How to pass a group interview. Mass interviews

Today we’ll talk about this option group interview, when applicants demonstrate themselves in various kinds of activities, solve cases and complete tasks. This is what the assessment is based on.

What are the advantages of such an interview?

We save.

First of all, we save time. After all, during a classic interview, we spend hours presenting the company and the vacancy to each candidate over and over again. Why tell something seven times when you can do it once?

Secondly, we save on adaptation. Often people quit in the first or second month of work, sniffing gunpowder and realizing: “this is not mine.” This is especially true for sellers. As practice shows, it is difficult to change a person, his attitude and values, if he himself does not accept the rules of the game. It is much easier to develop the necessary competencies in applicants whose values ​​are close to the company’s values.

Usually, it takes a couple of months for the company and employees to get used to each other. You can reduce this time if you carry out selection with group activity.

Thirdly, we save on assessment, since we will still have to evaluate the candidate based on his skills, not only on his resume. And since you still can’t do without cases and assignments, it’s easier to do it in a group format. This is especially true for candidates on the front line of communication with clients: salespeople, receptionists, administrators, pharmacists, and so on.

Another advantage of a group interview is it increases initial loyalty. The candidates saw real competition - and they passed, this is their first victory in the company, that is, you are more motivated to work.

What positions is it suitable for?

In my opinion, the determining condition is not the position, but the coincidence of several points.

1. From time to time you undergo mass selection. For example, you often need sales people, you recruit them on a planned basis.
2. To work successfully, you need certain qualities and skills, that is, you need a certain set of competencies. So, your salesperson definitely needs the ability to carry on a conversation, and this cannot be assessed from a resume. If the selection is based on formal measurable parameters (for example, you need a welder of the sixth category), then a group interview is irrelevant.
3. There is a shortage of quality (in your opinion) personnel for this vacancy in the market. A group interview will help you quickly see the level of candidates and make the best choice.

Preparing for an interview

The group interview is preceded by a standard selection of responses or resumes and invitation of applicants. I recommend making the primary filter broad and clear so that the selection of a resume is quick and unambiguous. And this is age, education and work experience (Article 3 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation prohibits discrimination in the field of labor, including by age. - Ed.HR- Journal). Filter according to the principle - well, very important, downright critical. And it’s okay that many people fit these criteria. Our second-order filter will be much narrower and more accurate - we will evaluate the competencies and qualities of candidates.

By the way, there is the so-called statistics of reaching group interviews. If we talk about the “evil option”, then this is one in two. That is, if you invited three people, then one or two come, if nine, then four or five, and so on. Therefore, invite more people, some of them will DEFINITELY not come.

Since you will organize and moderate the process, you definitely need to prepare an interview script. It usually consists of two parts.

Part 1. Presentation

The first part is a presentation of your company and vacancy. Please note that the purpose of this part is to “sell” the vacancy to candidates. This important point. Let's proceed from the idea that people don't owe you anything yet, they don't have to tremble at the mere mention of your brand. If they start to tremble after your story, then yes, you are a master!

The tools for preparing a good show are effective here - and this is prepared text, answers to pressing questions, pictures, videos, surprises, a rabbit... Sorry, you can do without the rabbit;)

You and I know that selling text is often built on the “fact - benefit” principle. You list facts about your company, deciphering for candidates what good each one gives them. It’s a good idea to prepare a company presentation in this vein. It’s great if it’s supported by slides, videos, and photographs.

Approximate structure of the first part

1. Organizational aspects of the meeting: format, how long it will take, what will be the result. It is important to outline the rules of the interview, say again that there will be a practical block, and remind you of the right to ask questions. Emphasize that this is not an exam with right and wrong answers, but an opportunity for the applicant to get to know the company better and “try on” this job.
2. About the company: brand, history, geography, your features and advantages (you are on home page website, you usually write them), who your client is and why he chooses you. There are good films about the company, promotional videos, and product samples.
3. Your product. If you produce or sell something, present your product. We understand: it’s bad when employees appear who are disloyal to the product, even if you hire movers. In addition, this is an opportunity to promote your product. The applicant is also a consumer. Imagine that there are buyers in front of you: show, tell, give a mini-tour; share a life hack on how to distinguish your product from low-quality copies, give it a try, ask a riddle in the end.
4. Your values, principles, mission, your philosophy. Moreover, the more truthful and realistic, the better. In addition, we will need this philosophy for the second part.
5. About the position: title, main tasks, opportunities for this position. It is important to remember that every position has its advantages. Small salary? Well, this is an opportunity to get free qualifications and experience. Lots of work? Then it’s worth noting career growth, rapid development and variety of tasks (if any of this is expected, but not immediately obvious).
6. About compensation. Be sure to tell us about payment, conditions for receiving bonuses, and non-material bonuses. Cover as much detail as possible about everything the candidate can get from you. This is where photos from corporate events, videos about company training, employee selfies and a sample VHI policy fit well.
7. AND organizational issues for the position: schedule, terms of employment, necessary documents, how the probationary period goes, and so on.

Now we will give candidates the opportunity to ask questions and leave us if the conditions do not suit them. It is important to indicate the right to leave, otherwise shy and well-mannered people will sit until the end: they will waste their time and part of our attention will go to them.

Part 2. Activities

And now the fun begins - tasks in which your candidates will be able to demonstrate their qualities and skills.

I recommend preparing an assessment sheet with qualities and tasks in advance. We need to understand what quality we want to see manifested. Because it is the qualities that your specialist needs that will determine the choice of tasks.

For example, we want to assess a person’s ability to speak coherently, freely, and quickly find words (we are selecting a sales manager). We can give tasks:

• talk about your work achievement and professional mistake;
• Prepare a one-minute speech on the proposed topic, clarifying your opinion and position (for example, is it worth keeping money in foreign currency?).

At this stage everything is simple. Candidates complete the task, show results, and you watch how the quality or skill you need manifests itself.

Important point! All tasks should be quite short: no more than a couple of minutes per person if the task is personal, and up to 15 minutes if it is a group task.

I repeat, it is important to clearly define the quality that you want to evaluate and predict how approximately it may manifest itself in behavior, and track this manifestation.

For example, you want to identify leadership qualities. Then you pay attention to those who volunteer to answer first, ask questions, organize the team, distribute roles and tasks.

Group interview tasks

Let's see what qualities and skills can be tested using different tasks.

Written tasks with conditions and correct answer

For example, you give a calculated order specification and ask to determine how to reduce the cost. Or you show a list of reporting documents that are submitted to the tax office, you need to check their correctness.

What is checked: Such tasks help to confirm the candidate’s level of competence in the specialty and his way of thinking.

Self-presentation

Ask to talk about experience, skills, education, or job expectations.

