Group interviews are becoming more popular, especially in the current remote work environment where huddle rooms and virtual meetings are the norm.
Whether you’re a small business owner, an HR manager, or a recruiter, understanding group interviews can help you make informed hiring decisions and find the right fit for your organization.
So, let’s dive in and explore what you need to know about group interviews.
Group interviews are a type of interview where multiple candidates are interviewed simultaneously.
This type of interview process can be seen as a cross between a traditional one-on-one interview and a conference call—think of it as three-way calling, but with a group of people instead of just two others.
Group interviews aim to observe how candidates interact and collaborate with one another, providing HR leaders and recruiters with a different perspective on a candidate’s skills and potential fit within the organization.
Group interviews can offer a number of benefits for HR leaders and recruiters.
Firstly, they can be more time-efficient, allowing you to assess multiple candidates in a single session. This can be particularly useful when dealing with a high volume of applicants for a single role.
Secondly, group interviews can provide a more authentic insight into a candidate’s interpersonal skills and their ability to work as part of a team.
41% of recruiters stated that assessing candidates during an interview was one of the main challenges they experienced. Group interviews can alleviate this challenge by providing a more holistic view of each candidate’s capabilities.
Finally, when more than one person interviews a candidate, it gives the HR team or hiring manager greater confidence when making the final decision.
It offers a diverse range of opinions and can help to ensure that no single person’s bias affects the outcome of the recruitment process.
Now that you know a bit more about group interviews and their benefits, let’s take a look at our tips for conducting successful group interviews.
Before starting the group interview process, it’s important to have a clear understanding of what you hope to achieve.
What skills or qualities are you looking for in the candidates?
What type of role are you hiring for?
By defining the purpose of the interview, you’ll be able to design questions and activities that will help you assess the candidates and determine whether they would be a good fit for your organization.
Suppose you’re looking to hire app developers for a new project. Your purpose for the group interview might be to assess the candidates’ technical skills, problem-solving abilities, and teamwork skills.
With this information, you can design questions and activities that will help you determine whether each candidate is a good fit for your team and the project.
Some common questions and activities you might design for a group developer interview include coding challenges, brainstorming exercises, and role-playing scenarios.
You may also have the candidates complete a problem-solving task together to assess their teamwork skills.
By clearly defining the purpose of your group interview, you can ensure that each activity is tailored to help you identify the best candidates for the job.
Preparation is key when conducting group interviews.
Make sure to prepare a list of questions that will allow you to assess the candidates in a meaningful way.
Consider incorporating both individual and group tasks, as well as open-ended and situational questions. This will give you a well-rounded view of each candidate’s skills and abilities.
For example, if you want to assess the candidates’ problem-solving skills, consider including a group task where the candidates have to work together to solve a hypothetical problem.
You could also include individual questions that assess their technical knowledge and ability to think critically.
By including a combination of group and individual tasks, you’ll get a well-rounded view of each candidate’s skills and abilities.
Here are some example questions you could include in your group interview:
TIP: Prepare for any group interview quickly and easily with our database of interview questions.
The location of the group interview is important, as it can impact the atmosphere and dynamics of the interview.
Choose an area that is quiet and free from distractions, and ensure there is enough space for all the candidates to participate comfortably.
If possible, consider setting up the room in a way that promotes collaboration and teamwork, such as with a round table or chairs arranged in a circle.
Consider using the best video conference room setup to ensure a smooth and professional interview experience if you’re interviewing remotely.
When choosing the location of the group interview, it’s important to consider that some candidates may need to travel from out of town or even internationally.
In such cases, providing remote options such as video conferencing can be helpful.
Additionally, if you need to contact a candidate after the interview and you only have their phone number, you could search for them on Facebook using that number.
Facebook has a feature that allows you to find someone by phone number on Facebook, which can be a useful tool for recruiters.
It’s important to be aware of the potential for interview bias when conducting group interviews.
Bias can creep in when you unconsciously favor or discriminate against certain candidates based on their appearance, background, or other factors.
