Types of Interviews

BASED ON PURPOSE

CONFIRMATION INTERVIEW -- the Confirmation Interview is more common and more critical today than ever before. Frequently, job candidates are asked to interview with multiple peers or superiors with whom they would work if hired. A series of interviews may be arranged or a group meeting may be scheduled. This is NOT a "rubber stamp" interview. Literally, each contact within a company--from the receptionist to the president--has the power to confirm or raise doubts about any job candidate's fit in the organization.

EMPLOYMENT DECISION INTERVIEW -- typically, this interview occurs during the second contact with a company--but it may immediately follow the Screening Interview by only minutes. During an Employment Decision Interview, you have your greatest opportunity to learn the needs of the hiring manager so that you can present those aspects of your skills, education, background and personality that "fit". Note: LISTEN for the employer's needs instead of rushing forward with "everything you every wanted to know about John Q. Jobseeker". Unfortunately, few hiring managers have been trained to interview job candidates. However, the hiring manager will have the technical background to assess your skills and abilities and will prepare questions as well an overview of the job itself and the culture in which it operates. You must be confident enough to adapt your style to the hiring manager's in order to provide answers in a form that is appreciated.

IN PERSON SCREENING -- this interview is used to verify the candidate's qualifications for the position and to establish a preliminary impression of the candidate's attitude, interest and professional "style." This interview is most often conducted by a professional screener from the company's Human Resources department. At this stage, the goal is to select candidates to meet with the decision maker.

SELECTION INTERVIEW -- used after some type of screening process. Usually conducted by a professional practitioner who will be the candidate's supervisor. It is generally less formal and less structured than the screening interview. Questions tend to be open-ended with subsequent questions based upon candidate's responses to previous questions.

SCREENING INTERVIEW -- used to quickly and efficiently eliminate unqualified or overpriced candidates. Conducted by professional interviewers, recruiters, or personnel representatives seeking information regarding educational and experiential background using a highly structured question and answer format.

TELEPHONE SCREENING -- this interview saves the employer time by eliminating candidates based on essential criteria such as employment objective, education or required skills. Since these interviews will often occur unexpectedly, it is important that your job search records are organized and kept where you can reach them at a moment's notice.


BASED ON FORMAT

COMMITTEE INTERVIEW -- committee interviews are a common practice. You will face several members of the company who have a say in whether you are hired. When answering questions from several people, speak directly to the person asking the question. It is not necessary to answer to the group. In some committee interviews, you may be asked to demonstrate your problem-solving skills. The committee will outline a situation and ask you to formulate a plan that deals with the problem. You don't have to come up with the ultimate solution. The interviewers are looking for how you apply your knowledge and skills to a real-life situation.

GROUP INTERVIEW -- a group interview is usually designed to uncover the leadership potential of prospective managers and employees who will be dealing with the public. The front-runner candidates are gathered together in an informal, discussion-type interview. A subject is introduced and the interviewer will start off the discussion. The goal of the group interview is to see how you interact with others and how you use your knowledge and reasoning powers to win others over. If you do well in the group interview, you can expect to be asked back for a more extensive interview.

LUNCH INTERVIEW -- a member of the personnel department usually conducts the screening interview, which is meant to weed out unqualified candidates. Providing facts about your skills is more important than establishing rapport. Interviewers will work from an outline of points they want to cover, looking for inconsistencies in your résumé and challenging your qualifications. Provide answers to their questions, and never volunteer any additional information. That information could work against you.

ONE ON ONE -- usual interview procedure. Screening and selection interviews usually include one interviewer and one candidate. At times, a second company representative may join in or candidate may have a series of interviews that involve several meetings with different people within the organization, one at a time.

ONE TO ONE (structured)  -- probably the most widely used form of interviewing in graduate selection. In this type of interview, the interviewer will have a fixed set of questions that he/she will ask each candidate, with the aim of finding out the level of your skills in key areas pertinent to the role to which you have applied.

ONE TO ONE (unstructured) -- this type of interview is merely an informal chat where the interviewer will simply talk to you about a range of issues and subjects. It is more like a free flowing conversation and as such, not very effective in determining the suitability of a candidate. Consequently, it is rarely used in graduate selection.

PANEL OF PEOPLE -- similar to a one to one (structured) interview but with more people. In this interview you are likely to be asked similar questions to the one to one (structured) but the questions are likely to be spread between the group, with the person most competent in a particular area, asking you the relevant questions. The important thing to remember here is to give your answer to the person that asked the question but during this process make brief eye contact with the other panel members to ensure that they feel included.

PEER GROUP INTERVIEW -- this interview is an opportunity for you to meet and talk with your prospective coworkers. Just as in other interviews, the peer group will be evaluating you, determining how you "fit."

PHONE INTERVIEW -- employers typically use telephone interviews when it is not convenient to meet in person. The employer arranges a time with the candidate and places the call. Prepare for a phone interview just as you would for a preliminary interview. Remember to smile as you would in a face-to-face interaction. A smile can be "heard" over the telephone and it communicates enthusiasm and friendliness. Dress professionally. Even though the interviewer can't see you, wearing your professional clothes will help put you in an appropriate frame of mind.

PRELIMINARY INTERVIEW -- employers use preliminary interviews to determine whether there might be a match between them and the candidate. The interviewer closely examines the candidate's qualifications, background, and interests. The typical interview will last 30 to 60 minutes.

SEARCH COMMITTEE OR BOARD INTERVIEW -- group consists of many interviewers and one candidate. Used by business and industry for selection of high level corporate officers. Typical of a selection committee search in higher education.

SITE INTERVIEW -- on-site interviews, while containing some of the same elements as preliminary interviews, tend to be substantially longer. They may include dining with the employer and touring the facilities. You will probably meet lots of people during an on-site interview including supervisors, colleagues, support staff, and clientele. You will be expected to speak in more depth about your academic record, related skills and strengths, work experience, knowledge of the company, and career and life goals. If you must travel to participate in the on-site interview, you will incur travel, lodging, and dining expenses. Be sure to inquire beforehand how expenses are to be handled to eliminate any misunderstanding. If you are to be reimbursed, you must save all receipts to document your expenditures.

TELEPHONE SCREENING INTERVIEW -- this interview saves the employer time by eliminating candidates based on essential criteria such as employment objective, education or required skills. Since these interviews will often occur unexpectedly, it is important that your job search records are organized and kept where you can reach them at a moment's notice.

VIDEO CONFERENCE INTERVIEW -- use the techniques you've learned from practicing before a video camera. Ensure privacy and treat it like any interview.

WORK SAMPLE INTERVIEW -- this interview is done to allow the applicant an opportunity to "show their wares." It could be the place for a graphic artist to display his/her portfolio. A salesperson will be allowed to make a sales presentation. Word processing a business letter may be an appropriate work sample for an office worker.

BASED ON STYLE

OPEN-ENDED OR NON DIRECTIVE INTERVIEW -- generally informal and less structured. Used by professional practitioners to assess candidate's skills, experience, and personality attributes. This is the usual format for selection interviews.

QUESTION AND ANSWER OR DIRECTED INTERVIEW -- highly structured; interviewer comes prepared with list of questions. Used by recruiters and professional interviewers to seek facts. Generally is format for screening interviews.

STRESS INTERVIEW -- staged to determine how candidate will perform under stress. It may be typified by long periods of silence, challenges to candidate's opinions, or a series of interruptions.