What is checked:

1. Leadership: who will speak first.
2. Speech: vocabulary and logic.
3. Type of thinking: “result” - if it talks about specific facts, results, measurable indicators; “process” - if it talks about how it happened, what happened and in what order, and so on.

Expectations and effort

Ask the candidate to choose a card from a set of those offered (and you’ve prepared) with the most important thing he wants to get from the job. You can only choose one card, the very best one. (The cards may include: high salary, convenient schedule, understanding boss, cheerful team, etc.)

Then ask the candidate to choose from another set, and also only one - and what he is ready to give to the company in return (for example: evening time, working on weekends, personal responsibility for the result, and so on). In another version, the candidate can fill out the second card himself.

What is checked: motivational profile.

Sell ​​an item

For example, your product. If it is complex, offer something familiar that everyone uses: cell phone, bag, comb, watch. During the “sale”, do not forget to feign doubt in order to see how the candidate reacts to objections and how he removes them.

Such tasks allow you to check:

• presentation skills.
• goodwill.
• ability to conduct dialogue.

“Why me?”

Candidates are asked to prepare a speech on the topic “Why you should hire me.”

In similar cases you can check:

1. Motivation to work.
2. Stress resistance.
3. Behavior strategy: competition, cooperation, withdrawal.

Choosing a solution

Candidates are given a problem problem with an open solution. It involves conflict and several solutions. Here's an example.

Case "Brigadier"

You are a team foreman on an ice cream packaging line. You have seven people under your command. In connection with the optimization of the number of employees, they are transferred from basic rates to a new form of employment contract. The peculiarity of such an agreement: there are no social benefits (sick leave, vacation pay, additional payments) and no registration work book, which affects continuity of work experience and pension savings.

You are offered only two options:

1. The entire brigade is transferred to a new contract. In this case, written statements from each employee are required.
2. The team is laying off two workers; everyone else is working under the same conditions.

What will you choose and how will you act? Why?

In such cases they check willingness to make decisions and type of thinking: whether he is looking for a way out, what or whom he sacrifices, how he justifies it.

"Crafts"

Candidates are asked to do something with their hands, physically. Relevant when we want to test a skill.

For example:

1. Collect a “look” from the available clothing items.
2. Prepare a dish from the products offered)))
3. Make a weld on the given workpiece.
4. Refill the cartridge.
5. Disassemble the phone.
6. Type text.
7. Draw a layout on the topic “Skills required for the vacancy.”

Team assignments

Candidates will have to work as a team. A group discussion, search for a solution, its implementation and presentation of the results are expected.

Case "Newest production"

You are managers of the Horns and Hooves holding, which supplies the Omsk market with an innovative product - Leneulovitel. This device allows you to assess the level of natural laziness in a person. The laziness indicator shows how inert a person is and prone to inaction. Such a device is simply irreplaceable when assessing employees and selecting personnel.

The device is produced at the Novosibirsk Research Institute. You are a dealer of this research institute. This device retails for 25,000 rubles; purchase price - 13,800 rubles.

Your customer is a large manufacturing company that produces ice cream. The number of personnel is more than 1,500 employees. Recruitment is ongoing and the company tries to optimize the costs of this process. Your decision-maker is the head of the procurement service, Pyotr Vasilievich Kholodny. The customer initiated the contact by contacting you with a request to send a commercial proposal. - Ed. HR-Journal) for your products.

You know for sure that the customer has also requested CP from your competitors.

The team’s task is to prepare an offer for your product and present your offer to the customer.

The proposal must be drawn up on paper (A4 format, no more than two sheets) and handed over to the customer’s representatives before the start of the presentation.

Case “A round the world trip”

For excellent work, your company is rewarded with a ten-day tourist trip. Players may not care about material costs - “everything is paid for!”

Your task is to determine the travel route: all the countries and cities you want to visit. The only limitation: your route should cover only 5 countries and no more than 7 cities, you simply won’t have time for more.

Attention! Since the order is a group one, it requires 100% agreement of all travelers with the cruise program.

And again attention! The route should be drawn up quickly (indicating the length of stay at each point). Ticket sales end in 10 minutes!

In such cases they check:

• leadership;
• the role that the candidate tends to choose in team work;
• strategies for interaction with other participants.

Part 3. Mutual choice

This final stage interviews. Here you give feedback to the participants and communicate your decision.

First, invite participants to ask questions and again remind them of the right to leave. And tell the rest who you are ready to invite to the next stage.

It is important to thank the participants, tell those with whom you are parting with what competencies were missing, and on the basis of which you made this decision.

It’s more correct to talk not about a person’s qualities - “you’re lazy,” but about how these qualities showed up during the interview, and why this might interfere with your job. For example: “You did not participate in the group discussion and did not complete your part of the work; for us, this is fraught with delays in work projects and dissatisfaction with clients.”

Inform selected candidates what the next step is, passwords and appearances.

Purpose of group interview

• Weed out obviously unsuitable candidates.
• Test applicants for stress resistance (during such an interview, many begin to get nervous, show aggression and irritation, which is unacceptable in a position that involves direct communication with people).
• Study the behavior of the applicant in a team (for some, a group interview may be disorienting, while charismatic individuals with leadership abilities will try to stand out from the rest of the applicants).
• Assess communication skills.

When is the group interview held?

A group interview is carried out when:

• low importance of the vacancy;
• large number applicants;
• hiring for mass vacancies that do not require high vocational training;
• selection of personnel in several stages, the cumulative results of which will be taken into account when the employer makes the final decision;
• hiring for certain positions (we are talking about salespeople, couriers, call center specialists, customer service managers).

Advantages of a group (collective) interview

Group interviews have their advantages and disadvantages, the main ones of which we will discuss below.

• Saving employer time, especially if you urgently need to hire an employee.

• Opportunity for the employer objectively compare several applicants for a position, as well as identify withdrawn, irritable and impatient individuals.

• For an applicant, a collective interview is useful because it allows you to understand your weaknesses and strengths compared to other applicants. strengths, assess the level of opponents, see how more experienced specialists behave and draw a conclusion about what needs to be worked on in order to appear more prepared and collected next time, which will increase the chances of getting the position.

Disadvantages of a group (collective) interview

• Inability to pay sufficient attention to each applicant. As a result, the employer may miss character traits that would have emerged during an individual interview. For example, a passive candidate may be a good professional, but at the same time a modest person, while an active applicant may ultimately turn out to be a self-confident and vain lazy person and an upstart, who will later say goodbye to probationary period.

• A group interview can take 2–3 hours, which is a disadvantage for the applicant.

• Lack of close attention from the recruiter, as a result of which the applicant has the mistaken opinion that he is not being looked at. Result: relaxation, inattention, lack of concentration of the candidate. Remember: the recruiter is not asleep, and therefore at the most inconvenient moment for you he can ask a question that will unsettle you!

How is a group interview conducted?

