Group

Why group interviews are awesome

These time-saving interviews help you interview multiple candidates at once, plus check for great team players, communicators and high-quality candidates.

Group interviews work best when you want to: 

• Hire for high-collaboration roles 
• Screen equally qualified candidates
• Find more than one candidate to fill similar roles
• Hire on a tight deadline

Your ideal candidate will be a great listener, super persuasive and stand out from the rest.

Group interview questions

• Tell us a bit about your background and your career goals.
• Why did you apply for the role? Why do you want to work with our company?
• What makes you our ideal candidate? How will you help us achieve our company goals?
• What’s your biggest professional achievement so far?

Group activity questions

• What was your contribution to the team?
• Why do you think you did/didn’t reach your team goal?
• Did this team project run in the way you expected? Describe an example where you had to solve a problem on a deadline.
• What would you have done differently with more time?

How to ace your group interview

• Be clear: Prepare your candidates about the interview format and duration early on.
• Kick things off: Prepare some awesome icebreakers to help people relax, and start with a quick presentation about the company. Remember to congratulate candidates and keep things casual.
• Avoid obvious questions: You don’t want to hear your candidates all say the same thing. Ask about their personal experience to avoid repetition.
• Break into smaller groups: If you want them to complete an assignment, break them off into smaller groups. Think: collaboration and decision-making over results. 
• Give them equal time: Every group has extroverts and introverts so make sure each person has time to shine. 
• End on a high: At the end of the interview, offer time for them to ask questions, then thank them and tell them what happens next. 

Candidates to avoid 

• They lack interest: Candidates might have to listen to others for a while before they get a chance to speak. If they look bored they might not be interested.
• Arrogance: Arrogant candidates are a big no-no. If they try to overshadow other candidates, they’re not good team players.
• Poor interaction skills: Team activities help you spot rude, disrespectful candidates who probably lack interpersonal skills.
• Low participation: All teams need leaders and followers, but candidates who don’t take part probably won’t be capable on the job either.