Home » How to Stand Out in a Group Interview? (+ Additional Tips for Zoom)

How to Stand Out in a Group Interview? (+ Additional Tips for Zoom)

Over the past few decades, group interviews have become highly popular among hiring recruiters and employers. The hiring recruiters generally give a hypothetical situation to the group in such interviews and expect them to come up with the best solution.

Every human being has a different perspective on solving an issue, which offers a basic idea about their mental strength and problem-solving skills. These types of interviews have proved to be a much more effective and efficient way of finding a deserving employee for the company.

HR doesn’t have to call the candidates individually, which takes a very long time to interview them and shortlist candidates. In group interviews, they call the candidates in groups which automatically reduces their time and gives a better way of judging the fundamental skills like communication skills, problem-solving skills, etc., of the candidate. 

Going for a group interview does not mean that another member will quickly snatch your chance to answer the question, but it is a correct way to show off your skills. Today group interviews are most common in retail, hospitality, food service, management, and sales industries.

During such discussions, every candidate is given a specific time to answer a question, and they also get to know several new pieces of information because of their fellow competitors.

Bonus Read: 10 List Of Strengths For Job Interviews

What is The Importance of a Group Interview, and Why is it Taken?

What is the importance of a group interview, and why is it taken?

Group interviews are popular not only because it is time-saving for the hiring recruiters but also because it lets them know about the unique insights of a particular candidate and who is the best fit for the company. The hiring recruiters get to see a lot of things about the candidate because of these interviews. A few of these characters are listed down below:

  • To assess the performance of a candidate under a stressful situation: The majority of the hiring recruiters put the candidates in a hypothetical situation and ask them to give their insights or solutions to this particular problem. This shows the efficiency of a candidate in how they will tackle a specific problem in a short time and under stressful conditions.
  • To assess the ability of a candidate as a team member: During such types of interviews, every candidate focuses and only believes in their solution. But the one member who will also appreciate the answers of the other candidates or who believes that the same problem can be tackled differently will have the efficiency to work as a team member.

The majority of times, the group interviews get converted into a debate, which is a negative point for any of the candidates that directly shows that they do not have teamwork skills.

 The most common questions that are asked during group interviews are about your skills, why you want the job, hypothetical situations, etc. Still, above all, they can also ask you a strange question at the end of the interview, i.e., “Who do you think deserves to be selected among all the interviewees in this room.”

We know that this is a very tricky question. Still, it is generally asked during a group interview because the one who has analyzed all the things would better understand who is the deserving candidate. Don’t worry; we are going to answer such questions in the next section.

What Should You do in a Group Interview to Stand Out?

What should you do in a group interview to stand out?

Before giving you all the tips and tricks that can help you to stand out in a group interview, I would like to ask you a straightforward yet tricky question, do you know what the actual meaning of “standing out” is?

It does not mean that you are going to cut someone in-between their discussion or you are going to convert normal conversation into a debate. It also does not mean that you will start arguing with your fellow candidates to prove your point.

“Standing out” simply means that you are leaving an impression in the recruiter’s mind that they cannot forget until the end of the interview. It merely means that you are answering your questions in such a way that even if the hiring recruiters have interviewed all the candidates, they don’t think of selecting any other candidate apart from you. To do that, you shall always go for an interview with preparation because your nervousness, under confidence, inability to speak, etc., can be all noticed by the hiring recruiters.

Bonus Read: How To Be Confident in an Interview {Even if You Are Not}

A Few of the Actions that you Should Always do to Make you Stand out During an Interview are Listed Down Below:

A Few of the Actions that you Should Always do to Make you Stand out During an Interview are Listed Down Below
  1. Research: Whenever you apply for a company, it is essential to research the company’s aim, vision, company’s history, and working strategies. By asking such types of questions, the recruiters generally want to know if you are interested in their company or if you have just applied because of their company’s reputation in the industry or a good paycheck.
  1. Practice the behavioral questions: Several common questions are asked during an interview, for example, your introduction, your experience, skills, etc., so before appearing for the interview, practice answering such questions in front of the mirror Or with your friends or family.
  1. Wear decent clothes: Whenever you appear for an interview, make sure you are following a very formal dress code. If the dress code is already mentioned in the email, then follow it; otherwise, make sure that you are not wearing a floral or a very bright colored shirt, ripped jeans, or sport-shoes. You should always look professionally good and formal while appearing for the interview.
  1. Always arrive early: Whenever you have your interview, make sure that you have already reached the venue 15 to 20 minutes before your interview time. Being early at the interview will always help you to get used to the crowd, and you will get enough time to calm yourself and regain your confidence by experiencing the environment of the venue.
  1. The first impression is the last: Whenever you enter the meeting room, make sure that you have a friendly smile on your face, your gestures, and good posture, maintain eye contact, and never forget to greet them. Always keep in mind that your body language is essential because that shows your confidence and awareness during the meeting. Don’t use a very friendly tone/ language because they are not your friends, and keep it professional.
  1. Questioning and answering: When HR asks you to self-introduce yourself, then make sure to mention all the points, your educational qualification, experience, etc., so that they may have a better idea about your background, and they will keep this in mind throughout the interview. Whenever you are in an interview, especially in a group interview, focus on your listening skills.