Having an idea of ​​how a group interview goes, you can prepare for it as efficiently as possible, which will give you confidence and increase your chances of getting the desired vacancy.

Company presentation

At this stage, the interviewer briefly talks about the company itself. And here it is very important that the applicant not only listens carefully, but also asks questions, the answers to which will help him understand whether he will cope with this vacancy. After all, there are often situations when the internal culture of a company is attractive and completely satisfactory, while the work process cannot be established due to a lack of experience and professionalism.

Interview Questionnaire

Questioning is the simplest and most common method, which allows you not only to “get to know” potential applicants, but also not to “lose” those invited to a group interview. This interview format allows you to indicate only the information that you consider necessary.

Brief self-presentation

This is an integral part of a group interview, suggesting that each applicant will briefly talk about himself (to be more precise, he will unobtrusively advertise himself and his professional abilities). But what to do if you are literally paralyzed? fear of public speaking?

• Prepare and speak your presentation at home in advance.

• Come up with short positive statement, which will help you get ready before the performance. For example: “I will succeed!”, “I am an excellent speaker!”.

• Breathe correctly, because breathing is strongly connected with any of our emotions. To calm down, breathe slowly and deeply into your belly. A breathing technique in which you inhale for 6 seconds and exhale for 6 seconds will be useful.

• Hum a song to yourself which helps you calm down.

• Take a leader's pose: straighten your back, pull your shoulders back, look at the horizon, place your feet shoulder-width apart, with your toes turned slightly outward, your knees straight. This body position gives confidence and speaks of a person’s optimism and determination.

If none of the above techniques help, it is better to smile and say that you are worried. The employer will appreciate your honesty. But it is better not to use this technique more than once.

Group tasks for interviews

During a group interview, applicants may be divided into groups and asked to complete a specific task. These can be logic tasks, dramatization of a specific situation, or a game form of communication. Each group should have a leader who can be chosen by the recruiter himself, but most often the informal leader makes himself known.

Such tasks help to understand whether the applicant knows how to work in a team, how creative, sociable and patient he is, whether he has leadership inclinations and whether he is able to defend his personal opinion with arguments.

At this stage, about a quarter of applicants will be eliminated by the employer, while the remaining applicants will undergo an individual or panel interview.

Panel interview

A panel interview assumes that several company employees will talk to one applicant at once. This approach makes it possible to study the personal and professional characteristics of the candidate thoroughly, without losing sight of important details. A panel interview is conducted in cases where it is necessary to test the candidate’s competence in a highly specialized industry.

Features of a panel interview

• All interviewers can actively participate in the interview, or they can act as attentive listeners and take notes.
• Each recruiter evaluates the applicant individually according to his own criteria.
• It is possible to model obviously stressful scenarios, which assume different behavior of interviewers: some will be silent, some will interrupt colleagues and the applicant himself, some will constantly ask questions.
• During such an interview, it is extremely difficult to establish contact with all recruiters and predict the development and outcome of the interview.
• The panel interview can be divided into several individual conversations, which is undoubtedly preferable for the applicant.

Reputable companies with a good reputation warn about a panel interview so that the candidate for the position is prepared in advance for the specifics of such an interview and is able to demonstrate his best qualities, and didn’t get lost and nervous in front of the recruiters, feeling like he was being cross-examined.

To win over recruiters during a panel interview, follow these guidelines:

• Demonstrate good manners, attentiveness and respect for the interviewers by addressing each by name and patronymic (if you know that you will not be able to remember the names of all recruiters, then it is better to make appropriate notes in a notebook).
• Be sure to answer each interviewer personally, looking them in the eye.
• Don't get angry, irritated or upset if one of the recruiters is harsh with you (it is likely that one of their tasks in the interview is to unsettle the applicant).
• Try to identify the main interviewer among those present and contact him more often, both verbally and visually. But keep in mind that the person who asks the most questions is not always in charge.
• Take your time with your answers and don’t try to carry on a conversation with everyone at once.
• At the end of the interview, make eye contact with each interviewer and thank them for their attention and time.

How to pass a group interview?

A group interview is a real stress for the applicant, and it is quite possible to survive it safely if you adhere to simple rules given below.

• If you were not warned in advance that the interview will be a group interview, don't be scared and don't leave. Even if you don't make it to the next stage of the interview, it will be a good experience that may be useful to you in the future.

• Don't be afraid to take the initiative during a group interview: offer your ways to solve the problems, defend your point of view, but at the same time respect the opinions of other applicants. Remember that your main goal at such an interview is to stand out from other applicants.

• Don't relax: follow the interview progress closely, even if the recruiter does not communicate directly with you, because a false sense of security in such a situation can play a cruel joke on you.

• Don't forget about the rules of business etiquette: even if the answers of other candidates for a position seem boring, uninteresting and monotonous to you, listen carefully to them without yawning or interrupting.

• When criticizing your competitors, do so politely and reasonably. Argue your point of view, offering constructive solution one task or another. But here is an unfounded phrase thrown in passing: “What nonsense!” or “I wouldn’t do that!” speaks of tactlessness and lack of respect for other people's opinions.

• Don't be stingy with a nod of approval or praise from another candidate if you think he deserves it: believe me, the employer will definitely appreciate it showing friendliness and politeness towards a competitor.

• Remember that smile, friendliness and cheerfulness are conducive to themselves and open many doors. In addition, you do not know exactly what criteria will be used to select candidates at this stage. It is quite possible that your openness will increase your chances of getting the desired vacancy.

• Maintain your individuality and don’t give in to the herd mentality. Say what you think and feel, not what the majority thinks. Always stick to your personal, informed position, and do not rely on the answers of other applicants.

• Don't lie and don't cheat, especially if you don’t know how to do it. This looks stupid and unprofessional, so experienced recruiters will immediately notice this, which will reduce the chances of getting the coveted vacancy to zero. Moreover, in this century information technology It’s easy to double-check information related to your work activity.
• Keep Spartan Calm, even if they try to throw you out of balance with all sorts of provocative questions or actions. If you consider the recruiter’s question to be incorrect, state this directly, thereby demonstrating your feeling self-esteem. But under no circumstances should you be confrontational or rude.

• Raising your voice during an interview is not acceptable, and this applies to both the applicant and the recruiter.

• If you did not hear or did not quite understand the interviewer’s question, do not hesitate to ask again or clarify information. It is not recommended to use the phrases: “I don’t understand” or “I’m hard of hearing.” It’s better to modify the wording: “I understood correctly.”

If you were unable to successfully pass a group interview, analyze your answers, objectively evaluate your self-presentation and behavior, compare yourself with your competitors and work on your mistakes. Take what happened not as a personal defeat, but as a new experience in your life.

Stressful interview

For applicants for certain positions, interviews can be conducted in a stressful manner, which allows test the candidate’s resistance to stress and his ability to control himself, regardless of the circumstances. Let's consider the features of conducting such an interview and the rules of behavior that will help you pass it with dignity.

