To most people, interviews might seem like a huge task, but it is definitely manageable. Knowing the different types of interviews is thus extremely important.
In this post, we have listed 12 different types of interviews. We have also listed some of the top interview tips to ace your job interviews in this article.
Today’s industries especially the technology industry along with the hospitality and tourism sector are rife with cut-throat competition, and hiring the wrong person can be costly to the company. That is why recruiters in the industry are always gunning for the best hires out there.
So, are you ready to crack that job you have always dreamt about? Please read on for different types of interviews in various industries.
We also assume that by now you have mastered the art of writing a killer resume. Knowing how to write a resume and cover letter is extremely crucial even to reach the stage of interview.
So, let’s get on with different types of interviews that you can face for your prospective job.
12 different kinds of interviews
A face to face interview іs always а gооd thing for every job seeker еvеn іf уоu do not end uр getting sеlесtеd fоr the јоb.
Meeting with industry experts who represent a соmраnу help уоu tо sell yourself and gеt а fооt іn the dооr fоr any future opportunities.
Іf уоu аrе fortunate enough, уоu might bе tоld іn аdvаnсе on the tуре оf interview to ехресt. Being organised and prepared will hеlр уоu bе rеlахеd to mаkе the entire interview process flow smoothly.
1. Screening Interviews
They typically involve you being invited for a meeting, during which you sense, by way of the questioning, that there may be a possible job at the end of it.
However, this may or may not be openly stated. In most cases, the screening interview is the initial stage of the selection process.
Νоt all the interviews аrе hеld іn а stuffу humаn rеsоurсе оffісе. Ѕоmе of these аrе conducted оvеr а mеаl or a coffee аt а lосаl dіnеr оr іn а large conference rооm which has the attendance of sеvеrаl kеу рplayers of the company.
Most of these are conducted over the phone or on Skype in the case of the hospitality industry.
Important Interview Tip
The very first impression sets the tone for the rest of the interview.
So do take care of the below points even before we move to the interview tips for the hospitality industry:
- Dress smartly and neatly
- Maintain the right body posture
- Stay calm always and in all situation
- A warm and firm handshake is all that is needed for a great start
- Smile gently multiple times for success at interviews
- It was your choice to appear for the interview; so be yourself
- Enjoy the session as a learning experience and not as a trip to some concentration camp
The first impression is the name of the game when it comes to job interviews in the hospitality industry.
Punctuality is not something that will give you an edge in the interview but it will ensure you have set your right foot forward.
If you are late to an interview either face to face, telephonic or Skype; half the battle is lost in the beginning.
Arrive on time, but not too early.
2. Group discussions:
It is an interview process that involves group activity.
GD is an apt tool to select candidates on a comparative basis. During this session, a candidate can be evaluated based on his/her contribution to the given topic.
A particular topic is given to the group after which the candidates are given a few minutes to prepare and then discuss it with their relevant knowledge of the topic.
The personality and communicative skills of the candidate can be brought to limelight
A useful tip for GDs
Pick one of your witty colleagues or friends and conduct a real case interview scenario. This is the key tip for any type of interview and although it is common sense, a lot fail to practice before interviews.
Believe it or not, the cliche that “practice makes perfect” still holds in hospitality job interviews. Remember not to break away from your character; it’s one of the best group interview tips.
Before attending an interview, it is always wise to get third party help to conduct a round of mock interviews. In this case, you can retrospect and understand which area must be improved.
Most interviewers lookout for honesty, competitive nature and a willingness to learn. Hence, developing the basic soft skills will help a candidate in most types of interviews.
3. In-depth interviews
These are deeply probing type of interviews, which are likely to involve questions such as “Tell me about things that are important in life”, “Tell me what propels you towards being an achiever” etc.
An in-depth interview is time-consuming and engages the candidate and the interviewer in a conversation.
These can be both qualitative and quantitative.
In the hotel industry, this is typically done by the departmental head.
So, if you are applying for a Chef de Partie, you will either be interviewed by the Executive Chef or Executive Sous Chef.
This type of interview is survey-based and helps a candidate to understand the work profile better, and the interviewer to understand the potential of the candidate.
At these platforms, the question will not be basic but will be based on analysis and reasoning. One of our other posts covers Few Hospitality Interview questions with answers. Another one covers 10 Common Hotel Interview Questions.
4. Structured interviews
These are the fairly typical type of interviews.
In these types of interviews, at the outset, the interview process is explained, duration estimated and your acceptance of the process is sought.
Structured interviews are well organised with every step, including questions, being pre-planned. A Structured interview, in simple words, holds a specific structure, format and is time-bound.
At times in the service industries like the hotel industry, these include skill tests.