Whatever the questions are being asked, listen carefully, process them/think, and speak. Your answer should make a point. It doesn’t matter if the other person sitting next to you is answering fast.

Always prepare something in your mind and talk about it. A group interview gives you a plus point to think about the answer before speaking, so use that opportunity wisely.

  1. Give a chance to other candidates and don’t be dominant: As a normal human tendency, the majority of times, the candidate becomes dominant over the other candidate, so be supportive and give them a chance to speak up. This shows your skills of accepting the answers; provides the additional opportunity to speak up. It shows your patience level is high and allows every member to speak up.

If you believe that whenever your coworker is correct, or you have the same idea in your mind, then it is entirely okay to support and agree with it. Whenever you are answering the questions, make sure you always have a smile on your face. If you believe that the other candidate’s answer is wrong, then instead of laughing or giving a very negative – judgy impression, just have a usual smile throughout the interview.

  1. Don’t dominate the interview but be opportunities. You’ve got a chance to lead in the interview, so speak up. Then, don’t lose the chance and initiate the conversation.

Group interviews are a great way to show off communication skills and problem-solving skills. During the group interview, engagement is the primary key; always express your ideas and don’t be silent during the interview. Have direct eye contact, not only with the interviewer but also with the candidates while speaking to them.

  1. The ending: At the end of the interview, the hiring recruiter may ask you to raise any questions if you have any. In such a situation, you should always ask some thoughtful questions about the company’s culture, working policies, etc. In addition to this, you can also add how you can add value to the company while dealing with the clients but make sure you don’t look too greedy and influencing.

Before exiting the room, always say thank you to the interviewer and shake hands. It shows that you are confident, respectful, and well-mannered

Before exiting the room, always say thank you to the interviewer and shake hands. It shows that you are confident, respectful, and well-mannered

As we have earlier mentioned, the very tricky question is, “Who do you think deserves to be selected .” A very straightforward answer to this question should always be” Me.” You should also add something else to it like I have the high capability of learning new skills, I fit into the company’s culture as compared to my fellow candidates, I believe that I have all the skills that are required to work for this position, etc.

Always make sure that your answer does not look like you are overconfident or under-confident. It also wouldn’t feel like you believe that other members or candidates present in the interview are much more deserving than you. So always be prepared for this question because the hiring recruiters can easily trap you.

Additional Tips for ZOOM Interviews

Additional Tips for ZOOM Interview

Now we have already listed a few of the points that we should keep in mind while going for a group interview, but what about if the discussion is at zoom or any other online video call services. In such a situation, you should be extra careful because apart from your dressing, and answering skills, other essential factors can highly influence your interview, even if it’s not your fault. So make sure that whenever you have an interview, you already have checked all these factors before the interview.

 A few points that you should always keep in mind while giving a zoom interview are listed down below:

  1. Always check your Internet connection, electricity, and devices before the interview time. Test your equipment before attending the meeting so that you wouldn’t have an issue during the interview.
  1. Whenever you are giving an online job interview, ensure that your area is silent and not noisy.
  1. Always join the link before the time so that the recruiter or employer does not have to wait for you to join.
  1. Almost all the interviews have their camera on, so no matter wherever you are giving your interview, make sure that you have a proper lighting system. If the hiring recruiter camera is on, then you should switch on your camera immediately. It shows that you are understandable and respectful towards others.
  1.  Giving an interview from the comfort of your home does not mean that you will wear anything for the interview. Always make sure that you have dressed nicely and decently.

Conclusion

In this technological era, everything has become so paced. Nowadays, instead of opting for a one-on-one interview, the majority of the hiring recruiters are opting for a group interview to save their valuable time. Apart from this, group interviews have been proved a much more efficient way of selecting deserving candidates.

In group interviews, the HRs can quickly get an idea about the communication skills, team working skills, leadership skills, etc. These all are essential skills that are required in a deserving candidate so that they can handle the clients and work. So it becomes much more important for the candidates to prepare for such interviews because of the high competitiveness.

 We believe that the points mentioned in this article would have helped you prepare for your group interview. We wish you all the best!