But first, let’s talk about what types of personnel require a stressful interview.

At risk are:

• banking workers;
• sales managers;
• advertising managers;
• management team, especially if the work is related to the service sector;
• insurance agents;
• workers whose professional activity associated with high psychological and emotional stress (rescuers, emergency workers, firefighters, police);
• reporters and journalists;
• service industry workers.

Important! Stress interviews can be conducted for both ordinary employees and managers senior management. In the first case, the purpose of such an interview is to test the candidate for patience, restraint, tact and ability to resolve conflicts. In the second, to identify the applicant’s ability to accept balanced and right decisions in non-standard situations that require maximum composure.

Stress interview examples

It is impossible to predict exactly what a stressful interview will be like. Let's look at the most popular techniques used by employers, which will help the applicant to prepare himself psychologically and not get confused during an interview of this format.

After all, the company does not always warn that the interview will be held in a non-standard form in order to take the candidate by surprise (and here you should think about whether you want to work in a company where employees are “tested for strength” in such an incorrect way).

Endless wait for an interview

The candidate is invited for an interview at a specified time. But at X-hour the secretary (or the recruiter himself) asks the applicant to wait a little. This “little” can last for 10–15 minutes, after which the interview is again shifted to another 10–15 minutes, and at this very time the recruiter can have a pleasant conversation with colleagues or leisurely stroll around the office. Be prepared that the wait for an interview can last up to an hour.

How to end the long wait for an interview? The answer to this question largely depends on what position you are applying for.

If you came to the company as an ordinary employee, you will have to be patient and wait for an invitation to an interview. At the same time, the waiting time can and should be used to benefit yourself and your image. How to do this? Read a book (make sure you have one in advance) or a magazine suggested by the secretary. In this way, you will not only demonstrate complete calm and self-control, but also show yourself as an erudite and well-read person who knows how to spend his free time profitably.

If you are planning to take a leadership position in a company, remember that the delay in this case should not be more than 15 minutes, after which you should ask the secretary or recruiter why the interview time has shifted. If they cannot clearly explain to you the reasons for the delay, calmly inform that you can no longer expect an interview, politely say goodbye and leave the company.

You must be respected as a leader, so maintaining your self-esteem in such a situation is extremely important, not to mention the fact that by your actions you will demonstrate the ability to tactfully decide conflict situations. Most often, such departure is followed by a call from the company with an offer to reschedule the meeting, and at a time that is most convenient for the applicant.

Repeating questionnaire

This technique involves asking the applicant to fill out a questionnaire or take a test. Moreover, you will have to do this “routine work” more than once due to the fact that the employer, for example, will not understand your handwriting or will see errors or blots. In addition, the same questions in a questionnaire or test may be asked several times. In a similar way, such character qualities of the candidate as endurance, patience and the ability to calmly perform monotonous and routine work are tested.

Sometimes this type of verification can be complicated by the fact that the applicant is not given space to fill out the application form. In this case, you should not be modest and, sitting on your knees, cope with the task. You must show that you respect yourself, so in this situation, find out where you can go to fill out the form in a comfortable and convenient environment.

Boorish behavior at an interview

The name of the interview tactics speaks for itself. Thus, a recruiter can constantly interrupt the candidate, be rude, criticize and even accuse him of incompetence, and become on a first-name basis. This behavior of the employer should take the applicant out of his comfort zone, make him nervous and make mistakes, get angry and make excuses.

How to act in such a situation?

• Focus on the questions, and not on the recruiter’s unpleasant comments.

• Don't make excuses, if you think that the accusation or reproach from the employer is unfair. Either provide counterarguments, or answer that you came to the interview to get a job, while you did the work on the mistakes made at your previous job on your own.

• Don't let it go to "you" in the employer’s communication with you (remember about self-esteem and the rules of business etiquette). If, nevertheless, such treatment was allowed, politely inform the recruiter that such treatment is unacceptable in the interview format.

Framework for an interview

This is a rather unpleasant and incorrect way of working with a candidate, which consists in the fact that the recruiter asks many uncomfortable questions that affect the candidate’s family or sexual life, his religious or political views.

At the same time, the interviewer can comment on your answers and continue to develop the topic, arguing that he wants to liberate you in this way and calm your anxiety. This is a lie! The goal is to anger and infuriate the applicant, and also to test his ability not only to cope with a stressful situation, but also his ability to fight back, including his superiors.

Important! Remember that politics, sex and religion are forbidden topics during an interview, so questions related to them can and should be delicately left unanswered, citing the fact that this information has absolutely nothing to do with your professional skills in general and employment in this company in particular.

Hell at an interview

Fortunately, such a tough format of a stressful interview is not often practiced, since it can really spoil nervous system applicant. This “hell” is set up in a small, dim room with broken furniture: a chair on wobbly legs, old table, on which there is a lamp, the light of which hits the applicant directly in the face - all these are the attributes of such an interview.

The employer’s main task in this case is to assess the candidate’s level of self-esteem and patience.

Advice! You should not humbly wait for the end of such an interview. On the contrary, you must immediately ask that the objects that cause you discomfort (for example, a blinding lamp or a broken chair) be replaced or removed, and the room ventilated (if it is smoky). Usually, after such a request from the applicant, the office is quickly put in order, or the interview is moved to another room.

Good and bad cop at interview

An interview with several recruiters is already stressful for many applicants, and if the interview is also stressful, then it is extremely difficult to concentrate in such an environment. Especially if one of the interviewers plays the role of a “bad cop”, asking a large number of provocative and not always tactful questions. In parallel, the second “good” interviewer asks predictable questions related to the candidate’s professional field of activity.

The purpose of such an interview:

• check the candidate’s honesty, since under stressful conditions it is very difficult to lie quickly and plausibly;
• test the applicant's reaction speed and ability to concentrate.

Advice! Don’t panic and give reliable answers to recruiters, because sooner or later, if you lie, they will lead you to clean water. And do not forget that you may well leave incorrect questions unanswered.

Sacrifice for work

This technique consists in the fact that the recruiter can suggest that the candidate change his haircut or hair color in order to get a position in the company. Or he may ask, what sacrifices can you make for the sake of work? This question is asked to assess the ability of a future employee to respond diplomatically to the inflated desires and demands of clients or managers.

Advice! A light joke on this topic will help defuse the situation (for example, you can answer that you won’t part with your gorgeous hair, but you can sacrifice your lunch break for your favorite job if necessary). You can also politely refuse such offers, explaining that work for you is a source of not only material well-being, but also moral pleasure, and therefore you do not consider the use of the concept of “sacrifice” appropriate in this context.

But by agreeing to the employer’s offer, you will show yourself not as a risky adventurer, but as a soft and pliable person, unable to defend his personal interests.

