Different types of interview formats

Phone or video interview

If you have many candidates for your open role, it may not be possible to interview them all in person. One way is to pre-screen all relevant candidates with a 20-30 minute phone or video interview.

Holding a phone or video screening allows you to create a shortlist of the most suitable candidates for an in-person interview, saving both you and unsuitable candidates time. Even at this stage, it is important to share feedback with unsuccessful candidates on why they will not be moving to the next stage.

One-on-one interview

This is the most common type of interview and is usually held at the company’s offices. They can range in length from 30 to 90 minutes. This type of interview lets you explore details of a candidate’s experience and education, and evaluate their soft skills.

Keep in mind, however, that candidates who are a perfect fit on paper may struggle with this style of interview while others, who may lack the ideal experience and education, can thrive. This is why it’s also important to consider conducting one-on-one interviews in a less formal setting, such as in a cafe, where the candidate can feel more relaxed and you can get a better understanding of their true personality and communication style.

Panel Interview

A panel interview is one in which a candidate answers questions from a group of people who will be involved in making the hiring decision. Hiring managers and recruiters often use panel interviews to gain a number of perspectives from different people in the organisation.

In a panel interview setting, it may be more difficult to establish rapport with the candidate, but this format gives a good sense of how they communicate in a situation where there may be different levels of seniority present. As there are multiple panel members present during the same interview, it also helps to reduce space for partiality.

Group interview

A group interview is when a recruiter or hiring manager, or perhaps both, interview a number of candidates at the same time. This interview format is typically used when there are a large volume of roles to fill, or candidates to screen. An additional benefit of this format is that it allows interviewers to see how candidates interact with others, and how they might perform in a team setting.

This format is mainly used for entry level positions, and can be nerve-racking for candidates who may not have much interview experience. It’s important to ensure candidates are as comfortable as possible, so that you get the most out of the interview time. An introduction on a one-to-one basis with each candidate as they arrive can help to settle their nerves.

Task-based interview

This type of interview is used to allow candidates to demonstrate their problem solving abilities, as well as their creative side, through the use of tasks or exercises, such as a presentation or acting out a customer service call. This format is particularly useful for assessing technical knowledge or other hard skills.

Task based interviews can also be used to assess soft skills. For example, candidates could also be tasked with creating and presenting back an idea within a short space of time - this would help to reveal soft skills such as adaptability and creativity.

Getting the interview format right.

Choosing the right interview format or formats could be the difference between landing a great candidate and not. But it’s not the only factor.

That’s why we’ve put together this overview of all stages of the interview process; from your first contact with a candidate and choosing an interview format, to the types of questions you could ask and how to let a candidate know they’ve been successful.