How to conduct a group interview correctly. Group interview methodology (Business Class)

We recommend this read to anyone who has never had or was disappointed in group interviews. The article describes the preparation, the structure of the stages, cases and tasks for candidates - systematically, step by step and without water. Everything you need to know to conduct a group interview correctly.

About me

Evgenia Koryakovtseva. Consultant, independent business coach. For more than ten years she worked with a retail format, was an external consultant in a consulting agency and an internal trainer in retail chains, led the B2B sales department.

She described business processes, built training systems, developed personnel motivation and project management systems.

Today we will talk about this version of a group interview, when applicants show themselves in various kinds of activities, solve cases and complete tasks. This is what the assessment is based on.

What are the advantages of such an interview?

We save.

First, we save time. Indeed, in a classic interview, we spend hours to present the company and the vacancy to each candidate over and over again. Why tell something seven times when you can get by with one?

Secondly, we save on adaptation. Often people quit in the first or second month of work, sniffing gunpowder and realizing: "This is not mine." This is especially true for sellers. As practice shows, it is difficult to change a person, his attitude and values, if he himself does not accept the rules of the game. It is much easier to form the required competencies among applicants whose values ​​are close to those of the company.

It usually takes a couple of months for a company and employees to get used to each other. You can shorten this time if you select with group activity.

Third, we save on appraisal, since we will still have to evaluate the candidate based on his skills, not only on the resume. And since you still can't do without cases and tasks, it's easier to do it in a group format. This is especially true for candidates for the front line of communication with clients: salespeople, reception, administrators, pharmacists, and so on.

Another plus of a group interview is it increases starting loyalty... Candidates saw real competition - and they passed, this is their first victory in the company, that is, you are more motivated to work.

What positions is it suitable for?

In my opinion, the defining condition is not the position, but the coincidence of several points.

Periodically, you have a massive recruitment. For example, you quite often need salespeople, you recruit them on a planned basis.

For successful work you need the given qualities and skills, that is, you need a certain set of competencies. So, your salesperson definitely needs the ability to keep up a conversation, and you can't judge that by a resume. If the selection is based on formal measurable parameters (for example, you need a sixth-grade welder), then the group interview is irrelevant.

There is a shortage of high-quality (in your opinion) personnel for this vacancy on the market. A group interview will help you see the level of candidates faster and make the best choice.

Preparing for the interview

The group interview is preceded by a standard screening of responses or resumes and the invitation of applicants. I recommend making the primary filter broad and understandable so that the selection by resume is quick and unambiguous. And this is age, education and work experience (Article 3 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation prohibits discrimination in the field of work, including by age. - Ed.HR- Journal). Filter by the principle - well, very important, just critical. And nothing that many fit these criteria. Our second-order filter will be much narrower and more accurate - we will assess the competencies and qualities of candidates.

By the way, there are so-called statistics on reaching group interviews. If we talk about the "evil option", then this is one to two. That is, if you called three people, then one or two come, if nine - then four or five, and so on. So invite more people, some of them EXACTLY will not come.

Since you will be organizing and moderating the process, you definitely need to prepare an interview script. It usually has two parts.

Part 1. Presentation

The first part is a presentation of your company and vacancy. Note that the purpose of this part is to “sell” the job to candidates. This important point... Let's proceed from the idea that people don't owe you anything yet, they don't have to tremble at the mere mention of your brand. Now, if they start to tremble after your story - then yes, you are a master!

The tools for preparing a good show are effective here - and this is a prepared text, answers to pressing questions, pictures, videos, surprises, a rabbit ... Sorry, you can do without a rabbit;)

We all know that the selling text is often built on the principle of "fact - benefit". You list facts about your company, deciphering for candidates - and what good does each one give them. In this vein, it is a good idea to prepare a company presentation as well. It will be great if it is supported by slides, videos, photographs.

Approximate structure of the first part

Organizational moments of the meeting: format, how long will it take, what will be the result. It is important to outline the rules of the interview, to say again that there will be a practical block, to remind you of the right to ask questions. Emphasize that this is not an exam with correct and incorrect answers, but an opportunity for the applicant to get to know the company better and "try on" this job.

About company: brand, history, geography, your chips and advantages (you usually write them on the main page of the site), who is your client and why he chooses you. There are good films about the company, promo videos, product samples.

Your product. If you are producing or selling something, present your product. We understand: it's bad when employees appear who are disloyal to the product, even if you hire movers. Plus, it's an opportunity to promote your product. The applicant is also a consumer. Imagine that there are buyers in front of you: show, tell, give a mini-tour; share a life hack on how to distinguish your product from low-quality copies, give it a try, ask a riddle in the end.

Your values, principles, mission, your philosophy. And the more truthful and realistic, the better. In addition, we will need this philosophy for the second part.

About the position: title, main tasks, opportunities for this position. It is important to remember that each position has its own advantages. Small salary? Well, on the other hand, this is an opportunity to get free qualifications and experience. A lot of work? Then it is worth noting career growth, rapid development and a variety of tasks (if something of this is assumed, but not immediately obvious).

About compensation. Be sure to tell us about the payment, the conditions for receiving the bonus part, and intangible bonuses. Provide as much detail as possible about everything a candidate can get from you. This is where photos from corporate events, videos about trainings in the company, employee selfies and a sample VHI policy fit well.

And organizational points for the position: schedule, terms of employment, Required documents how the probationary period goes and so on.

Now let's give the candidates the opportunity to ask questions and leave us if the conditions did not suit them. It is important to designate the right to leave, otherwise shy and well-mannered people will sit to the end: they will spend their time and part of our attention will go to them.

Part 2. Activities

And now the fun begins - tasks in which your candidates will be able to show their qualities and skills.

I recommend preparing an assessment sheet with qualities and assignments in advance. We need to understand the manifestation of what quality we want to see. Because it is the qualities that your specialist need that will determine the choice of tasks.

For example, we want to assess a person's ability to speak coherently, fluently, and quickly find words (we are selecting a sales manager). We can give tasks:

• tell about your work achievement and professional mistake;
• prepare a one-minute presentation on the proposed topic, clarifying the opinion and position (for example, is it worth keeping money in foreign currency?).