Shock interview

A truly shocking and humiliating method in which a glass of water is poured over the candidate. And in this case, the main thing for the applicant is to show character and not remain silent. This does not mean that you should throw your fists at your offender and shout unpleasant statements at him. No!

Advice! As calmly and restrainedly as possible, ask the culprit to apologize. If you are not given an apology, leave the interview with your head held high.

How to pass a stressful interview?

Here are a few universal advice, guided by which you can pass a stressful interview with minimal risks.

• Show patience and restraint, no matter who or how you are provoked.

• If you are confident in your abilities (and we are talking not only about professionalism, but also about the ability to control yourself), you can play along with the recruiter a little. Or immediately indicate that you guessed the stressful format of the interview.

• A great help in any situation, including a stressful interview, is a sense of humor. A good joke will not only help defuse the situation, but will also endear you to your interlocutors.

• When answering awkward and tricky questions, use ingenuity and resourcefulness, which will help you answer in a non-trivial way.

• Do not show confusion, embarrassment, fear or aggression.

• Do not be rude or rude in response, since this is exactly what is expected of you at this type of interview.

And one more thing: remember that your professional skills should and will be appreciated, and if not in this, then in another company. In addition, if a company uses this kind of interviews when recruiting personnel, there is no guarantee that even after being hired you will not work under constant pressure and pressure from management that does not adhere to the corporate culture.

What questions are asked at an interview?

To successfully pass an interview, it is important not only to possess professional skills, but also to be able to present yourself in a favorable light to the interviewer, answering his questions with dignity. We’ll talk about the most common questions asked during an interview next.

Tell us about yourself?

The essence of this question is not just to find out about a person, but to immediately evaluate his speech literacy, the ability to highlight the main and secondary, setting priorities.

The story must contain information exclusively about work achievements directly related to future work. There is no need to restate your resume, since you have already become familiar with it.

Advice! Clarify what exactly the interviewer wants to hear. This will help not only give a more accurate answer, but also buy time to cope with anxiety and collect your thoughts.

Tell the recruiter about:

• recent professional achievements;
• specialized education and advanced training courses;
• personal qualities that help in work;
• career goals;
• factors that brought you to this company.

Important! Spend about 30 seconds on each of the categories listed above, so you will be able to present yourself in 2 to 3 minutes.

And remember that there are taboo topics during an interview, namely, family and financial problems, politics, religion and intimacy. Even if you are provoked, try to gracefully avoid such questions, thereby you will show a loyal attitude towards people, regardless of their views on life.

What is your marital status?

By asking this question, the employer wants to clarify several points:

• will you be able to stay late at work if necessary, that is, work overtime;
• go on urgent and long-term business trips;
• Do you have small children who are often sick and who need to be taken out of kindergarten and school?

Advice! Answer this question as truthfully as possible, do not lie or bully, but correctly explain that your marital status and the presence of children will in no way affect the quality and speed of the work performed. Subsequently, if you establish yourself as a responsible and professional employee, you will definitely be given concessions in exceptional force majeure situations.

Why did you leave your previous job?

It is important for the employer to know not only why you decided to change the company, but also whether you can take responsibility and admit your mistakes.

Advice! You should not scold your bosses and colleagues, complain that you were underpaid and forced to work without lunch and weekends, and that your contribution to the common cause was not appreciated. The employer will instantly project the situation onto himself and understand that if you decide to quit, you will begin to tell unpleasant things about their company, which will harm its reputation.

It is better to answer that you had certain personal difficulties, there was no career growth, you decided to change your occupation and apply your skills and knowledge in a slightly different area. It would be appropriate to refer to the territorial distance of your previous place of work from home or a schedule that no longer suits you.

But you shouldn’t lie, because if necessary, the employer can always call your old place of work and find out the true reasons for your dismissal.

Why did it take you so long to find a job?

This question is especially relevant if there was a long break between the date of dismissal and employment.

Advice! Do not say that all the previously offered vacancies were unworthy of you and did not meet your high requirements, since this is perceived as excessive self-confidence and ambition. In addition, you should not answer that you tried to get a job many times, but for unknown reasons you were rejected everywhere. The employer is not a benefactor, and therefore is interested in valuable and qualified employees, and professionals in their field are unlikely to be denied 20 companies in a row.

Important! Explain the long break from work by saying that you were engaged in self-development, attending courses and trainings. If the reason for the protracted “forced leave” was family problems, then tell the recruiter about this, but add that today you have completely solved all the problems, and therefore are ready to work at full capacity.

Why do you want to work in our company?

This question is asked to check the focus on a specific company and awareness of its activities.

It is important for any employer that its employee does not just perform his job mechanically, but is also interested in the growth of the company, in its well-being and development. Therefore, if you want to make a good impression at an interview, study in advance the company’s activities, its achievements and market position. And don’t forget to voice all these points in your answer, emphasizing the fact that you have always wanted to work in such a promising company, especially since you can make your contribution to its development.

Advice! The recruiter should not know that perhaps this vacancy just came your way or best option To date, you have not yet found that you are simply satisfied with the salary or the office is located near your home. In addition, an explanation based on the applicant’s financial problems will be perceived negatively: loans, sick relatives, paying for housing, etc. You must show that you came not only to earn money, but also to participate in the development of the company.

What positive and negative qualities of your former boss can you name?

A recruiter has several goals when asking this question. Firstly, it tests how tactful you are. Secondly, it compares the ideal of the applicant’s boss with the principles that are accepted in their company.

Therefore, if you described former boss If you are compliant and kind, and in this company discipline and pragmatism are important, then you are unlikely to get the coveted position. In addition, by praising your former boss, you will thereby impose the image of an ideal boss on the new boss.

But there’s no point in scolding the former leadership for what it’s worth, it looks incompetent and childish.

Advice! Ideal option The answer is general phrases and no specifics. For example, “my boss was a professional in his field, but he was not always able to keep up with the times.” You can avoid answering by citing the fact that all people have advantages and disadvantages, which you do not consider correct to discuss.

What are your achievements and failures as a specialist?

This question is asked to test your honesty and ability to admit your mistakes.

Advice! It’s better to operate with numbers, even if percentage. For example, sales increased by so many percent, the level of returns decreased by so much, etc. Three to five achievements will be enough to create a favorable image.

Mistakes should also be mentioned, but be sure to explain their cause and clarify that you drew conclusions from the mistakes made or were able to subsequently correct them. One (maximum two) examples will be enough to demonstrate your ability to be critical of yourself.

What are your strengths and weaknesses?

The recruiter’s task is to find out how self-critical and demanding a person is of himself.

Advice! The five listed advantages are quite enough: diligence, responsibility, discipline, the ability to adequately perceive criticism, non-conflict.

