The employment landscape is continuously evolving with innovative technologies and concepts. Therefore, job seekers must keep this in mind while searching for work in these changing times. Nowadays, a candidate must be prepared for the diverse types of job interview techniques companies use to assess potential employees.
You may reach the next phase of the interview with the help of your impressive resume. But you will only go further if you will have the ability to handle a potentially stressful or challenging interview. The employer might want to know more about you than your educational qualifications. Hence, they may adopt several strategies to gain insight into your skills and subject-related knowledge.
There are many things that employers want to know about you, including the following:
- Do you perform well under stress?
- Do you have good communication skills?
- Do you have any problem-solving techniques?
- Do you align well with their work culture?
What Is Interview Format?
The employer organizes an interview in a structured way to effectively assess the candidate’s skills, experience, and qualifications. Structuring an interview according to a format is known as the interview format. The interview format depends upon many factors, like the job industry, the role requirements, and the company’s policies. All of these can influence an employer’s choice in the interview format.
What Are The 5 Job Interview Formats?
There are several kinds of interview formats. Following are the five most common types you can expect to encounter the next time you go on your job hunt journey.
1. Screening Interview
The screening interview is a quick, lower-cost alternative that many companies use before proceeding to the first-round interview. It determines whether the candidate is suitable and qualified for the role before progressing to the primary interview. The recruiter or the human resource manager commonly takes the screening interview over the phone.
2. Virtual Interview
Employers have changed the way they used to connect with job candidates. Post-pandemic situations introduced new technology with video conferencing platforms like Skype, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams. For several companies, virtual interviews have become a standard element of the application process. Companies save time and money through this format and make the hiring process more manageable.
3. Behavioral Interview
As the name suggests, behavioral interview questions focus on your past behavior, whether it is personal or professional. This approach is used to highlight specific skills and behavior that the candidate possesses to assess whether they can handle a similar situation in a better way in the future. It mainly focuses on the candidate’s effective communication, leadership and teamwork qualities, and interpersonal skills.
4. Panel Interview
As the name suggests, this type of interview is conducted by a panel, which means that two or more interviewers are involved in the hiring team. The primary purpose of a panel interview is to observe how the candidate would perform under pressure. The interviewers also monitor whether the candidate can build a rapport and how well they are in their communication skills. This type of interview improves the efficiency of the hiring process and enables the panelists to make more informed and collaborative decisions.
5. Case Interview
Many management consulting companies have used case interviews for decades, but it has become common in the technology, finance, medical, and engineering sectors. The primary purpose of a case interview is to evaluate how the candidate can analyze and solve a challenging business situation. The candidate is given a case study and a set of instructions to review. They could also be given a brain teaser to assess their analytical and creative problem-solving skills.
Final Thoughts
Many companies have changed their interview formats post-pandemic. Now, as companies embrace alternative job interview types, we will also see many changes in the coming years. This deviation from the traditional interview format offers companies many more opportunities. It includes lowering your hiring costs, shortening your hiring time frame, and dealing with a higher-than-normal volume of applicants.
Those formats mentioned above evaluate how well you handle a situation, what is your take on problem-solving techniques and customer service, and whether you have the qualities of being a leader or a team member. It is better to have an idea about these formats and the company’s concept where you will go for the interview the next time.
