Group Job Interviews - How to Do Well in Group Job Interviews

Employers will often use group job interviews, especially when they need to hire a lot of new employees at one time. Generally, these will be in the form of many candidates being asked the same questions or being led in an exercise by the interviewers.

It is difficult to predict what questions may be asked in these settings. This makes preparation for these interviews somewhat problematic but there are a few steps you can take to be ready for group job interviews. The company doing the hiring will have already brought in the candidates who they think are the most suitable for the position. Group interviews are a great way for employers to sift out the candidates who do not quite meet their criteria at one time. This saves the company a lot of time, compared to individual interviews.

The exercises or questions will have the goal of seeing how the candidates would react to various situations which may arise in the workplace. Quite often, the group will be separated into teams and assigned a problem to solve, with their solution to be presented to the group as a whole.

Group job interview candidates will also, in some cases, be asked to answer questions which are not work related such as the well known question of which 50 out of 100 people should be rescued from a ship which is sinking. These questions will spark a lot of discussion among the group, letting the interviewer assess the candidates' negotiation skills and decision making.

Interviewers will observe how the process plays out among the group; asking questions, taking notes, even providing encouragement. They are watching the group, but will be carefully watching the performance of individuals within it as well, so even when in a group setting, you should do your best to make a good impression on the interviewer.

Interviewers will notice:

• How you interact with others in the group
• Your skill at influencing and persuading the rest of your team
• How well you work in group settings
• How strong your communication skills are
• Whether your decisions are based on logic or on emotion
• If you are a good listener
• How well you handle stress

Interviewers will also be watching to see who emerges as a leader within the groups and how effectively they delegate tasks to the rest of the group. They will also be watching how group members react to the leader.

They will want to know if the leader:

• Includes all team members, even members who don't speak up on their own
• Takes changing conditions into account and makes changes accordingly
• Listens to and asks questions of their team
• Gives credit where credit is due

There is no way to be sure that you will be prepared for any possible question asked in group job interviews, but these tips can make sure that you are as ready as possible for what may come in this interview process.

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