Job interviews

Types of interviews

As a candidate going on interviews, you can and should expect a number of interview formats. We'll explore each of these below.

Screening interviews

Screening interviews are usually brief meetings conducted either in person or over the telephone. Through a screening interview, the interviewer hopes to determine your current employment status and whether you have the basic skills and qualifications needed to perform the job for which you've applied. By gathering information about your qualifications and identifying clues about how your experience and skills match the position, the interviewer can form an opinion of your and decide whether you'll be invited to participate in an assessment interview (see below).

Assessment interviews

Also known as "selection interviews", assessment interviews are conducted in order to allow the employer to confirm the candidate meets the basic skills and qualification requirements for the job. During an assessment interview, the interviewer also hopes to assess a candidate's suitability, ensuring he/she is a good match for the job and for the organization.

In most cases, companies combine screening and assessment interviews into one meeting, conducting only one interview.

Panel interviews

While some interviews are conducted with only one interviewer, others are conducted by more than one person. A panel may include the position's immediate supervisor, that supervisor's immediate superior, a human relations specialist and/or a technical specialist. Usually, each interviewer takes a turn asking a question.

Panel interviews are very common, particularly in the case of positions requiring post-secondary education or highly specialized training. Although more stressful for the interviewee, panel interviews allow decision makers within a company to all gather the same information needed to make hiring decisions. What's more, panel interviews are also more time efficient.

Before the panel interview, members of the panel should meet to agree on the format and process for the interview. Questions, too, should be agreed upon beforehand, to ensure a candidate isn't unnecessarily asked the same question by multiple interviewers.

Series interviews

Some companies place a great deal of emphasis on ensuring they hire the right people. As a result, their hiring processes reflect a great deal of care and effort. As a candidate looking to land a job within these types of organizations, you should expect to attend several interviews with different people. The screening interview usually involves someone lower in the organization, with each progressive interview involving someone higher in the company until the president or CEO has the opportunity to meet you. You should also expect that some interviews in the series may be informal, while others are more formal and structured. Throughout the series, remember that the individuals you have met will meet to compare notes and make a collective hiring decision. This is why it's important to remember to treat each interview in the series as if it were the first. Though you may have had several interviews with one organization, it's very likely that each interviewer you see is meeting you for the first time.

Group interviews

During a group interview, several candidates are interviewed simultaneously. Employers use this interview style to gather and uncover information about candidates' interpersonal skills and ability to interact effectively with peers. Group interviews allow employers to determine which members of the group exhibit the most positive leadership abilities. As such, group interviews tend to be quite competitive, and from the candidates' point of view, quite stressful. Group interviews tend not to give interviewers a clear picture of individual candidates and may or may not lead to poor hiring decisions.

Group interviews are used very infrequently. It's unlikely you will experience this format unless, in order to determine your teamwork skills, you are asked to participate in a group discussion or demonstration.

Telephone interviews

Often used to screen applicants in other geographic locations, telephone interviews are often used when it is impractical to call out-of-town applicants to an in-person interview. Telephone interviews are also a cost-saving measure. Telephone interviews may also be conducted in cases where telephone communication skills are a key part of the position for which you're applying.

Because you have only your voice with which to convince an employer of your suitability for a position, you need to speak clearly and with enthusiasm.

For more detailed information, see Telephone Interviews, also in this section.