At this stage, everything is simple. Candidates complete the task, show results, and you observe how the quality or skill you need is manifested.

An important point! All tasks should be fairly short: no more than a couple of minutes per person if the task is personal, and up to 15 minutes if the task is group.

Again, it is important to clearly define the quality that you want to evaluate, and predict how approximately it can manifest itself in behavior, track this manifestation.

For example, you want to bring out leadership qualities. Then you pay attention to those who are the first to be called up to answer, ask questions, organize a team, assign roles and tasks.

Group Interview Assignments

Let's see what qualities and skills can be tested using different tasks.

Written problems with conditions and the correct answer

For example, you give a calculated order specification and ask to determine how you can reduce the cost. Or you show a list of reporting documents that are submitted to the tax office, you need to check their correctness.

What is checked: such tasks help to confirm the level of competence of the candidate in the specialty and the way of his thinking.

Self-presentation

Ask for experiences, skills, education, or job expectations.

What is checked:

Leadership: who will be the first to speak.

Speech: vocabulary and logic.

Type of thinking: "result" - if it speaks about concrete facts, about results, about measurable indicators; “Process” - if it tells about how it proceeded, what happened and in what order, and so on.

Expectations and Efforts

Ask the candidate to choose a card from the set of proposed (and you have prepared) with the most important thing he wants to get out of the job. You can choose only one card, the very best. (The cards may include: high salary, convenient schedule, understanding boss, funny team, and the like.)

Then ask the candidate to choose from another set, and also only one - and what he is ready to give the company in return (for example: evening hours, work on weekends, personal responsibility for the result, and so on). In another version, the candidate can fill in the second card himself.

What is checked: motivational profile.

Sell ​​an item

For example, your product. If it's difficult, suggest something familiar that everyone uses: cellular telephone, bag, hairbrush, watch. During the "sale", do not forget to act out the doubt to see how the candidate responds to the objections, how he removes them.

Such tasks allow you to check:

ability to present.

benevolence.

the ability to conduct a dialogue.

"Why me?"

Candidates are invited to prepare a presentation on the topic “Why it is worth hiring me”.

In similar cases, you can check:

Motivation to work.

Stress resistance.

Behavior strategy: rivalry, cooperation, withdrawal.

Choosing a solution

Candidates are given a problematic problem with an open solution. It involves conflict and several solutions. Here's an example.

Case "Brigadier"

You are the foreman of the ice cream filling line. You have seven subordinates. In connection with the optimization of the number of employees, they are transferred from the main rates to new form lease agreement. The peculiarity of such an agreement: there are no social benefits (sick leave, vacation pay, copayments) and there is no entry in work book, which affects the continuity of work experience and pension savings.

You are only offered two options:

1. The entire team is transferred to a new contract. In this case, written statements from each employee are required.
2. In the brigade, two workers are laid off, all the rest are working on the same conditions.

What will you choose and how will you proceed? Why?

In such cases, the willingness to make decisions and type of thinking: whether he is looking for a way out, what or by whom he sacrifices, how he justifies.

"Delalka"

Candidates are encouraged to do something with their hands, physically. Relevant when we want to test the skill.

For instance:

Collect “look” from the available items of clothing.

Prepare a dish from the proposed products)))

Make a weld on the issued workpiece.

Refill the cartridge.

Disassemble the phone.

Type text.

Draw a mockup on the topic "Skills Needed for a Job".

Team tasks

Candidates will need to work as a team. A group discussion, search for a solution, its implementation and presentation of the results are assumed.

Case "Newest production"

You are the managers of the Horns and Hooves holding, which supplies an innovative product to the Omsk market - Lenee trap. This apparatus allows you to assess the level of deposits of natural laziness in a person. The laziness indicator shows how inert a person is and how prone to inaction. Such a device is simply irreplaceable when assessing employees and recruiting personnel.

The device is manufactured at the Research Institute of Novosibirsk. You are a dealer of this research institute. This device costs 25,000 rubles at retail; purchase price - 13 800 rubles.

Your customer is a large manufacturing company that produces ice cream. The number of employees is over 1,500 employees. The selection of personnel is ongoing and the company is trying to optimize the costs of this process. Your decision maker is the head of the procurement service, Pyotr Vasilievich Kholodny. The contact was initiated by the customer, having contacted you with a request to send a commercial proposal ( commercial proposal. - Ed. HR-Journal) for your products.

You know for sure that the customer has requested a commercial proposal from your competitors.

The task of the team is to prepare an offer of your product and present your offer to the customer.

The commercial proposal must be drawn up on paper (A4 format, no more than two sheets) - and handed over to the customer's representatives before the start of the presentation.

Case "Travel around the world"

Your company is rewarded with a ten-day tourist trip for excellent performance. Material costs may not worry the players - "paid for everything!"

Your task is to determine the travel route: all the countries and cities you want to visit. The only limitation: your route should cover only 5 countries and no more than 7 cities, you simply cannot make it in time.

Attention! Since the order is a group one, it provides for 100% agreement of all travelers with the cruise program.

And attention again! The itinerary should be drawn up quickly (indicating the duration of stay at each point). The sale of vouchers ends in 10 minutes!

In such cases, they check:

leadership;

the role that the candidate tends to choose in teamwork;

strategies for interacting with other participants.

Part 3. Mutual choice

This is the final stage of the interview. Here you give the participants feedback and communicate your decision.

First, invite participants to ask questions and remind them of the right to leave again. And tell those who have already remained who you are ready to invite to the next stage.

Group or mass interviews are a way to select personnel, in which several candidates for the position, or one candidate and several representatives of the employing organization, take part in the interview at once.

This type of interview is usually used in the selection of candidates, for example, for the position of a courier, salesperson, sales manager, etc. (for details on what methods of conducting a preliminary interview are, read). In other words, it is advisable to conduct a group interview in relation to those positions that require the employee to have such qualities as communication skills, stress resistance, self-confidence, etc.