5. Competency-based interviews
These are extremely common types of interviews. Companies decide upon the core competencies that are crucial for success within the role, such as leadership ability or problem-solving skills. Competency-based interviews are an extremely common form of the interview.
The interviewer then asks the interviewee for specific examples of times when they have demonstrated these behaviours.
Here, what matters is the possession of Soft Skills rather than other skills.
6. Test-based interviews:
Certain companies expect you to take up a test as part of the process.
This is one of the important types of interviews in the hospitality industry.
There are many kinds of tests and it depends on the job profile.
For profiles that require writing skills, language and grammar would be tested. Some jobs will also have logical reasoning tests as part of the interview process.
There are a lot of pre-set tests for the technology industry or the banking sector or the hospitality industry.
Gone is the era when recruiters used to furnish you with the details of their company and what they do.
As for an example the Hospitality industry interviewers want to know that you are someone who stays on the cutting edge. That means you must know a teensy bit more than the obvious regarding the hotel, resort or restaurant. Nowadays, the hotel industry recruiters know that a candidate who has an in-depth insight into the company is a surefire sign of someone who’s ready to work for them, not just find a hotel job.
Here, our friend, the internet can be indispensable.
Dig out your target company’s past performance, global reach, and management top brass.
So you would need to learn how to research prospective employer from the industry of your interest.
7. Free-form interviews
Free-form interviews are most typically used by employers rather than recruiters, and are totally unpredictable, expect anything to happen!
A candidate can prepare for the usual set of interview questions but must be ready to answer anything that is put forth.
8. Panel interviews
These types of interviews are predominantly used in the public/government sector. The panels can often be quite large and, usually for government positions, the interview will involve set questions and set processes.
It is also used in the technology industry, banking sector, Public sector units and the hospitality industry for senior level and director-level posts.
It is important to be confident before facing a panel. The panel will mostly consist of experienced people and so one must be very careful while responding to every question.
A useful tip for the panel interview
It all starts with your resume. So, keep tight control over what you have provided the panel (the CV and cover letter).
This is again a key as most people prepare resume as a document. A resume is not a document but it is a representation of yourself, your work and your educational history.
Interviewers would ask questions around your resume and if you don’t get that right, you are on a back foot immediately.
Build a killer resume and then ensure that you know the in and out of it. Be ready to elaborate on points in your resume.
Follow this interview tip as a rule of thumb as a lot falter following this basic rule.
9. Online interviews
Online interviews are the current trend and are extremely successful. Such interviews are economical but time-consuming. These have become the top interview type in the era when Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted all industries and livelihoods.
One of our posts regarding the ‘tips on online interviews‘ explains the online interviews in further details.
10. Presentation interviews
Presentation interviews entail you giving a formal presentation.
Do not underestimate its importance, and prepare carefully if you are asked to undertake a presentation. Through such interviews, a candidate’s communication, speaking and presentation skill can be evaluated.
To be successful in such a platform, one must be confident to answer any questions coming from the panel.
Crucial interview tip for presentations
Recruiters are interested in candidates that will add a new flair to their business.
You will hear questions like: “what are the new trends expected in 2020-2030 in the Tourism or hospitality industry.”
Like “What are the new tech innovations relevant to the fin tech?” and so on
Here, it helps if you know the particular business niche your employer belongs to.
It is this tip for the interview, that will help you get into the classes from the masses.
Prepare beforehand about your niche. It is also useful to prepare for one of the most frequently asked interview questions about your hobbies as you would have probably mentioned your hobbies and interests in the resume. This will help you prepare well for unexpected questions that might come up during your interview.
11. Technical interviews
Technical interviews may involve a person or co-interviewer who, whether by their technical knowledge or their actual experience, is ‘technically’ qualified to make a judgement as to whether you are competent for the position.
The questions asked are usually specific to the applied post.
These might include practical as is typical for the Engineering and Maintenance departments of the Hotel industry and most of the departments of Aviation and Cruise industry.
So, those looking for Engineering, Civil, Aviation or Cruise Line Jobs must be prepared for this type of interview.
12. Assessment Centres
Assessment centres may involve a whole series of the above types of interview, along with psychometric testing, group sessions and individual exercises such as in-tray exercises.
Such interviews will require a lot of preparation beforehand as the competition will be tough.
Conclusion
Here you go. Some of the crucial interview types which are relevant and useful across industries.
A knowledge of these different types of job interviews would certainly help you come out with flying colours in your next job interview.
Good preparation is always desired to fare well in interviews. Interview processes are always based on the company requirements and job profile; hence research will always help a candidate do well.
The interview tips in this post have been tried and tested, and they are poised to help you breeze through your job interview without any hassle.
A fair idea of the type of interviews works like a wonder but nothing beats the product knowledge and a positive attitude.
So stay positive and stay blessed!!
