Pamela is a Life Science graduate and Certified Human Behaviour Analyst who has been using behavioural profiling tools such as DISC since the late 1990s. Her first foray into publications was in 1994 and has contributed to various agencies including The Salvation Army, Crisis Relief Society and National Youth Achievement Award. She also has been involved in career guidance since 1998. In addition, she is looking into the recruitment & training of volunteers in a full-time capacity. Nowadays not all interviews are necessarily one-to-one, and you may be in for a rude shock if you were to assume so. These are a summary on what other interviews are like.
Panel Interview
The panels usually comprise of two or more members, for instance, Personnel Officer and Head of Section/Foreman/Supervisor.
Look at the person asking the question, and occasionally make eye contact with the others as you reply. Try not to be intimidated by this although feeling uneasy is normal. Bearing in mind the fact that the decision will be made by more than one person which in turn may increase your possibility of success.
Competency-based Interview
These interviews are designed to allow you to showcase your compentency level, particularly in key areas of the job. You might be asked to discuss examples of your previous work and achievements. The examples you give should be different from those on your original Application Form, lest the interviewer think those are the only ones or they are stale. Before the interview it is useful to list the competencies needed for the job, though thinking about things you have done which help build up your case would be the icing on the cake.
Group Interviews
You may be invited to be assessed together with other candidates. This is to test how you might work as part of a team. Be prepared to take an active part in the discussion/task and put forward your ideas in an assertive but not aggressive way.
Skills Tests
These are designed to measure your understanding of the job or, the level of your knowledge. These might take the form of typing tests, driving tests, manual dexterity, etc. Find out what the test will involve and try to practice before the interview, if so briefed in advance.
Personality/Behavioural Tests
You could face questions on your thoughts, feelings and behaviour. Do bear in mind that they are not interested in how you behave most of the time, but rather, during work time. The end result is used as a guide to see if the person fits the job advertised. Analysis of these tests is highly skilled and may be used by organisations to supplement other recruitment methods. There is no such thing as a right or wrong answer as the overall picture is what is important, and if you were to falsify your results, and you end up employed, you may end up a wrong fit for the organisation – inevitably shortchanging either yourself or the company, or worse, both.
Aptitude Tests
These are designed to predict how well you might do certain tasks. They test abilities such as reasoning with words/number/diagrams; problem-solving; following instructions. These are usually set as a test paper which you have to complete within a stipulated time. Efficiency and accuracy can generally be improved by answering or completing practice tests.