View Full Version : OT: Group Interviews
Hiya,
I have been told by my bosses that i am to employ 3 new staff which is all good.
I have recd numerous CV's in and have about 15 people that i would like to interview. What i want to do is do a group interview with them split into 3 groups however i have not done nor been in a group interview before.
i was wondering if any of you have either chaired a group interview or been in one and if any one has any techniques i could adopt.
i was thinking about setting them the task of:
there are 8 people in a cave which is on fire (or something and they can only save 5 of them) - a Dr who is close to curing cancer, a nun, a mother and child etc and seeing which ones they would save first and reasons why and which ones they would leave behind etc.
any one got any advice?
ye... dont make yourself a fool by asking pseudo questions :lol:
If you want to save time and thus dont want to hear them one by one, you could send out a uniform questionaire beforehand and keep the following talks rather short.
Also, get a book or two on the subject ...and drop that "Dr Cancer" soap opera :lol:
Hell-demon
19-08-08, 13:16
Throw half the c.v's into the bin. That way you don't hire any unlucky people.
here are two examples of what im talking about:
http://www.lsbu.ac.uk/clsd/jobshopandcareers/mfe/lec-7/grpexe2.shtml
http://escalate.ac.uk/resources/careerskills/91
No offense but I'd never take a job which had that kind of interview.
Some thoughts.
1. If you not been trained to do group interviews, or your company interview process procedures does not cover group interviews, then you shouldn't be doing group interviews.
2. Whats the aim of doing the group interview in the first place? (Other than splitting them into groups)
I've interviewed many people in my career. Most recently I hired two new people to join my team around Christmas time. We have a documented procedure for interviewing because there are all kinds of legal implications here in the UK. That bears repeating - the legalities of interviewing are such that if you are not properly trained you should not be conducting interviews at all.
I have never conducted a group interview and nor will I ever. We treat our candidates with the same respect we expect them to treat us in return and that doesn't include handling them like sheep. ;)
Some comments:
- Document everything because the candidate has a legal right to see all evidence gathered during the interview process.
- Don't ask them their age. Ever. It's illegal to ask about anything that isn't directly related to their ability to do the job. Dates of birth are not required on application forms or CVs.
- Don't engage in small-talk before or after the interview without full understanding that anything said can be used against you. Seriously. This includes not asking if they're married, have children etc.
- A breach of any of these rules can lead to an unlimited fine!
- If the interviewee is not a UK citizen then it is allowable to ask for visa/work permit information as it has a direct bearing on their ability to work for your company long term.
- There are people who apply for interviews solely for the purpose of litigating afterwards. There's a lot of money to be made here and it's a growing problem.
My advice? Unless you really know what you're doing and have the full written authorisation of your superior, just don't get involved!
N
/edit -
Throw half the c.v's into the bin. That way you don't hire any unlucky people.I love this! :)
Some thoughts.
1. If you not been trained to do group interviews, or your company interview process procedures does not cover group interviews, then you shouldn't be doing group interviews.
2. Whats the aim of doing the group interview in the first place? (Other than splitting them into groups)
one of my superiors will be in there with me who has done these style of interviews before. he has been in them as an interviewer and an interviewee.
I am just trying to do as much research into the teniques as much as possible as i already know what i want from people as i have done many interviews in the past im just looking for other peoples experiences and thoughts.
the aim is to see how people cope in groups and then i can asses if they are going to be loud / aggressive / complete nob etc etc.
I have a fully established team and i need to ensure that the people i take on will be able to hit the floor running and interviewing them all individually doesnt work as every body says they can work in a team, its a standard answer.
ps, i have done / been involved in nearly a hundred interviews in my time so am very expericenced in one to one interviews so i consider myself fully trained to do interviews.
The problem is that it's hard to treat each interviewee in exactly the same way if you're taking them in groups and that's a legal requirement. For example, we have a number of question categories with a bunch of sample questions in each category. We can ask different questions to different people provided they're from the same categories as we asked all the others. That way we can demonstrate, in court if necessary, that no interviewee was treated any differently to the others, and therefore that the selection process was completely fair.
