We often talk about the job competencies that come into play in selection processes, and about mistakes and ways of behaving during job interviews. But we don’t know what kind of interview we may face, because the range of possibilities is wide. To begin with, it can be by phone, in person or in a group, the latter popularly known as group dynamics.
The methods a company uses in a job interview can vary widely. Technically, we can classify job interviews into four broad groups: by their structure, by the number of people involved, by the number of interviews held, or by how demanding the meeting between candidate and company is.
By structure
Depending on the position and the type of selection process, the hiring company may lean toward one kind of interview or another. By structure, an interview can be:
Directive or closed: an interview in which we are after objective, quantifiable information. The interviewer asks precise questions looking for specific answers, and the whole conversation is geared toward getting concrete answers about what they want to know. It’s a kind of personal test that looks for matches.
Open or non-directive: the questions are general and open-ended, and the interview is unstructured. It’s the most widely used type. It builds the candidate’s confidence and puts them at ease, so they answer more spontaneously, and it seeks specific information about the interviewee’s personal and professional character. Because the answers are general, it requires more expertise from the interviewer.
Mixed: as the name suggests, a combination of the two. We try to be specific and relate the answers to the position we’re trying to fill, combining general information with more concrete details about how the candidate fits the job.
By the number of people involved
Depending on the company and how important the position is, interviews can be individual or collective. The former take place when one interviewee faces one interviewer, and are used when the job is simple and basic.
There are three ways of conducting a collective interview. In the first, one interviewer assesses several interviewees. These are known as group dynamics, and they look at a range of job competencies, as well as how candidates relate to their peers and their ability to speak in public, among other competencies and professional behaviors.
In the second, one candidate is assessed by several interviewers, and the evaluation pools the analysis made by both interviewers. The candidate must address both of them, and they are able to check the candidate’s professional and personal qualities for the position they are trying to fill.
Finally, the least common: two interviewers with two interviewees.
By the number of interviews
To begin with, this setup depends on the selection process and, at the same time, on the level of the position. The company can opt for any number of interviews. When recruitment for a position is outsourced, the interviews held by the hired consultancy are added to those held by the hiring company.
Here we classify interviews as:
Initial or preliminary: used when there are many candidates, sometimes by phone. It doesn’t go very deep and aims to check and analyze the basic details of the CV. Its goal is to reduce the number of candidates and make the process more manageable.
Intermediate interview: aims to determine each candidate’s value for the position they are applying for, assessing the CV and digging deeper into the candidate’s skills, competencies and aptitudes in relation to the job.
Final interview: by this point there is usually a shortlist of three candidates, and the goal is to make the final choice. The leader of the team the candidate will join is normally brought into this final interview, and the questions are more technical and specific to the department or work area.
By how demanding it is
A job interview can be standard, when the aim is to create a climate of trust between both parties and put the candidate at ease so they show their true personal and professional qualities.
However, the company may decide to hold a tough interview, testing the candidate’s nerves to see how they react by introducing pressure, aggressive questions, interruptions and long silences to gauge their resilience. It is rarely used, and only for very specific positions.
Featured image: Wilfredor, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