ATTENTION! Team interviews are actively used when searching for employees for vacancies that do not require serious professional training.

There are three types of group interviews:

The main goals of this type of interview are as follows:

• checking the stress resistance of a potential employee;
• analysis of the candidate's behavior in the team;
• assessment of communication skills, etc.

How is it going?

Interviewing involves going through the following three stages in sequence.

Presentation

At this stage, there is a closer acquaintance of the applicants with the company through its presentation.

The structure of this stage includes:

Completing assignments

Applicants are invited to complete several simple tasks. It should be noted that these tasks act as a tool with which the employer has the opportunity to:

1. evaluate the behavior of applicants in the team;
2. their communication skills;
3. skill to work in team;
4. the ability to calmly act in a stressful situation, etc.

Summarizing

At this stage, the representatives of the company who conducted the interview announce its results, indicating the persons who are invited to the next stage (an individual interview with the company management).

ATTENTION! All other participants should be thanked for their participation, and also in the correct form indicate the main reasons why they did not pass the interview.

Pros and cons of a collective interview

Group interviews have significant advantages, which are as follows:

• saving time in the selection of suitable candidates;
• the time for adaptation of employees to a new workplace is reduced;
• there is an opportunity to give a preliminary assessment of the suitability of a particular candidate, the position for which he is applying;
• the applicant has the opportunity to get to know his rivals and evaluate his strength;
• a successfully completed group interview acts as a powerful incentive to achieve new victories in this company.

At the same time, one cannot ignore some of the negative aspects that are associated with a group interview:

• takes a lot of time (on average, 2-3 hours), it is especially difficult for the applicant, since he has to concentrate most of the time on the monotonous answers of other applicants;
• candidates have a false sense of security, and at some point they may relax, which ultimately will not work in their favor;
• stressful state of applicants;
• the interviewer must have extensive experience in managing the group;
• makes it impossible to assess individual characteristics candidates for the position.

How to conduct such an interview correctly? It is best done in three steps. At the same time, as a rule, most of the questions arise about the procedure for the second stage, which involves the performance of certain tasks by the applicants.

So, at this stage, it is recommended that all interview participants be divided into several groups and offered to complete certain tasks. Usually, the groups are formed by the interviewer. The division into commands can be done, for example, using the alphabetical method (A-M is the first command, H-Z is the second).

It is recommended to prepare assignment sheets in advance. Moreover, under each assignment it is necessary to indicate what qualities it allows to evaluate. For example, in order to determine the applicant's ability to speak fluently, quickly and freely, you can give an assignment that includes a story about your previous job and a short presentation on a given topic (for example, why shouldn't money be idle?).

During the group interview, the following tasks can be given to applicants:

• in the form of tests containing a condition and a correct answer;
• offer to tell about yourself;
• ask the applicant to choose a card with the most important characteristics of the future work for him (for example, flexible working hours, high wages, friendly team, etc.);
• offer to tell why it is worth hiring him;
• give team assignments involving the search for a solution to a specific problem, its active discussion, as well as a presentation of the results obtained.

Currently, there is a tendency to use various non-standard methods of assessing candidates. Having come to the interview, it is already difficult to predict how it will go, how long it will take. Hiring managers use a variety of professional tricks to reduce the risk of making the mistake of picking the wrong candidate. I would like to tell you about our technique, which has been professionally used by us for several years and, in our opinion, has reduced the cost of selection and the time frame.

Before describing our methodology, I would like to tell you a little about my vision of the labor market and search problems.

The labor market, like any other market, is subject to the laws of supply and demand. The labor market has a large number of employees and a large number of vacancies. The first thing that is very important when looking for an Employee is an ad. The ad must involve its target audience... At the same time, if you offer conditions slightly higher than the market, the probability of finding a specialist a little better is much higher. When working with vacancies, we apply this rule, we try to make our conditions look and be better than the conditions of competitive offers. In addition, when posting a vacancy, we often expand the range of searches. For example, we are not so strict in the requirements. Very often in our experience, there have been cases when a well-written resume does not correspond to the characteristics of the candidate. The ability to write a resume correctly, unfortunately, correlates little with the success of fulfilling the functions of the position. When working with job seekers, we look at the resume at the very end, when we checked the candidate for other behavioral features that will be directly involved in the work. And we check the candidate, how he will cope, we are in a group interview, on which our recruiting methodology is based.

Employee interviews are based on training technologies. We have been using this method for 7 years. Based on this methodology, the Business Class agency was created. Our feature and competitive advantage consists in this non-standard way of evaluating a candidate. We conduct interviews in our agency only in a group format, the application of our methodology is designed for a group, it is not carried out in an individual format. I will describe the application step by step.

Stage 1. Job posting.

I have already described the importance of the announcement earlier. Since it is important for us that the interview is held in a group format, so that a sufficient number of applicants respond, we are very sensitive to the text of the vacancy. We publish a vacancy on one of the largest job search resources. We publish the vacancy in a special status so that it remains in the upper search limits for at least a week.

There is one little professional trick. We are very fond of independent job seekers and those who carefully read the vacancy announcement. At the end of the ad text, we write when, what time and where the interview will take place. We do not send invitations to some positions, but we are waiting for just such applicants. In our experience, such independent and attentive candidates are very rare, but they are special people and if they pass the further stages of interviews successfully, then they show these qualities when performing the tasks of leaders.

A week after the posting of the vacancy, we are interviewing candidates who have responded to our vacancy. We do not show initiative on our own, our method does not provide for an active search for candidates. If we see that the ad does not give the desired result, and the vacancy is fairly standard, we work on the conditions. Of course, in working with vacancies where rare professional quality, we are flexible and expand the way we search for candidates.

Stage 2. Conducting a group interview.

We conduct group interviews because this allows the use of training technologies, in which, in our opinion, it is easier to see personal qualities candidates. In addition, our interview with the entire pool of candidates lasts only 3 hours, which is much less if we work with each candidate suitable for formal reasons.

A group interview can be divided into 3 stages.

1 - Job description.