Do not forget to mention your shortcomings, because ideal people do not exist, but it is important to present them correctly. This can either be a humorous form (for example, “I’m so lazy that I try to complete the outlined work area efficiently and quickly, so that I can leave work on time and not work after hours”). You can indicate that you are successfully struggling with your disadvantages, and therefore they in no way interfere with your professional duties.

What salary level suits you?

The employer wants to check whether the future employee is primarily focused on material gain or whether he is ready to work for the future in order to earn more over time. At the same time, this question can tell about the level of self-esteem of the applicant.

Advice! Immediately before the interview, study the labor market, which will help you assess your qualifications and determine the most acceptable salary amount for you. It is recommended to quote an amount approximately 10% higher: if the company is successful and you can interest it, then it is likely that the requested amount will be satisfied. And if not, then you will definitely receive the salary level you originally expected.

How quickly can you get to work?

This is a trick question: the recruiter not only wants to find out how quickly you will begin to benefit the company, but also tests you for integrity and responsibility.

Advice! Don’t say that if necessary, you can start work tomorrow (it’s even worse if you start saying that you’ll now buy a sick leave or leave your previous place of work in English without saying goodbye). The new employer will definitely perceive this negatively, since he understands perfectly well that you can leave him in a similar way.

It is better to focus on the fact that you first need to transfer your affairs and unfinished objects to your colleagues, and if the bosses from your previous place of work let you go earlier, then you will be happy to start sooner than in 2 weeks.

How long do you plan to work with us?

With this question, the interviewer is trying to find out what the applicant’s goals and motives are, whether he is ready to work for the future or whether working in this company is a “transfer point” for him.

Advice! If you are not sure that you will work in this company for at least several years, it is better to say that you should work at least a little to understand whether the company is suitable for you, and you for it, whether you like the team, whether you can cope with the tasks. And if everyone is satisfied with everything, then you will make every effort to ensure that cooperation with this company is long, mutually beneficial and productive.

Where do you see yourself after 3–5 years of working in the company?

Any company needs purposeful and ambitious employees, because they are its engine. So don't be shy about talking about moving up the career ladder. BUT! Don't overdo it! It should not be said that in 5 years you see yourself in the chair of the head of a company or at least one of the company’s branches.

Advice! Remember that modesty adorns a person. Therefore, base your answer on the fact that you see yourself, first of all, as an experienced specialist in the position of senior manager who does not rest on his laurels, and therefore develops and grows with the company.

What reward would you prefer for a job well done?

This question helps the employer understand not only your value system, but also incentives, which will subsequently motivate you to work better.

Advice! Be truthful about what motivates you: bonuses, extra days off, official recognition of your services to the company. But it’s not worth telling that you don’t work for the sake of rewards and incentives; the recruiter is unlikely to believe in your altruism.

What can you say about your life and work philosophy?

This seemingly simple question leads many job seekers to a dead end. What can you tell us about yourself? About your qualities?

Advice! Don't philosophize! Yes, yes. Remember that brevity is the sister of talent, even when it comes to philosophical categories. Tell us about how you overcome the difficulties that arise, how you cope with heavy workloads and organize your time. Mention what inspires you and helps you replenish your physical and mental strength.

But the stories about how you stop a horse in its tracks, and walk into a burning hut, and give your last shirt to a friend, keep it to yourself and don’t ask for a compliment.

And remember the main thing: do not play any roles, but be as open and sincere as possible, then they will definitely want to see you as part of the team in the new company.

Saving time is one of the main reasons to interview in bulk. “If the HR service has a small number of employees, then it is impossible to receive about 50 people a day and talk to each individual individually. Therefore, along with personal interviews, the company also conducts group interviews,” said Irina Belendryasova, head of the mass selection department at Rusfinance Bank. In addition, a group interview is a great way to see how a person behaves in a team, as well as evaluate his behavior in stressful situations. “We see how the candidate feels in the team, whether he can manage himself. Many people start to get nervous and show aggression, and in positions that involve communicating with people, this is unacceptable,” says Irina.

How does a group interview work?

The fact that the interview to which the candidate is invited is a group is warned in best case scenario before the people gathered. At worst, you come to an interview and are surprised to discover that there are 6 (15, 20) people like you. As a rule, candidates are divided into groups according to areas, located at a round table or simply in a room with chairs. The ratio of candidates to vacancies can be 10 to 4. This is ideal. The maximum that Irina Belendryasova had to work with at the same time was 22 people, but, according to her, it is very difficult to hold the attention of so many applicants.

There is such an opinion

Zifa Dimitrieva, Managing Partner International Institute management: “In my opinion, conducting a group interview is a manifestation of disrespect for the personality of the candidate. Every person is unique and entitled to their 15 minutes of “fame” when they apply for a job.” A participant in a group interview is initially always a loser. And the benefit that the employer receives is questionable. On the one hand, it is immediately clear who is actively fighting for a vacancy and who is passive. On the other hand, the motives of both are unknown. Perhaps the passive candidate is simply more modest or knows his worth? And the active one is just a hysterical personality? As a result, the one who remained silent the most will not be hired - they will decide that he is “no good.” And with the “active” one, only during the probationary period will it become clear that this was “naked” ambition with a complete lack of professionalism. I consider it more effective to conduct a group assessment center (candidate assessment center), during which team games. Even if the candidate does not qualify for the vacancy, the assessment will increase his chances of getting a job elsewhere. This is vital training for the candidate. And for the employer, it is an opportunity, in a less stressful environment than a formal interview, to reveal applicants and observe their practical skills.

The interview is always conducted according to a script.

Interactive communication, the topic of which is the company itself. Eichar talks about the organization, answers questions, asks what candidates know about the company and why they want to work here. People are then told about the position they are applying for and the psychological factors of the job.

Self-presentation. The recruiter can ask each candidate to argue in a few minutes why he or she should be hired for the position in question. Sometimes future managers are invited to such a self-presentation and evaluate the applicants’ answers.

Role play. “For example, we interview “sales people” who will have to submit banking services by phone or retail outlets, - says Irina Belendryasova. - We divide the group into two camps: sellers and buyers. People have to sell each other completely unimaginable things, and we observe and draw conclusions about how suitable a person is for the job.”

Pros and cons

An absolute minus is that a group interview, in which 20 candidates participate, can last 2-2.5 hours. Imagine: the fifteenth person is talking about himself, and there is another boring five ahead...

Candidates view the lack of increased attention from the recruiter as a plus. But there is a catch here. Among a large number of people, there is an illusion that the recruiter is not looking at you at all. The result is lack of composure and relaxation. “During an individual interview, the candidate is asked direct questions, and, as a rule, he gives socially correct answers to them,” comments Belendryasova. “In a large group, the candidate does not feel close attention and begins to show his “real” self and behave more informally.” Remember - the recruiter sees everything.

