Types of Interviews

Many types of interviews are commonly used based on the nature and importance of the position to be filled within an organisation.

       I. The non-directive interview: In this type of interview the recruiter asks questions as they come to mind. There is no particular format to be followed. The questions may take any direction. The interviewer asks vast, open-ended questions like as 'tell me more regarding what you did on your previous job' - and permits the applicant to talk freely with a minimum of interruption. Problems with a non- directive interview include keeping it job associated and obtaining comparable data on many applicants.

      II. The directive or structured interview: In this interview, the recruiter utilizes a fixed set of questions that are apparently job related. As every applicant is asked the same basic questions, comparison among applicants may be made more simply. Structured questions develop the reliability of the interview procedure, eliminate biases and errors and can even increase the ability of a company to withstand legal challenge. On the negative side, the whole procedure is somewhat mechanical, limits the freedom of interviewers and can even convey disinterest to applicants who are utilized to more flexible interviews. Also, designing a structured interview can take a good amount of energy and time.

     III. The situational interview: One difference of the structured interview is known as the situational interview. In this kind of approach, the candidate is confronted with a hypothetical incident and asked how she or he would respond to it. Then the applicant's response is evaluated associate to pre-established benchmark standards.

     IV. The behavioural interview: The behavioural interview targets on actual work incidents (as against hypothetical situation in the situational interview) in the candidate's past. The candidate is supposed to reveal what he or she did in a specified situation, for instance, how he disciplined worker who was continuously smoking inside the factory premises.

     V.  Stress interview: In this interview, the interviewer attempts to discover how applicants would respond to embarrassing, aggressive rude and insulting questions. The entire exercise is meant to see whether the candidate can cope with highly stress-producing, anxious and difficult situations while at work, in a quiet and composed manner. Such an approach can backfire also, because the typical worker is already somewhat anxious in any interview. So, the candidate that the firm wants to employ might even turn down the job offer under such kind of trying conditions.

    VI. Panel interview: In a panel interview, the candidate meets with three to five interviewers who take turns to asking questions. After completing interview, the interviewers pool their observations to arrive at a consensus regarding the suitability of the applicant. The panel members may ask new and incisive questions depend on their experience and expertise and elicit deeper and more meaningful responses from candidates. Such type of interview could also bind the impact of the personal biases of any specific interviewer. On the negative side, as candidate, a panel interview can make you feel more stressed than usual.