We seat the incoming candidates in a comfortable auditorium. To relieve anxiety, we start the interview a little later. During this time, people who are a little late come.

In the beginning, we tell the applicants how we will conduct the interview. This stage is very important. Not everyone is used to this format, so it is important that at this stage people understand that our intentions are quite serious.

After that, we briefly talk about the vacancy. We invite applicants to ask their questions about the position. Often, at this stage, we invite a future leader so that applicants have the opportunity to learn everything from the primary source. Depending on the number of questions, this stage lasts from 10 to 20 minutes.

It is important for us that applicants understand what they have to do, on what conditions, and whether they will cope. In other words, after talking about the vacancy, the applicant must understand whether he should stay at the interview further.

After the first stage, we take a short break of 5-7 minutes. During this break, those who decide that the vacancy has ceased to be interesting leave "in English", and those who remain are those who are really interested in the vacancy. Usually 1 - 3 people leave after the first part.

2 - Testing.

The main task for us at stage 2 is to choose among the interested those candidates who are of interest to us. We do this through a logic test. We do not use psychometric tests or professional tests. It is important for us that applicants are on an equal footing.

After the test (for us it takes 30 minutes + 10 organization and instructions), applicants are given a break for 10 minutes. During the break, they communicate, drink tea and coffee, and we check the results.

3 - Mini-training

We announce the list of those candidates with whom we are ready for further communication. For the rest, the interview is over.

The objective of this stage of the interview is to assess the behavior of the participants in terms of the competencies of the vacancy. In other words, to see how a person will manifest himself in solving real problems that will be assigned to him in this position.

It is difficult to describe stage 3 in detail, since its program is selected for each specific customer. We usually give a group discussion in which the participants must come to a common opinion. Here we pay attention to leadership qualities. If the task requires specific knowledge, then we look at the logic of reasoning, at the level of information ownership. Discussions may vary. During the course of such interviews, we have accumulated a solid collection, many of the discussions have features of providing information to participants, some - features of assessing the behavior of participants, therefore I do not publish examples here, because the application of these discussions requires special competencies.

In addition to the discussion, we give situations where the participants need to negotiate with each other. We give ambiguous situations, in which there are many solutions, there are examples of cases where it is required to take responsibility for risk. In general, we look at the common sense of the candidates, at the ability to meet each other. Modeling such situations, we, of course, focus on the list of requirements for the candidate, on what we evaluate.

At the end of this stage, we thank the participants and talk about the further order of actions.

After that, the interviewees leave. We very often hear gratitude from applicants for the time spent with interest. In this case, the employer's image acquires an additional plus. The job seeker understands that the organization is serious about working with personnel.

Based on the results of this stage, we select those candidates for whom we are already ready to organize an individual interview with the employer.

Stage 4. Characteristics of job seekers from previous employers

To confirm the reliability of the candidate, we check the references from the previous place of work. We treat them with caution, because this is a subjective opinion. The latest trends in labor legislation ensure the safety of personal data of employees, therefore, information about who can clarify the characteristics of the candidate, we request from the candidate himself and only with his consent we specify the characteristics.

Stage 5. An interview with an employer.

Selected candidates undergo an individual interview with a manager who decides who he will hire.

When using this methodology for evaluating applicants, there is a small bonus, you can see the potential of the candidate. Those managers who are inclined to train employees, develop them, understand how valuable this bonus can be.

During the application of this technique, we have not conducted any identical interviews. Its implementation requires a lot of calculations by the host and the organizer, but the effect is worth it.

• Selection and selection, Evaluation, Labor market, Adaptation

Good afternoon, uv.participants.
Advantage and COMPETITIVE feature? In the recruitment market in which area (construction, cleaning, etc.)?
What is your target audience?
Do you use this method to close VIP positions?
I assure you that not a single self-respecting applicant for a TOP position (with a high level of professional competence) will take part in this kind of performance (quote-definition of your site).
In view of the fact that there is a catastrophic shortage of PROFESSIONALS on the labor market (I mean the quality of competencies and competence), both in the position of TOP management and LIN. That is why we have a growing number of expats in companies.
How do you rate the level of prof. competence? Tests? Cheap, of course, but not a professional method! You cannot measure with tests the real level of competence of a candidate.
The presence of the head-employer (owner, TOP) in such an event?
Well, this is generally beyond the scope of creativity.
The article, in my opinion, did not achieve the expected (PR) effect by the author.

2) practical cases that are close to real situations, we evaluate not what a person thinks and how he thinks he would act, but how he acts in this situation based on the skills and values ​​that he already has.

3) naturally, communication skills and ability to work in a group

There are, of course, disadvantages to the methods. However, everyone understands that there are a lot of methods and techniques and that the adequacy of the use of one or another means is important, therefore, the concept of "the ability to apply .... methodology" is understood not only the possession of technology, but also understanding strengths-weaknesses and the choice of the most optimal solution for a particular task.

With regards to competition. We have yet to come across agencies using group assessment methods for candidates.

2. Target audience.

Nowadays the vacancies of middle and top management are relevant to us.

Previously, personnel were recruited for line positions. Now this is not so important for our business, and we fill such vacancies for current clients and good friends.

3. When closing VIP positions?

It depends on what you mean by such positions.

We can apply, but we will consider each case separately.

There are examples of covering high-level vacancies in this way. We just use and carry out preparatory work with candidates more carefully.

I will not comment on your opinion about the performance, because is not the purpose of my post (as well as yours).

4. We do not assess professional competence by tests. I wrote about this in the article.

5. We are apparently lucky with our customers. However, there is an interest in this process on the part of the employer, in this regard, we conduct 70 - 80% of interviews together with the employer. We don't force them, we just invite them, and for some reason they agree.

Group interview goals

Often, when applying for a job, several company representatives talk to a candidate at the same time - for example, an HR specialist, a head of a department and a head of an organization.

