How to Stand out in Group Interviews

A major part of the recruitment process is being interviewed to ensure your skills and abilities match those set out by your prospective employer.

Sometimes these interviews are held with other delegates to see how you perform as part of a team and compare your abilities with those applying for the same job.

How can you stand out? What can you do to ensure you’re a successful applicant?

In this article, we discuss what a group interview is and what you can expect to experience from a group interview. We will also show you how you can stand out from your competition in a group interview and answer the question, what is a group interview?

Read our other Interview Tips.

What is a group interview?

You may ask yourself: “what is a group interview?”

There are two types of group interviews: ‘group’ and ‘panel’. In this article, we focus on the group interview, which consists of a single interviewer simultaneously interviewing multiple candidates.

Group interviews are common in industries like hospitality, retail, and food service.       

Learn about the different types of interviews.

What to expect in a group interview

Generally, most group interviews will include multiple interviewers and multiple candidates.

You will most likely be required to solve a problem or carry out a work-simulation exercise while discussing your thought process throughout. There will be other candidates around you working on the same problem, so remember that your interviewer will be monitoring you individually to gauge your abilities.

The purpose of the interview is to see how you can solve problems on the spot while interacting with others and showcasing your skills in a crowd.

Your main goal in this scenario is to positively stand out to move past this stage and into an individual interview.

Use this setting as an opportunity to shine.

Read more: How to prepare for an interview.

How to Stand out in Group Interviews

To really stand out in a positive way, remember to:

• Be prepared
• Be a leader
• Speak with purpose
• Be yourself (and be the best version of yourself)
• Be confident
• Listen and communicate well
• Make friends
• Involve everyone
• Follow up

Common group interview questions

Below we have listed out 5 common group interview questions that you may be required to answer as part of your group interview and provided some responses that you can use. 

Interview questions

How Would Your Colleagues Describe You?

What this demonstrates: This is a great question to ask, to gauge someone’s level of self-perception, while simultaneously cross-referencing your work references. It is also a great way to predict how well you might gel with your new team.

Response: You can include things like how you are an enthusiastic and dedicated member of the team. Explain how your colleagues might suggest your work directly impacts the success of the projects carried out by the business and how you’re an active member of the team, willing to get involved in all aspects of the work and support other colleagues.

How Do You Work in a Team?

What this demonstrates: Here, your Hiring Manager is trying to see how well you think you work in a team. If you believe the job role heavily focuses on teamwork, you will need to consider your answers and apply more weighting to the appropriate response, in favour of a positive ability to work as part of a team. 

Response: Speak about how you like working as part of a team and how being a good team member requires clear lines of communication between all members. Use real examples of how you have effectively worked as part of a team, with a particular focus on relationships working with both those above and below your role.

Why Do You Want This Job?

What this demonstrates: Not always the easiest question to answer, especially if you’re main motivation for moving jobs is to earn more money. Your prospective employer wants to know that you have thought about why you would consider working for them and understand how your skills match their criteria. 

Response: I’m ready for the next step in my career, which is why I have {insert your relevant training or new skills}. Discuss other training or skills you have gained to help your career progression and match them with the role you’re currently interviewing for.

What Interests You in Our Company?

What this demonstrates: Demonstrating to employers that you have made the effort to research their business, the job role, and can show how your skills match what they are looking for, is very favourable. Do your homework and have a few interesting facts or talking points about the business that you can add to your conversations.

Response: I’m entrepreneurial at heart, and I’ve always wanted to work for a business that specialises in {key facts about the business you’re interviewing with}. The ethics of your business are aligned with my own, and I feel it important to {insert focus of current business} to be able to contribute to the growth of the business I represent.

What Do You Have to Offer the Company?

What this demonstrates: Simply put, this question is asking you “why should we hire you?” Use it as a chance to sell yourself and your skills and prove that you are the ideal candidate for this job.

Response: I have over {x number of years} experience in this industry, and during that time, I {talk about your achievements, especially those that have impacted the bottom line or increased revenue}. Talk about how well you work on your own and as part of a team and are a positive go-getter. You want to match all your relevant and transferable skills in this part.

If you found this article useful, you may be interested in reading our other career advice articles.