The Different Types of Interviews

Interviews can be nerve-wracking especially when there are so many different types of interviews that you can be asked to take part in, from the traditional face-to-face to the growing in popularity video interviews.

You’ve probably asked yourself questions like; I don’t even know what an assessment centre is? OR how can I come across well in a telephone interview when they won’t see me? Well to help, we’ve decided to give you a run down on the different types of interviews and some of the key points to remember for each.

Face to Face Interviews

This is a straightforward interview with one or two people who will ask you questions. They might be the person who will manage you, someone else from the department you’ll join, or someone from the Human Resources (HR) team, who look after all employees.

Key points to remember:

• Use your face to face communication skills
• Wear a smart interview outfit
• Stay engaged
• Ask questions
• Be consistent but have a variety of examples to share.
• Come prepared
• Don’t be late!

Panel Interviews

This is an interview with several people who will ask questions. One person may be the ‘chair’ and be in charge, making sure each person gets to ask you a question. Panel interviews are common in the public sector (e.g. jobs paid for by the government)

Key points to remember:

• Read the room and engage with everyone
• Know who is asking you the question
• Prepare for Follow-Up Questions
• Make eye contact
• Aim for a conversational feel
• Be patient there may be one interviewer asking certain types of questions and sometimes several people on the panel may ask you a similar question

Telephone Interviews

Telephone interviews are sometimes used as the first stage in an interview process. The interviewer asks questions that will identify the best people to invite for a face-to-face interview. Due to Covid-19 some companies will be utilising more telephone interviews.

Your preparation needs to be just as thorough and remember you can keep your CV, notes about the business and questions you want to ask, to hand.

Key points to remember:

• Smile through the phone – this can really help you to engage especially when you can’t rely on body language and help convey your interest in the position.
• Keep your notes in front of you – come prepared
• Make sure you are in a quiet place with good signal
• LISTEN – as you can’t see your interviewer you should listen extra carefully to ensure you understand the meaning of each question
• Stay calm – don’t talk too fast
• Most importantly – don’t miss the call

Video Interviews

Video interviews are much more common nowadays, especially with the rise of Covid-19.

These will normally be conducted through online platforms such as Skype or Zoom and are actually very similar to face-to-face interviews but with a couple extra key things to keep in mind.

Key points to remember:

• Prepare for how the interview will be carried out ensuring you know what platform it is on and how they will go about asking you questions
• Make sure you are in a quiet space where you can focus
• Still dress as if you were going to a F2F interview
• Be mindful of your backdrop
• Plan ahead to make sure all the equipment you need is working
• Look directly into the camera when you are talking
• Be prepared if the technology doesn’t cooperate – don’t panic!
• Feel free to take notes – but make sure the interviewer knows, so they don’t wonder why you keep looking down

Assessment Centres

Interviews at an assessment centre can last half a day or a day. You’ll go there with other candidates. As well as one or more interviews, you may also take ability or personality tests and do role-plays or group exercises where you must work together.

Key points to remember:

• Know what to expect – the interviewer will send you details of the day so make sure you check through to see what is expected of you and what kind of activities you will be doing
• Give yourself time to complete and practice any material that you've been asked to prepare
• Identify which skills, interests and experiences the employer is looking for by revisiting the job description
• Practice potential exercises
• Don't dwell on any mistakes, instead concentrate on performing well in the next task
• Dress the part
• Be punctual
• Maintain a friendly and polite manner with everyone you meet, and remember that you're always being assessed

No matter what kind of interview you are facing remember to always come prepared as this will allow you to be more confident and clearer in your answers. Also remember that you are interviewing the company to decide if it is right for you, as much as they are interviewing you. ________________________________________________________________________________

For more information and support regarding employment issues, please contact Rthirteen today at info@rthirteen.co.uk or via phone on 01603 338313.