A group interview (also called a "panel" or "team" interview) is conducted to:

1.test the candidate's communication skills and public speaking ability;

2. study the behavior in the team;

3. to evaluate the applicant's ability to behave correctly in a stressful environment and his resistance to stressful situations;

4. to ascertain the professional knowledge and skills of the applicant;

5. check and evaluate the personal qualities of the candidate;

6. to reduce subjectivity in the assessment of the candidate (the interviewer often becomes dependent on his own subjective perception of the personality of the applicant, which negatively affects the result of the assessment. This leads to the fact that not the most competent specialists are recommended for the next stage, but recommendations worthy of this role, on the contrary, do not receive. Collective assessment is designed to reduce the level of subjectivity);

7. check the information (representatives of some companies are fond of conducting all sorts of pseudo-scientific experiments, when, for example, the same questions are asked several times by different people. The purpose is to check the candidate: has he provided false information about yourself or your achievements?);

8. to save time (in order to save time, instead of several meetings, one group is held).

The need to conduct a "panel" interview can also arise when you need to consider a candidate for a leadership position or for a position of strategic importance to the company - for example, it could be a marketing director, head of business development.

Pros and cons

On the positive side of a group interview, it saves time for both parties - the company and the candidate. Another positive quality of the "panel" conversation for the applicant is the opportunity to demonstrate the skills of public speaking, the ability to work in a team. Also, in the course of such an interview, the candidate may have a more distinct impression of the future team.

For an employer, having a group interview with a candidate also has a number of advantages. For example, each interviewer can ask the applicant questions on "his" topic. Since the candidate is assessed by several company representatives, the assessment is carried out collectively, and most importantly - more objectively.

As for the disadvantages of a group interview, this form of interview is longer than a standard meeting with a candidate. Of course, a "panel" interview is also an additional stress for the applicant - not everyone feels comfortable in such an environment.

For interviewers, disadvantages are manifested in the limited time for each specific interviewee. Sometimes it turns out that not every participant has time to ask all the questions that they would like to ask.

However, it should be noted that there are no significant disadvantages with a qualified group interview. The employer has the ability to quickly make a collegial decision, and the applicant can form an opinion about the team and the culture of the potential employer.

1. The job seeker should always keep in mind the main recipe for success: behave naturally. At the interview, you can strain and play some "desirable" role, but then it will take a long time to work, and the effect may be unexpected. If you are being interviewed by several people, then you need to understand who they are and what information they need to get to make a decision, as well as what information they can provide for the applicant to make a decision.

2. It is necessary to maintain a balance of views, smile, speak confidently and clearly. Particular attention is required to be paid to facial expressions and posture. Speaking skills are well suited to confidently pass this type of interview.

3. It is necessary to prepare for the meeting, tune in to the positive, try not to worry. When answering questions, try not to focus strictly on the person who asked the question at the moment, but pay attention to all the participants present at the meeting.

4. Before starting the interview, try to ask what the name of each member of the "commission" is, and when answering the question, focus your attention both on the person who turned to you and on other experts, paying attention to their reaction during the answer. Most importantly, stay calm.

Regardless of the number of interviewers present at the interview, keep the main thing in mind - always be confident and be optimistic. Your goal is to demonstrate your professional and personal qualities. And a group interview will add valuable interviewing experience to your bank.

Your job search was crowned with the first success - the recruiter called and made an appointment. Now the most difficult stage lies ahead - the interview, where you need to prove that in real life you are as good as on paper. In order not to lose face, prepare 100%. The Rabota.ru portal gives advice on how to do this.

Collect company information

The first step is to gather information about the company you are going to go to. The information obtained will allow you to demonstrate your interest in future work, and will show that you are an attentive and competent specialist. And they will help you navigate how best to present yourself. But keep in mind that weaving information about the company into the thread of the conversation should be unobtrusive and appropriate.

Information that may be useful:

1. What products or services does the organization offer, how and where does it sell them?

2. How many years has it been on the market, how is it developing?

3. What place does it occupy in its field?

4. What is the management team of the company, how often does the management change?

5. How many people are there in the company, is there a staff turnover?

6. Have there been any downsizing in the past three years? Why?

7. What new projects are underway in the organization?

8. Is it public or private? Does it work only in Russia or are there foreign subdivisions and connections abroad?

9. In what large, famous, professional, public associations is the company included?

10. Is it often mentioned in the media how it is assessed - positively or negatively? Why?

It would be nice to learn about how things are in the industry where the company you are interested in works: whether it is growing or stagnating, what prospects and problems it has.

Information can be obtained from various sources. Read the press - newspapers, specialized magazines. Be sure to use the internet. Study the corporate website carefully. Find annual reports (many companies now have these in the public domain), handouts, and brochures. Pay attention not only to the content of the official website, but also to the design, presentation style, and the regularity of information updates. Type the name of the company in a search engine and find out what is being written about it in the electronic media, blogs and forums.

Do self-study

Prepare a short story about yourself. Build your story in line with the job opening. Be guided by the information received about the company. Think about how you will answer the tricky questions of recruiters.

Dig deeply into your memory and prepare some vivid stories from your professional background: employers are often interested in specific examples of how you act in real-life situations. Be prepared to be asked to report not only successes, but also failures. Each story needs to be told within 1-3 minutes, long stories with many details will be inappropriate. As you narrate, emphasize what skills you used to solve the problem, what you learned, and how companies could benefit.

Remember, when answering a question, it is not only what you say that matters, but also how. Experienced recruiters evaluate the personal qualities of candidates precisely on the basis of non-verbal communication: intonation, facial expressions, gestures.

Make a list of questions to ask the HR officer during the interview. About job duties, registration for work, probationary period, salaries, social package, work on weekends and holidays. Write down all the questions so that you don't forget anything at the right time.

Gather a set of documents that you need to have with you. Check with your recruiter in advance what they want to see. For some, a passport is enough, others require a complete set:

• identity document;
• summary;
• employment history;
• diploma of education;
• awards, certificates, awards;
• letters of recommendation;
• portfolio.

Go through your wardrobe

Prepare the clothes you will wear for your interview ahead of time. The main advice: when choosing an outfit, focus on the specifics of your future work.

