How Interviews Are Conducted

Although all selection interviews have the same basic purpose, the way they are conducted can vary. For example, it may be as short as fifteen minutes, or last an hour or morc; there may be one or several interviewers present to ask you questions; you may be asked to sit some tests during the interview; and you may be required to attend a series of interviews before a final selection is made. The exact nature of your interview will be determined by factors such as the situation for which you are applying, the depth of information that is required about candidates in order to make a selection, and the normal interview procedures used by the organization.

There are two types of selection interview in common use: the one-to-one interview (one interviewer talking with each applicant individually) and the panel interview (where each applicant talks with two or more interviewers together). Most organizations use one or other method.

Sometimes applicants will be given two or more interviews (sometimes called sequential interviews) before a final selection is made. An example is the so-called ‘milk round’, where company representatives visit colleges and universities to look for and meet potential recruits. From those candidates seen, a proportion are selected for further interviews at a later date. Sequential interviews are also more common where the successful applicant will carry heavy responsibilities. One-to-one interviews are often used to help draw up a shortlist of candidates, while either type of interview (or very occasionally both) may be used to make the final selection.

‘Tests’ – used to help assess candidates’ abilities, aptitudes and personality – are becoming more common, but their use is not widespread. Some organizations always use them, some occasionally, some only for certain jobs, and others not at all. They arc not an examination, but are simply another way of gaining accurate information about candidates to help in making a selection decision.

The length of the interview will depend on things such as the amount of time available to the interviewer, whether it is one in a series of interviews (to shortlist candidates, or to make a final selection), whether tests are being used, and whether it is a one-to-one or panel interview.

For a number of reasons it is an advantage to know as much as possible about how your interview will be conducted. The information an interviewer requires (and therefore the questions asked) in a short listing interview, for example, will be different from that required when making a final selection. The longer the interview the deeper the interviewer can probe with questions and the more thorough you will need to be in preparing for those questions. In a panel interview, where each interviewer may concentrate on particular topics, you may be asked a broader range of questions than in a one-to-one interview.

The general atmosphere in interviews also varies. Panel interviews, for example, tend to be more formal and so it is more difficult to feel relaxed and comfortable, particularly if you were expecting the more chatty atmosphere that is common in the ‘milk round’ interviews held at colleges.

If you go to an interview without at least having tried to find out how it will be conducted – and how this will affect how you need to prepare – you put yourself at a disadvantage.