People are afraid of competition public speaking. This is one of the reasons why companies are moving away from group interviews. Ekaterina Zaitseva, HR specialist of the department retail sales IKEA does not believe that a mass interview provides an opportunity to understand how well candidates share the company’s culture and its values, and to reveal the candidate’s potential.

“In any case, this is only a preliminary stage of selection, which does not allow us to make a final positive decision on each applicant,” recalls Svetlana Trofimova, head of the personnel selection department at VimpelCom. “Candidates who successfully pass the group interview are required to attend a short personal interview later with both HR representatives and their immediate supervisor.”

Anna Kuznetsova advises not to get lost, show initiative, offer your own solutions to problems and be polite and correct towards other candidates. “Even if it seems to you that you look weaker compared to your competitors, do not despair - it is unknown what criteria the choice will ultimately be made by,” she says.

According to Irina Belendryasova, it is very important to preserve individuality. “For example, very often the whole group begins to present itself in the same style in which the first candidate did it. There is no need to succumb to the herd mentality. Speak only for yourself, be natural - this is very important,” she advises.

And here is the reaction of a direct participant in such an interview: “At first the situation is shocking. But then you realize that your competitors are also experiencing the same condition, you pull yourself together and begin to complete tasks, demonstrating resistance to stress and the ability to work in a team. In the end, everything went well for me, but even if I didn’t pass the interview, I would be grateful for this experience.”

A mass interview is an interview of several applicants at the same time. Such a conversation is held in the format of a group training, during which strengths and weaknesses candidates. How to organize a group interview correctly and what features of its conduct should a recruiter pay attention to?

It is advisable to use the mass interview format in the following cases:

IN short terms it is necessary to select several employees for the same position;

A candidate for a position must be tested in communication with other people for aggressiveness, ability to respond to stressful situations, etc.;

An employee must be selected in a short time; there is no time for a lengthy selection of candidates.

Any interview, including a mass one, is structured depending on the characteristics and preferences of the organization. Unfortunately, there is no universal method that would suit everyone. But there is a convenient scheme for mass interviews, on the basis of which you can build your own, unique interview.

Universal scheme of mass interview:

1. Introductory part (introduction to the organization).

Introductory part, beginning of the interview. At the moment, The person conducting the interview has two tasks:

Tell about the company and the vacant position in such a way as to interest applicants;

Set up candidates for an unusual pastime - make sure they feel comfortable and exciting;

To liberate and introduce applicants for vacancies to each other - the interview should take place in the format of a dialogue, it is possible for applicants to communicate with each other.

It is important to remember here that an interview is primarily a conversation when the employer evaluates applicants, and applicants evaluate working conditions at a possible place of work. Under no circumstances should you cross the line for both the interviewer and the applicants for the position. At this stage there should be no shouting, arguing, or familiar communication.

2. Practical part.

After the applicants told about themselves, they found out short story about the organization, you can proceed to filling out questionnaires and tests. It is necessary to use the organization's standard questionnaire and tests, depending on which vacancy is currently vacant. This could be a condensed version of an IQ test, a test to identify personality traits, a computer literacy test, a test to test the specifics of a future position, etc.

3. Creative part.

After the “writing” part, which is unloved by all candidates, is completed, you can begin the most interesting part of any group interview - the creative one.

Here are the possible options:

Various trainings to identify personal characteristics (leadership qualities, ability to work in a team, etc.) of candidates;

Game tasks: divided into clients and employees of the organization, HR managers and job applicants, manager and careless subordinate, etc.

We distribute short stories and ask you to retell the text, highlighting the main thing (it is important that everyone gets different stories).

4. We say goodbye to you for a while!

End of the interview, summing up. Time to answer all applicants’ questions about the company and position, and also agree on the timing of notification of the result.

HR manager's lifesavers:

To ensure that the applicant is not surprised by the format of the interview, it is best to warn him about the specifics of the proposed conversation in advance;

Tasks (both game and written) should not be long and boring - this way you can lose the interest of candidates; it is important to make the interview as dynamic and interesting as possible;

If possible, conduct an interview with 2-3 interviewers - this way the opinion about the applicants will be more objective, and the conversation will be conducted of a higher quality;

You should not recruit groups of more than 12 people for an interview - it will be difficult to keep their attention, and the quality of the conversation will significantly decrease;

Do not forget that each of the applicants is an individual, so if possible, give each of them 1-2 minutes before the interview - perhaps one of them is not ready for a mass interview and will introduce discord and a negative mood into the team;

The most suitable candidates should be invited to a secondary interview in order to obtain a more accurate result.

Using mass interviewing of candidates will allow you to save time and also look at candidates as you contact other people. A well-structured group interview has a positive effect on candidates’ opinions of the organization. In addition, preparing for such an interview is an extremely creative and interesting activity, because the final result will depend only on you.

When selecting personnel, an employer can give applicants for a free position a real test by inviting them to a meeting not face to face, but in a group. This form of interview frightens most candidates because it raises doubts in them about the adequate assessment of everyone in the general commotion. However, experts say that a group interview is not very different in essence from a traditional interview - applicants are asked the same questions. However, there are still differences from an individual conversation.

The vast majority of applicants perceive any interview, even the usual individual one (when it comes to a conversation with a HR specialist), as a stressful situation. What can we say about a conversation in a group? Upon learning of the upcoming test, the candidate may renounce his claims to the vacant position. And this despite the fact that many young people (especially university graduates) have an idea about a group interview. After all, the seminar, defense thesis, communication with the examination committee, and the simplest lesson at school is the same group interview, during which the student needs to demonstrate his knowledge against the background of fellow students, classmates, etc.

There are two types of group interviews: in the first case, a representative of the employer communicates with a group of potential employees; in the second case, several company employees conduct a conversation with one applicant (this is the so-called panel interview).

Get noticed

Suppose you find yourself in a group of candidates who, in a conversation with an HR specialist, are trying to prove their worth in the fight for a single vacancy. Difficult? Yes, yes. Under these conditions of natural selection, it is almost impossible to approach each specialist individually. But this is not the primary task of a group interview - in this case, it is more important to weed out applicants who are absolutely not suitable for the company for this position.

Such forms of interview organization are rare. It is by no means possible to apply this “collective show” in all areas. As a rule, this is how the competition for the vacancy of a courier, sales consultant, or sales manager takes place - that is, when recruiting for positions that require the candidate to have the ability to communicate freely with clients. A group interview is also acceptable when hiring for mass vacancies that do not require solid professional training from candidates.

The actual work in the group may be preceded by calmer stages: initially, for example, you will be asked to fill out a questionnaire or complete a test task. Sometimes the group interview is preceded by a conversation with the HR representative who is involved in screening at the initial stage. If after the group “performance” there are several candidates left and the personnel officer cannot single out the most worthy one from them, the next (or even more than one) stage is the group stage. It also happens differently - in a multi-stage interview system, the group form is used only at the first stage in order to save time, and then a full conversation is held with the selected candidates.