I can see what you're trying to achieve, but since you're personally liable should a case go to court (not the company) I don't feel it's worth the risk. Just my 2c.
N
I completly understand where you are coming from Nid and i have tried to arrange the groups as equally as possibe and have similar people in each group -
ie - i have a few college / uni leavers in one group, people with experience in the feild im looking for in another etc.
If there are so many legal implications and you all seem to be against it then why do the come highly recomended?
from what i have heard away from here they are highly praised and yes i agree they may seem rather daungting but considering everybody will be given feedback at the end i think this would be a good idea?
Nymphette79
19-08-08, 16:42
Nids right, u have to be extremely careful in interviews now.
While i'd be interested to see the results of the cave question, in my opinion ur just asking for trouble.
Say if someone in ur group picks to leave the mother & child in the cave, if u have a bra burner woman in ur group she may say that person is being sexist, if u leave a person of ethnic origin in the cave someone may see it as racism, the old codger dying of a heart attack - ageism etc etc.
But then that may just be me, I hate conflict & avoid it if possible, make love not war and all that jazz.
P.S. Sorry to rain on ur parade
Nids right, u have to be extremely careful in interviews now.
While i'd be interested to see the results of the cave question, in my opinion ur just asking for trouble.
Say if someone in ur group picks to leave the mother & child in the cave, if u have a bra burner woman in ur group she may say that person is being sexist, if u leave a person of ethnic origin in the cave someone may see it as racism, the old codger dying of a heart attack - ageism etc etc.
But then that may just be me, I hate conflict & avoid it if possible, make love not war and all that jazz.
P.S. Sorry to rain on ur parade
I see your point however i dont think that this would pop up and i think the quesitons are specifically designed not to get these kind of comments however you never know what would happen.
i have pasted a link below for another forum where someone was invited to a group interview and wanted advice and uses the cave question as an example, there are some good points raised by people in there as well as general flaming.
http://www.avforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=443158
I see your point however i dont think that this would pop up and i think the quesitons are specifically designed not to get these kind of comments however you never know what would happen.
i have pasted a link below for another forum where someone was invited to a group interview and wanted advice and uses the cave question as an example, there are some good points raised by people in there as well as general flaming.
http://www.avforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=443158
What's a graduate assessment? Job interviews are covered under employment law.
N
Aren't group interviews just made to see how good people can work in a team? From what i experienced with this you normally follow those up with a normal interview, the group is simply given some tasks so you can watch how they interact and evaluate their social skills and to a limited extend their creativeness. Do The real interview one at a time in a separate room, don't ask questions you would ask there to the whole group.
awkward silence
19-08-08, 20:02
If you want to see how people work in a group just give them a task and observe. I would not ask any questions, or really answer unless nessissary.
But... if you want to go to any pseudo or psychological lenghts, do everyone a favor and hire a professional.
yeah sorry i must have forgot to say, for those candidates that are deemed successfull in the group interviews, they will be given a normal interview a few days later.
First a little disclaimer, I should have said earlier - I don't do interviews in my job. (And after reading Nid's reply earlier, I'm not sure I would either!)
yeah sorry i must have forgot to say, for those candidates that are deemed successfull in the group interviews, they will be given a normal interview a few days later.
If that's the case, personally I don't think this is a fair or good interview process, as I think the normal one to one interview can give the chance for your or the candidate to discuss the group interview part.
Job interviews are a two way process for you to find out about the person, and for them to find out about the company, and you could be eliminating the wrong candidate to early.
You probably can't tell us here, but what job positions are you interviewing for?
well with the group interviews, i belive that it will show me and my superior how everyone acts in a group of people they dont know and if they strive to be the best in thier group or shy away.
This is the best way to see how people fit in within a group and how they potentially would fit in with my already established team. All candidates will be given a fair review and consideration and hopefully it will show which candidates will be suitable and which ones wouldnt be.