Banned at any time of the year: mini-skirts, T-shirts and blouses, even partially revealing the belly, back or chest. Clothes in an emphatically sporty style will not work either: there is no place for worn jeans, T-shirts with inscriptions, sneakers and beach slippers for an interview. The other extreme is clothing with ruffles and flounces.

Everyone, of course, understands that appearance- not the most important thing in an employee, but nevertheless, before the interview, you should put yourself in order more carefully. Unfortunately, there are still people in the world whose appearance becomes an insurmountable obstacle to employment. They are crumpled, stained with dirt, sloppy job seekers. Candidates with unkempt hands and nails are often included in their discordant ranks. They, of course, should remember the famous slogan "Long live fragrant soap and fluffy towel!" at least before the interview. Jokes, jokes, but, say, in recruiting agencies they immediately refuse to secretaries without a manicure, because their hands are the first thing that a visitor sees. There is a little more loyalty to future PC operators: they are first sent to get a manicure, and then they are invited for a second interview.

By the way, it also happens that I went to an interview with a needle, and suddenly a puddle, a passing car, a fountain of mud ... This is not fatal. Just briefly explain what happened at the beginning of the meeting. Everyone has found themselves in this situation, and your soiled trousers are more likely to evoke sympathy, not condemnation.

Take care of the little things

Find out in advance how to get to the office and get into it, so that at the last moment you do not rush through the alleys in search of the necessary building and do not burst through the cordon of guards who insist on a pass.

On the day of your interview, schedule a time so that you show up at the office 10-15 minutes before the start. Laughing job seekers who run into the office half an hour late annoy recruiters in agencies. Personnel officers in companies do not particularly welcome them either. But if it happens that you are still late, be sure to call and warn.

Remember the name and title of the person you are going to interview. Just taking a name note with you is not enough. A person frantically digging in his pockets with the words: "I came for an interview ... with this ... how was it there ... just a minute ..." does not give the impression of a reliable employee.

And here's another thing. When entering the office where the interview will take place, do not forget to turn off the sound of your mobile phone. It is unlikely that a recruiter will be pleased with the shrill warble of a bell in the middle of a conversation. And it is better not to start telephone conversations with acquaintances during the interview. But if there is an urgent need to be in touch (for example, some problems in the family), it is necessary to warn the interviewer in advance.

Listen to the experience of the seasoned

After wandering through blogs and forums about employment, I found a few more tips that job seekers share with each other. Although these recommendations may seem ridiculous at first glance, they have a grain of reason.

• Do not drink alcoholic beverages on the eve of the interview, even in small doses. The next day, the concentration of attention will be much worse, and the "post-alcoholic" aroma, albeit light, can alert the personnel officer.

• Don't drink a lot of tea, coffee, or water before your interview. There have been cases when worried job seekers unsuccessfully rushed around the office in search of a toilet, and it was inconvenient to ask for help or there was no one to contact.

• Get a good night's sleep before going to your interview. A half-asleep state certainly will not add vigor and self-confidence.

And the last, very important advice... An interview is not a fight for life or a deadly stunt. This is just a meeting with a person who may become a future colleague. Maybe it won't, but then there will be someone else.

Edition: Interview and questionnaire: forms, procedures, results

Foreword

In an ever-changing world, businesses must have operational information that will enable them to monitor the market situation. There are various sources of data, but it is often necessary to conduct a consumer survey. Observation and experimental techniques usually provide a lot of information. Still use in research interview or questionnaires(questionnaires) is the most flexible method; it is a priority market research tool.

To carry out this type of research requires a broad range of expertise. First of all, it is important to have a good knowledge of the fundamental concepts of marketing; it is impossible to do without this, since the usefulness of the study depends primarily on the relevance of the problematics that formed its basis. You also need to know the research methodology and know the statistics (sampling, data processing, etc.). Conceptual and statistical aspects are usually highlighted by beginners because, in their opinion, the survey is a relatively simple operation, in which it is enough to follow some rules. This is a misconception. Market research specialists unanimously acknowledge the importance of the data collection stage and the numerous difficulties encountered in the process of this work. That is why textbooks are created and tutorials on this issue. This work is devoted to exclusively learning survey technicians. She presents fundamental rules, analyzes the psychosocial aspects of the survey and focuses on various biases that can bias data collection. The explanations and recommendations given in this work are illustrated with numerous examples.

We bring to the attention of the reader various forms surveys, but above all - the techniques used in qualitative research interview, the main purpose of which is the most complete description of phenomena and the provision of various "hints" for the interpretation of behavior. Then - polls using questionnaires with a quantitative dominant, which are designed to collect standardized data that allow statistical analysis.

The first two chapters are devoted to interviews. First of all presented classical methods individual interview (chapter I); considered all the elements necessary for their implementation. Chapter II deals with group interviews; it also introduces two additional techniques used in market research.

The last three chapters describe, step by step, the steps required to conduct a survey using a questionnaire. The preparatory work, the role of which is very important, is discussed in chapter III (determining the information to be collected, choosing the type of filling out the questionnaire, choosing the format of the questions). Chapter IV is devoted to the formulation of questions. The main distortions that could be caused by incorrect wording are analyzed, and it is indicated what needs to be done to avoid these biases. Chapter V informs in what order the questions should be distributed, what is the procedure for testing the questionnaire.

Chapter II

Using group techniques and other basic forms of interview

Interviews can also take the form of a group discussion, in which each of the participants is given the opportunity to speak. This technique has its own characteristics, as the information collected in group meetings is highly dependent on the interaction between the participants. Experience shows that we get unequal results when asked individually or collectively. Thus, there are a variety of forms of interviews developed by researchers and practitioners in the social sciences. We will consider two of them: the Kelly triad method and the nominal group technique.

I. Group interview

Group (collective) interviews have characteristic features as a result of which they are used only in certain types of research; their preparation and implementation also have their own characteristics.