During a group interview, applicants are usually divided into several teams and asked to complete certain tasks. The tasks themselves are not difficult - this is a kind of training, during which a company representative observes how sociable and active potential employees are, how they fight for their place in the sun, how they act in an unusual environment and a stressful situation, and whether they know how to work in a team.

Such a collective review allows the employer to evaluate several candidates at one time. Even if a group interview lasts several hours, the process will still speed up. In addition, during such an interview, the employer can test the stress resistance of the applicant for a vacant position and his ability to navigate well in a dynamic situation.

After a group interview, at least a quarter of the candidates are usually eliminated. If you find it difficult to get along with people and rely more on intelligence than on communication, you can predict with a high degree of probability that you will be unlucky in this struggle. I think the unappreciated humble genius will not be consoled by the fact that the recruiter was biased and simply did not have the opportunity to see the merits of the applicant against the background of other bright applicants.

One-man theater

Much more common is a type of group interview, which is more comfortable for some applicants, when one candidate appears before two or three (or even more) representatives of the employer. A panel interview is a thoughtful move by the employer, since, unlike the previous option, the company has a chance to study the candidate objectively and from all sides, without missing anything in terms of both personal and professional qualities. And due to the fact that the moment of duplication of questions disappears, time is saved for both the applicant and the employer. Despite these obvious advantages of this type of interview, experts do not recommend using it when hiring an inexperienced person - young specialist, a recent graduate of school or university. After all, the same questions about the applicant’s work experience, reasons for leaving the previous place, expectations from new job can be asked in a less stressful situation.

A group interview with a potential employee may include a representative of the company's management, a personnel manager and the immediate head of the department in which the vacancy has appeared. These specialists ask questions related to the narrow area for which they are responsible, simultaneously assessing the candidate according to several criteria at once, and as a result receive a holistic portrait of him. For the sake of anyone, they will not take several employees away from work - the applicant is allowed to interrogate with prejudice at the final stage of selection and only if he seemed promising to the HR manager. It is most effective to use this form in cases where the vacancy requires the applicant to have highly specialized knowledge that the recruiter is not able to assess. Another reason for choosing a group interview may be doubts about the competence of the personnel officer himself, who, for example, has recently begun to perform his duties.

In reputable companies, it is customary to warn candidates in advance about what kind of stressful situation they will find themselves in, so that the person can at least tune in to what awaits him. Applicants forced to talk with several specialists at once behave differently: some calmly answer questions, trying not to bother themselves with fears; however, most people feel like they are under investigation during cross-examination, which, you see, is very unpleasant. What is especially depressing in this situation is the awareness of the fact that it is not possible to establish full contact with the interviewers - an applicant who is trying to adapt to several people at once cannot understand the completely different reactions of his interlocutors to his answers. Not only do employer representatives differ from each other in their manner of speaking, temperament, and attitude, but they also sometimes pre-distribute the roles that they will play during a group interview: one is the “good investigator,” the second is the “evil one,” the third shoots short questions and checks the speed of reaction of the “experimental”, the fourth, on the contrary, relies on thoroughness. In the emerging atmosphere of uncertainty, a job applicant may lose control of his words and blurt out too much.

A more comfortable situation for the candidate is when the conversation is led by one of the specialists, and the rest join in the conversation as needed. Another option to mitigate the situation is to break the panel interview into a series of individual conversations and pass the candidate to each other, like a relay baton.
Here is what Yuri Kataev, a personnel consultant at the Empire of Personnel holding, says about this: “A group interview is a technique quite often used by employers. When several representatives of the employer are present at the interview, several problems are solved at once. Firstly, several people can simultaneously evaluate a candidate with different sides: HR manager - from a psychological point of view, from the point of view of integrating a new employee into the team; the immediate supervisor - from the professional point of view of the candidate’s competence in this business. Secondly, a group interview will help test a candidate’s resistance to stress, since the interview itself is stressful for a person, and when several people talk to him at once, the state of stress increases in direct proportion to the number of interviewers.

It is much less common to have multiple candidates attend one interview. The only situation when this is really justified is if several equal specialists apply for one vacancy. In this case, you can provide applicants with the opportunity to stand out and demonstrate their leadership qualities. How a candidate should behave depends on the specific circumstances and what the employer wants. If the position involves leading a team, it is necessary, accordingly, to demonstrate as much organizational skills and leadership qualities as possible. But in no case should you go too far, otherwise in the employer’s memory the applicant risks remaining just an upstart.”

Taught how to behave

In addition to being stressful, group interviews have other disadvantages. In particular, experts consider the disadvantages of a collective interview to be the fact that it does not allow taking into account the individual characteristics of applicants, which would certainly come out during an individual conversation. In addition, it is not indisputable that the candidate’s assessment based on the interview results will be completely objective, because an anxious person behaves differently than usual. Given these data, experts do not advise employers to overuse group interviews, especially if the vacant position does not involve constant stress and does not require the employee to make instant decisions. If the stressful option seems more preferable to the company’s management, it is advisable to combine it with an individual conversation - these forms complement each other and allow you to make more correct judgments about the person.

When becoming a participant in a group interview, you should adhere to several rules.

1. No matter how scary it may be, remain yourself. Unnatural behavior will somehow affect your assessment, even if the interviewer cannot express in words the reason for the antipathy.
2. No matter how many people ask questions (or how many people answer them at the same time as you), your goal remains the same - to show the employer your best side.
3. As a member of a team of applicants like you, show initiative: strive to answer all questions, come up with own version solving the problem.
4. Even if you look weaker compared to your competitors, do not lose heart - it is unknown what criteria the selection will ultimately be based on.
5. Follow the rules of action in a team: do not shout, do not be rude, show respect to your interlocutors. Try to calmly convey your point of view to your fellow competitors and the interviewer.
6. During a panel interview, try to remember (or write down) each interviewer's name, no matter how difficult it may be.
7. Remember that a group of interviewers is not a single organism, but different people with your own opinion, therefore it would be correct to pay attention to all interlocutors, addressing each one personally and looking them in the eyes. Even if you think that someone from the company is hostile towards you, do not worry about this: they may just be playing the role of the “evil investigator”. And in general, the final decision will be made based on the general opinion. It's impossible to please everyone, so just show respect to your detractor.
8. Find the leader of the interview team. It is not difficult to identify him by the reaction of the other interlocutors - the “boss” can confidently be called the person to whom the interviewers turn for approval or censure, although he may remain silent.
9. And one last thing. Even if several attempts to participate in a group interview are unsuccessful, you will still benefit: with experience, you will eventually understand what employers expect from applicants and how best to present yourself.

Dmitry Bosov. Magazine "Work & Salary"