning with words/number/diagrams; problem-solving; following instructions. These are usually set as a test paper which you have to complete within a stipulated time. Efficiency and accuracy can generally be improved by answering or completing practice tests.