1. Characteristics of group interviews

The features of this technique, both advantages and disadvantages, are due to group phenomena... As with individual interviews, there are different options, classified according to the degree of directivity used.
Group dynamics and features of group interviews

The peculiarities of this type of interview are related to group dynamics... This dynamic is the resultant of positive and negative tensions that are observed when individuals are united in a collective. Positive tension arises when some individuals put forward their ideas, try to bring others together, and try to give the group coherence by taking on a leadership role. Negative tendencies arise when leaders confront each other and refuse to accept the collective norms that usually appear in the group. Dynamics matches consistent adaptation that individuals are forced to exercise to resist this stress. When this process proceeds satisfactorily, it leads to a more or less stable balance, which softens opposition and makes them tolerable for the various members of the group. Divergences still exist, but individuals receive a number of common reference points. Group interviews allow you to analyze how opinions and behavior change in the course of individual interactions. They provide a valuable tool for studying influence collective norms.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Group Interviews

This technique differs not only in that it allows the study of collective phenomena, it also has conflicting characteristics that must be analyzed if we want to determine whether to interview individuals collectively or separately. Group interview has important advantages and in many ways facilitates research:

• the presence and influence of other group members is beneficial in encouraging people to speak up. If the interview deals with painful (sad) topics (which make people feel fear, loneliness: illness, death, etc.), the presence of other people, overwhelmed by similar feelings, has a calming effect, encourages the expression. The attitude of other people, moreover, stimulates the reactions of individuals;
• collective interviews provide information quickly and cost-effectively. During one meeting lasting 2-3 hours, you can collect the statements of a dozen people. It would, of course, take much longer if these individuals were interviewed separately.

The group interview technique also has disadvantages and some limitations:

• each participant has only limited time to speak. The information that he manages to communicate is less rich than if he was alone with the interviewer;
• when speaking publicly, individuals are more inclined to conformity. Some “hide” behind dominant statements in order to “save face” or to avoid questions (accusations) of others;
• insecure individuals in the group say very little. In such people, when they confront leaders who defend opposing beliefs, inhibition processes come into play;
• most of the interviewees are afraid to mention in the group what concerns their personal life or intimate sphere (body hygiene, etc.);
• to conduct group interviews, a sufficiently large room is required, equipped with everything necessary for video recording. In this type of interview, using a tape recorder is not enough; it is also necessary to record non-verbal information that will allow analyzing the functioning of the dynamics of the group (postures, gestures, facial expressions, etc.). If this is not possible, resort to the help of an observer who is located slightly behind, in a place where he can see all the participants. The observer is silent and only takes notes. Before the beginning of the meeting, the interviewer introduces it to the participants, indicating its function;
• analyzing the information obtained in the course of group interviews is rather complicated. If we want to fully use the collected material, then we cannot limit ourselves to a general study of the statements in the group, it is also necessary to separately consider the statements of each participant and identify the interactions between the statements of different persons. Discourse analysis should be complemented by study non-verbal information collected during the session (this information can only be deciphered by specialists with psychological education).

Directionality and non-directionality
in group interviews

In group interviews, as in individual interviews, the interviewer (moderator) may adhere to a position of more or less orientation. Undirected techniques are used when the research problem requires the study of the entire set of collective phenomena.

The most commonly used technique is the semi-directional group interview ( focus groups). In this case, the interviewer refers to the manual, which identifies topics that must be discussed in the group. In this type of interview, focus not only orients the participants on topics of interest to the research leader; it is also intended to regulate the functioning of the group. The interviewer intervenes to avoid unnecessarily lengthy speeches and blockages, makes sure that the leaders do not interfere with the speech of other participants, and makes sure that the word passes from one participant to another within the group. Some of the collective interview options are based on a directional approach: the interviewer is not content with a regulatory role, he also gives instructions to the participants.

In this type of interview, people are only influenced by the ideas of other group members, not their behavior. These techniques allow the interaction of participants' opinions to be explored, avoiding the negative effects that occur in the presence of leaders.

2. Preparing and conducting group interviews

As with individual techniques, it is imperative to be in control of the environment in which the interview takes place. Most of the principles outlined in the previous chapter apply here as well. Nevertheless, there are some peculiarities that relate primarily to the human context in which collective interviews develop. The main difficulty lies in determining the size and composition of the groups.

Group size and composition

The groups should be small, with an average of 10 people (in most cases 6–12). This has a double benefit. First, the number of participants required to collect enough data. Secondly, the low risk of blocking (to speak in front of a group of 10 people, you do not need to have experience in public speaking). When the interviewer wants to interview more people, several groups are organized in parallel.

The composition of the groups is determined by a compromise of two contradictions. First of all, you need to ensure that the group is not too heterogeneous. If people feel they are separated by significant social barriers, they will not speak freely and will engage in grouping. At the same time, excessive homogeneity must be avoided: contradiction and tension are necessary to engage the group dynamics. The study leader usually tries to meet both conditions by proceeding as follows. First of all, the differentiation factors that threaten to generate a blockage are highlighted. Then the selection of criteria is made that will allow the introduction of fruitful heterogeneity into each group. These criteria often refer to the sociodemographic type (age, gender, socio-professional category, etc.).

Example... In one market study, it was necessary to interview both consumers who use a product and those who have never bought it. At the same time, the leaders considered that these two categories of persons have very different ideas about this topic and that if both categories were simultaneously surveyed, the discussion would be short, so they organized two groups: one of the people who consume the product, the other of those who never it was not bought. The group consuming the product includes both men and women, as well as the main age categories. The composition of the second group is determined according to the same principle.

Conducting focus groups

The interviewer (moderator) begins the group interview session by introducing himself and saying a few words about the benefits of the research. He reminds the rules of meetings of this type (freedom of speech, the need to give the floor to everyone), asks the participants to briefly introduce themselves. Often, he will only ask them to name their names, as this creates a relaxed atmosphere and shows that the condition of anonymity will be respected. The interviewer then reads out the instructions, as in individual interviews, and then gives the floor to the group members.

