You’ve done all your preparation. You have the perfect resume, compelling cover letter, and you’ve made it past the screening call and are invited on an interview. It’s been a pretty tedious journey so far but you’ve done everything you need to do and are ready for that opportunity to speak to your future employer one-on-one.
But maybe that opportunity never comes. More often in today’s market employers are looking towards group interviews as a cheap and expedient way to hire new employees. Don’t let all your preparation go to waste and be surprised by your competitors. Instead, you should prepare for the possibility of a group interview.
Here are some tips on how to prepare for a group interview.
Just Be Cool
And I don’t mean a leather jacket and sunglasses. When you’re on a group interview remember the basic tenets of a one-on-one interview. While your strategy has to change because of the group setting, you don’t want to throw all of the strategies that you already have for interviewing out of the window. Punctuality, researching the company, speaking concisely, being attentive, and dressing the part are all things you would do for a regular interview and should apply to the group setting as well. The last thing you want to happen is for the type of interview to derail all of your efforts thus far.
If you don’t have any strategies for interviewing, read my other article to get caught up on what you should do.
Be Social
This isn’t a gladiator’s coliseum and you aren’t fighting to the death with the other people on the interview. It’s okay to make friends and be social, just as you would when sitting in a room of strangers. This shows the employer that you value social bonds, and would likely work well on a team. Also, there is a chance that your interview is an activity interview, which means you’ll have to work on a team in order to solve a problem or reach a goal. In that case, knowing the other people in the room gives you an inherent advantage.
Being Uniquely You
There might be a tendency for you to want to dominate everyone that you’re competing with. On the other side of things, sometimes it can be hard not to regurgitate past answers, especially if you’re the fifth person answering the same question. Because of this, you may feel the need to come up with a unique answer no one has said (most likely for a good reason) and totally misrepresent yourself.
When your ideas have already been said by the other candidates you should find a way to build upon what was said before. By agreeing to the most sensible resolution, but finding a way to improve upon it, you are showing that you can take team input but also have the capacity to lead. You need to careful walk the line of not being overzealous, but also being unique enough to stand out from your competitors. Never put anyone down on the group interview. If you disagree with someone else you can answer the question however you want, but commenting on other people’s answers in a negative way gives a glimpse into how you would work on a team and possibly eliminate you from the running.
Think Before You Speak
Because this isn’t a one-on-one conversation, your answers need to be memorable. You don’t have the time to go back and correct yourself, so everything that you say counts. Make sure that when you are answering a question, that you’ve thought about every possible solution. You don’t need to be the loudest person on the interview, just the one that can communicate the solutions the best.
For introverts it may seem hard because there are a lot of people in the room, but your personality actually gives you a greater capability to concentrate on what the interviewer is saying and formulate the most thought out response. Use whatever you have at your disposal whether it be public speaking skills, or excellent problem solving tactics, but make sure that you take the time to internalize and think about the question before answering.
Follow Up
Following up after a traditional interview is important, but it’s even more crucial for the group interview. If you felt like you didn’t make a big splash in the group setting, sending a follow up thank you e-mail gives you an opportunity to fill in the employer on what you know you can improve upon. Never apologize for a performance–instead always highlight your passion for the position and you unique advantages.
Another reason following up on a group interview is so important is because of the nature of the interview. The fact that the employer must remember other candidates at the same time means that the chance you’re overlooked is higher. Make sure to drop your future employer a line so that they remember who you are.
While group interviews can be stressful, they can also be a great opportunity to see how you stack up against the competition. Even if you don’t land that job, you’ll most likely gain some good strategies from your competitors for the next time. Make sure that you prepare by doing your research and try to stay calm and relaxed. And as always, good luck!