Im a insurance motor claims manager and i am interviewing to employ people as motor claims handlers, however, their job will revolve around a specialist aspect of motor cliams and not your standard liability argument type handlers. i have them already ^^.
Doc Holliday
20-08-08, 20:50
there was a story once about a weather girl in the states wanting to move to a new news office and get a better job as co-anchor or what ever. she forged a letter to the office chief at the new office from the old office chief giving her a rock solid reference and at the bottom of the letter it said " p.s she can suck a golf ball through a garden hose. "
she got the job.
years later the 2 bosses met and the one who recieved the letter asked the former about it. the first one said he knew nothing of it lol.
random story might not be true but funny as shit anyway.
Smokey if shes fit hire her. there is nothing better than some good eye candy in the office. :D
Hell-demon
20-08-08, 21:24
Smokey if shes fit hire her. there is nothing better than some good eye candy in the office. :D
Also keep the sexual harrassment forms in the bottom drawer. That way when she goes to get one you get a nice view of her arse :rolleyes:
I work i na shop atm which his swarmed with women, as in the only boys r me and a 16 year old, and I think he's gay...
Hell-demon
20-08-08, 21:45
I work i na shop atm which his swarmed with women, as in the only boys r me and a 16 year old, and I think he's gay...
Sounds interesting.
Get the camera.
Sounds interesting.
Get the camera.
and the gimp mask?
Hell-demon
21-08-08, 00:35
Save that for your group interview.
Nymphette79
21-08-08, 09:32
I work i na shop atm which his swarmed with women, as in the only boys r me and a 16 year old, and I think he's gay...
I bet u work in Passion Box :lol:
Hell-demon
21-08-08, 12:31
Nymph you're always talking about your box :rolleyes:
Doc Holliday
21-08-08, 12:42
I bet u work in Passion Box :lol:
probably ann summers :)
I do think the whole group exercise is a complete waste of time.
Ok, has its good points of seeing how the people work together in a team, try and draw out the nobs etc... ok fine
But can you not find something to do which has relevance to the job at hand?
i was happy to see nymphet's comments about the sexism blah blah possible arising, as i was going to suggest the same.
If i was faced with the cave question, I would believe it is unfair.
I bet u work in Passion Box :lol:
No, but i did apply there :lol: We have a well good one in our town, down the back alley behind boots, i once bought a very nice corset for my ex-missus there, but broke up with her too soon to see her wear it :(
To be honest, if I were to arrive for an interview and find myself in a group interview then I would leave immediatly. The company is not for me; The company is happy to unnerve me more than I was already, and would like me to fight for my job.
Listen all! This is the truth of it. Job seeking leads to interviews, and interviews gets to employment. And that was damn near the death of us all. Look at us now! Busted up, and everyone talking about group interviews! But we've learned, by the dust of them all... Bartertown learned. Now, when men get to job seeking, it happens here! And it finishes here! Two candidates enter; one employee leaves.
N
Nymphette79
23-08-08, 00:49
No, but i did apply there :lol: We have a well good one in our town, down the back alley behind boots, i once bought a very nice corset for my ex-missus there, but broke up with her too soon to see her wear it :(
Ours is behind Woolies :) , I bet that corset set u back a bit, its bloody expensive in there imo.
What shop do u work in if u dont mind me asking? :confused:
Ours is behind Woolies :) , I bet that corset set u back a bit, its bloody expensive in there imo.
What shop do u work in if u dont mind me asking? :confused:
I work in Trowbridge at One-Stop... I'm so cool :cool:
EDIT: and actually ours is behind woolies basically too... you sure your not stalking me? ;)
Nymphette79
23-08-08, 10:04
I work in Trowbridge at One-Stop... I'm so cool :cool:
EDIT: and actually ours is behind woolies basically too... you sure your not stalking me? ;)
LOL no, i'd have to visit Nottingham to do my stalking ;)
Its just that I shop in Trowbridge alot
William Antrim
23-08-08, 14:09
hehe.
:lol:
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