In the course of a collective interview, three classical stages are usually distinguished (stereotyped speech, utterance-seeking and repetitive speech). These interviews start and end in a special way. The beginning of the collective interview is marked by a period in which individuals keep their guard and observe others to understand who they are dealing with. At the end of the collective interview, the interviewer often makes a detailed synthesis: speaks about the contribution of each, respecting the differences; he also highlights the points that were the object of consensus to ensure that they were actually received in this way (this debriefing is usually preceded by a few partial generalizations during the course of the discussion). In addition, during such an interview, there is an alternation of periods of revival and decline in activity - manifestations of the already mentioned group dynamics.

The interviewer conducts the session in accordance with the approved interview guideline. This document includes a sometimes rather long list of topics and sub-items on which the study leader wants to know the views of the participants. In group interviews, the interviewer often suggests to the group various topics discussion, observing the order determined in advance. This avoids the messy exchange of views. However, the interviewer can show some flexibility. If participants wish to revisit what was said previously, or are willing to discuss a topic not identified in the interview guideline, but which is of interest to the current research, the interviewer may allow them to do so. Sometimes this provides interesting data.

When group members argue about a topic related to the survey, the interviewer adopts an undirected attitude: he tries not to influence the content of the discussion. The lack of focus, however, has a special form in this type of interview, as the participants are pressured by other members of the group to ask and address questions.

Although the instructions say that the interviewer should not take part in the discussion, he is by no means doomed to remain silent. He may, for example, use a re-centering technique if he feels that the group has deviated from the topic. He can also take the floor to help someone develop their thought. When the interviewer addresses the participant personally, he uses the same intervention techniques used in individual interviews (echoing, special question, etc.). The interviewer can also intervene to manage the functioning of the group. In a collective semi-directional interview, he must guarantee a certain equality between the participants. To achieve this, he often has to invite shy participants to speak up by asking them questions (the interviewer interrupts the leader or the person who monopolized the right of speech, reminds the talked about, and asks the question to the person who fails to be heard). V focus groups The interviewer should also do everything possible to ensure that the tension does not turn into a blockage. To achieve this result, he can offer those who are locked in a fruitless conflict, to expand the horizon of their analysis, trying not to focus on contradictions; ask those who have remained neutral to highlight positive elements and points of contact in opposing points of view.

II. Other main forms of interviews used in market research

Below we will consider two additional techniques used in research. Method triad kelly- a special case of an individual directed interview. Technique of nominal groups is a form of collective directed interview.

1. Kelly's method

American psychologist Kelly developed in the 1950s. a technique that allows you to identify and analyze mental structures ("constructs") that determine the way of perception of animate and inanimate objects.

In the Kelly method, the first step is to identify "constructs". We start by combining objects, then we interview a small number of individuals separately, proceeding as follows: the interviewer randomly selects three objects, presents them to the interviewee, and at the same time asks to indicate why two of them seem similar to him and what distinguishes them from the third. The answer allows us to distinguish a "construct" based on the opposition of two elements: the "pole of the construct", which corresponds to what appears to be similar in two objects, evaluated as close, and "opposite pole", which expresses the difference between the third object. Then a new triad is presented to the person. The process should, in theory, continue until all triads have been considered; in practice, it ends when the respondent is no longer able to identify new "constructs". When all participants are interviewed, synthesis is carried out and constructs that are often mentioned are highlighted.

Example. Marketing research conducted to find out how buyers sportswear evaluate the products of various firms. More precisely, the survey should make it possible to highlight the evaluation criteria that they use; Kelly's method is used to isolate these criteria. In the course of the survey, the following main "constructs" are highlighted:

When the first stage is completed, Kelly recommends moving on to the second - information gathering: participants are asked to evaluate objects using pre-selected "constructs". By analyzing the data obtained in this way, one can then isolate the associations between the "constructs" and identify various cognitive structures.

When we are preparing a questionnaire survey, we can limit ourselves to the first stage. In this case, the Kelly triads are used to identify the main categories that structure the perception of the people we wish to interview using the questionnaires; by acting in this way, we avoid imposing a system of perception that is alien to them.

The Kelly method is quite difficult to use, but it allows for systematic study at the mental level. There are simpler techniques: comparison by pairs (and not by triads) and the rod method, during which the respondents are asked to take one of the objects as a basis and compare it with all the others (in this technique, all objects, each in turn, are used as "Rod").

2. Technique of nominal groups

Technique of nominal groups is a method that allows you to identify ideas or opinions of people on a particular topic. It is based on a directed procedure to determine the influence exerted by a group on individuals, while avoiding the phenomena of leadership and the negative effects that accompany them. The application of this technique involves six steps:

1. the interviewer asks each of the group members to silently think about a specific topic, taking notes on paper;
2. the interviewer invites one of the participants to formulate an idea, which, in the latter's opinion, is the most interesting. The interviewer writes the idea down on the board and then randomly calls another person and makes the same request. He repeats this operation until all the ideas marked by the participants have been written on the board. Participants also get acquainted with the entire set of ideas that emerged in the group. But ideas are not attributed as they are presented in no particular order. No one can claim leadership by imposing a block of their ideas on a group;
3. The interviewer conducts a survey of participants to ensure that everyone understands the same ideas recorded. He groups ideas according to the principle of similarity. During this phase, participants are asked to explain how they understand different ideas, but not to criticize them. This avoids pressure on the participants by possible authorities;
4. Participants should evaluate in writing the importance of each of the ideas on the board. This is a form of voting on the importance of ideas. The interviewer collects the ratings given by the participants without sharing them with others, then calculates the average rating received by each idea, and informs the group about it. Participants will thus learn how important they collectively have given each idea. The phenomenon of the group really works here: when assessing, people are influenced by the comments that were formulated by other participants, but they are not influenced by their behavior, since the technique used by the interviewer does not allow for any pressure or persuasion;
5. the interviewer organizes a new discussion, asking each to indicate how they understand the results of the group's voting. It provides limited time for participants to speak up to discourage controversy and avoid leaders' approval;
6. finally, the interviewer organizes a final vote on the importance of ideas and analyzes the responses. Before voting, he reminds that the participants are free to choose: keep or change the previous rating. Studying the results of the new voting allows us to highlight which ideas were suggested by the group after the clash of points of view.