What is interview ?

A:H R M: interview is a formal discussion between a hirer and an appliciant or candidate, typically in person, in which information is exchange with the intension of establishing the applicant’s suitability for a position .

Or it can be

B:, such as one conducted by a reporter, in which facts or statements are elicited from another.b.  An account or a reproduction of such a conversation.

Types of interview :

There are many different types of interviews as well as interview methods and techniques. Every job is different, so be prepared! You may experience a combination or all of these.

Also, remember than in professional interviewing, you will almost always go through a series of interviews. As a general rule, each subsequent interview will become longer and more detailed.

Remember that the key to success is to be well prepared for every interview.

1}Screening interviews :

are generally conducted when an employer has a large applicant pool which they want to narrow down to a more manageable number. The purpose is to “weed out” the applicants who are obviously not a fit. Screening interviews are usually done by phone, tend to be very short, and the questions will focus on basic qualifications.

2}Phone Interviews :

Most screening interviews are done by phone, but phone interviews will also be used for other reasons, such as geographic obstacles – the applicant lives in another city or state. In this case, phone interviews will be longer and more detailed. Here are a few do’s and don’ts of phone

interviews in all situations:

Be well prepared.

Never conduct a phone interview in your car or in a public area – you need to focus all

your attention on the interview.

Use a land line to avoid the possibility of a cell phone call being dropped or poor

reception.

Conduct the interview in a quiet private area.

Ask family members and friends not to disturb you during the interview.

No eating, surfing the web, I/M or text messaging during the phone interview – avoid

distractions and focus on the interview.

Also, phone interviews are often not scheduled in advance, they will just call you. If you are busy, driving or in any way not able to focus 100% on the interview, tell them you are busy and ask to schedule a time later in the day or week. Don’t worry, interviewers know they are calling you without an appointment and are very flexible – they will work with you.

3}One-on-One Interviews :

This is the most common interview method and involves you and the interviewer alone in a private office. Once you are face-to-face with the interviewer your dress, appearance, non-verbal communication skills and other visual factors, as well as your verbal communication skills will come into play. Building rapport with the interviewer is usually easiest in this setting.

4}Panel Interviews :

Sometimes the employer will have a “selection committee” or for some other reason there will be multiple people involved in conducting interviews. They may want to conduct a “panel interview” in which you will be interviewed by several people at the same time. Panel interviews are very efficient from the employer’s perspective because it allows them, in effect, to do many interviews all at once. Remember that in a panel interview you must connect with and engage every member of the panel, not just the person asking the question. Make sure you get a business card from every panel member and send each a thank you note afterwards. Always bring extra resumes and offer one to each member of the panel at the beginning of the interview.

5} Serial Interviews :

In a serial interview you will meet with several people throughout the day, usually back-to-back. One person will interview you, then pass you to the next person, and so on throughout the day.

Serial interviews are physically and mentally tiring because they can often take the entire day. Remember that each time you are passed onward your chances of being hired improve! Serial interviews are typically used for senior-level positions, but there are exceptions.

6} Lunch Interviews :

Sometimes the employer will take you to an interview lunch or even dinner. Interview lunches are very unstructured, and they will probably be evaluating your social skills and manners. If you haven’t yet done so, make a point of attending the University Career Center Professional Etiquette dinner to familiarize yourself with the basics of dining etiquette. When ordering off the menu, stick with something in the mid-range of prices that’s easy to eat. Never under any circumstances order an alcoholic drink during a lunch or dinner interview.

7} Group Interviews :

You may be asked to do a “group” interview, which is the opposite of a panel interview. Instead

of several interviewers and one candidate, one interviewer will sometimes interview several candidates at the same time. The interviewer will ask questions of no one in particular in hopes that a “leader” will emerge. Group interviews are not very effective for most situations and are rarely used.

8} Stress Interviews :

Stress interviewing is a generally ineffective and antiquated interview method, and most – but unfortunately not all – employers have discontinued this practice. The theory is to see how you react to stress. The interviewer may make the room physically uncomfortable by turning up the heat, make the candidate sit in an uncomfortable chair or sometimes even stand, ask off-the-wall questions that have nothing to do with the job and possibly refuse to answer your questions. Today’s job candidates are too sophisticated to tolerate these methods and this technique is very ineffective.

Conclusion Employers conduct multiple interviews as a filtering or screening process. At each step candidates are eliminated from consideration until at the

end only one person remains. Each time you are invited back for a subsequent interview means you are one step closer to a job offer!

In all interviewing situations the key to success is good preparation The more effort you put into it, the better your odds of succeeding.

Comman interview mistake

they are more types of peoble made during interview or before “

1.snap judgments:

Interviewers tend to make rapid decisions about the qualifications of a candidate within the first few minutes of the interview based on minimal information. What you first see is not always what you get! So it’s important that interviewers reserve their judgment until sufficient information on the candidate is gathered.

2. Emphasize on the Negatives:

Unfavorable information tends to be more influential and memorable than favorable information, but an effective interviewer shouldn’t focus solely on negative information. They need to keep an open mind to see all the candidates’ strengths and weaknesses.

3. Not Knowing the Job:I

nterviewers who don’t have a comprehensive understanding of the job often form their own opinion of the ideal candidate. But how can someone select the best person for the job if they don’t fully understand the demands and skills needed for the position? To be successful in the selection process, interviewers must fully understand all the job requirements to know whether an individual is really right for the position.  

4. Pressure to Hire:

When interviewers believe they need to make a decision quickly, they tend to make decisions based on a limited sample of information, or on a small number of candidate interviews. Interviewers should stick to the established interview procedure and timeline with each candidate to avoid making wrong hiring decisions. 

5. candidates order error:

An error judgement on the part of interviewer due to interviewing one or very good or very bad candidates just before the interview in question

6. Nonverbal Behavior :I

nterviewers should base their evaluation of the candidate on their past performance and current behavior as it relates to how they will perform on the job – not just on how the candidate acts during the interview. Questions and probes relating to skills and work behavior will usually direct the interviewer to the most important information.