Development Programs Informal Interviews
Usually unstructured however, the interviewer often prepares points of discussion based on your background and asks questions designed to reveal more about you. The interview will proceed according to the leads that your provide in your responses. It is important for you to be proactive in this process.
One-on-one Interviews
In this type of formal interview you are interviewed by one person (eg: manager, human resource manager, senior executive. These may be structured where the interviewer will have a fixed set of questions that they will ask each candidate.
Panel Interviews
In this type of interview you are questioned by a number of people (2-5). The Panel will have an agreed set of questions and will generally have planned who will ask each question and in what order.
Group Interviews
This is where an employer interviews a number of candidates at the same time and determines how candidates interact with others. Remember that you do not need to dominate the groups - in fact this can often be a disadvantage for you.
Behavior-based Interviews
These use past behavior as a predictor of future performance. This approach is also referred to as 'targeted selection'. The questions aim to elicit specific examples of how you have handled things in the past. The interview may be entirely composed of behavioral questions or they may be used in conjunction with other types of questions.
Telephone Interviews
Smaller organisations, or organisations recruiting staff from a wide geographical base, may use an initial telephone interview as a screening device to cut down on the number of applicants for a position. Such an interview can be quite challenging because there are no visual cues to guide your responses. Clarity of speech, variation of tone in the voice, and good listening skills are therefore very important. Have a "sales pitch"-a quick summary about yourself ready to deliver over the phone if necessary. Good preparation is essential before you dial!