To avoid interview bias, make sure to establish clear criteria for evaluating the candidates and try to be as objective as possible when assessing their skills and abilities.
For example, suppose you’re conducting a group interview for a sales position.
To avoid interview bias, you might establish clear criteria for evaluating the candidates, such as their ability to communicate effectively, their experience in sales, and their ability to work well under pressure.
Additionally, it’s essential to provide the same interview experience for each candidate to avoid bias. This means asking the same questions and giving each candidate the same amount of time to answer.
You should also avoid making assumptions about a candidate based on their appearance, education, or other factors that are not relevant to the job.
It’s important to focus solely on the candidate’s qualifications and suitability for the job.
It’s also helpful to have a diverse interview panel when conducting group interviews to ensure a fair evaluation of candidates.
When a panel is diverse, the chances of interview bias occurring decrease significantly.
Having different perspectives and experiences on the panel can help to identify unique skills and talents that a single interviewer may have overlooked.
Lastly, it’s crucial to evaluate your interview process continually.
This can involve reviewing the criteria used to evaluate candidates, the interview questions asked, and the overall interview experience.
By doing so, you can identify potential sources of bias and make necessary changes to ensure a fair and unbiased interview process.
Continual evaluation can also help you to improve the effectiveness of your group interview process and ensure that you hire the best candidates for the job.
Source: twinemployment.com
This underlines the importance of including preparation for the company and role as part of your quality assurance (QA) process flow.
When conducting group interviews, it’s crucial to clearly understand the company culture, job responsibilities, and the skills and abilities required for the role.
You should communicate this information to the candidates beforehand so they have the opportunity to research and prepare.
During the interview, your QA process flow should include questions to assess the candidates’ understanding of the company and the role, as well as their interest and enthusiasm for the position.
For instance, during a group interview for a sales role, you might consider including questions such as:
TIP: Create informative job descriptions that speed up the interview process with our range of job description templates.
Group interviews can bring about unique dynamics as candidates interact with one another.
While some may shine in a group setting, others may struggle to assert themselves.
As a result, it’s crucial to consider the group dynamics when conducting group interviews.
When planning for a group interview, consider the size of the group and the types of personalities and skill sets represented.
You should aim to create a balanced group that includes a mix of introverted and extroverted candidates, as well as a range of skills and experiences.
This will allow you to get a complete picture of each candidate and will also provide an opportunity for candidates to learn from one another and showcase their strengths.
Some more tips for understanding and dealing with group dynamics during an interview include:
Conveying clear and accurate information is essential in creating a positive interview experience for candidates.
By utilizing software integration tools, recruiters and HR leaders can mitigate this risk and ensure that all necessary information is communicated effectively to candidates.
Software integration tools offer a variety of features that can assist with scheduling, communication, and collaboration during group interviews.
For example, a software integration tool can be used to schedule and confirm interviews, send out reminders, and keep track of interview feedback and scores.
Furthermore, you can use tools such as an applicant tracking system to manage the recruiting and hiring process efficiently.
Group interviews can be a highly effective and efficient way for recruiters and HR leaders to assess multiple candidates in a short amount of time.
By following the tips outlined in this blog, recruiters and HR leaders can ensure that group interviews are organized, well-structured, and provide a positive experience for candidates.
It is important to remember that group interviews are just one part of the hiring process.
The final decision should always be based on a combination of factors, including the candidate’s skills, experience, and cultural fit within the organization.
Additionally, it is crucial to ensure that all necessary information is communicated effectively to candidates and that a clear QA process flow is in place.
Good luck, and happy interviewing!
About the Author:
Grace Lau – Director of Growth Content, Dialpad
Grace Lau is the Director of Growth Content at Dialpad, an AI-powered cloud communication platform for better and easier team collaboration by use of features such as Dialpad video conferencing setups.
She has over 10 years of experience in content writing and strategy. Currently, she is responsible for leading branded and editorial content strategies, partnering with SEO and Ops teams to build and nurture content. Grace has written for domains such as VMblog and MultiBriefs. Here is her LinkedIn.