Type of interview wherein the interviewer asks the applicants to answer a set of prepared questions

An interview is a standard tool of selection which is defined as a formal meeting arranged between two parties; interviewer (the question asking party) and interviewee( the answer giving party). In general, an interview is a verbal interaction held in order to extract necessary facts about the interviewee (applicants or candidates).

Based on the convenience of interviewer and interviewee, an interview can be organized in various ways. Some common types of interview are concisely described below.

1. One-on-one interview

A one-on-one interview is the most common and widely used type of interview. Under this approach, single interviewer interviews single candidate and these interviews are held in series. For an example, the candidate is first interviewed by the HR manager, followed by the interview with departmental manager and finally with the general manager.

In such interview, general or technical type of questions (depending upon the nature of the job) are raised by the interviewer with a single motive, i.e. to check whether or not the candidate is fit for the post. Then the interviewer analyzes the interviewee on the basis of answers given. Apart from answers, the interviewer also evaluates body language, personality, attitude and past experience and achievements of the interviewee.

Usually, a one-on-one interview takes place in presence of both the parties at some designated place, but nowadays, these interviews can be held indirectly as well. Some examples of the indirect interview are briefly described below.

i. Telephonic interview

Generally, the telephonic interview is a pre-screening interview in which the interviewer analyzes the candidate through a phone call. Such calls can be made with or without prior information. Telephonic interview is not a reliable way of the interview because the interviewer is unaware of the person on the other side of the phone.

ii. Video-call interview

The video-call interview is the next level of the telephonic interview which allows the interviewer to see who he/she is interviewing. Applications specialized for video chats and voice call such as Skype, Google Chat, WebEx, Blue Jeans, etc are used to conduct such interview. Usually, such interview is preferred when either of the party cannot be physically accessed.

2. Panel interview

A panel interview is a type of interview which is conducted between the single candidate and a panel of interviewers. A panel of interviewers may include 2 or more experts from the specific field. In such interview, questions are raised by every member of the panel in order and the interviewee is asked to answer them.

This approach is considered more scientific and advanced than a one-on-one interview because appropriate questions and sound judgment can be expected from the interviewer’s panel, which results in the accurate selection of an employee.

3. Group interview

A group interview is a type of interview in which a group of candidates is interviewed at a single time. The interviewees may be evaluated by a single interviewer or a panel of the interviewers.

In such interview, the group of interviewees is given a relevant topic for discussion and supervisors or observers assesses the performance of each candidate carefully. Candidates should actively participate in such discussions and make responses to many questions as possible, complimenting other candidates’ views and debating politely. Finally, the interviewers withdraw results in accordance.

Aspects assessed by supervisors during group interview

• Leadership
• Initiaveness
• Assertiveness
• Oral communication skill
• Enthusiasm
• Self-confidence
• Tactfulness

4. Lunch interview

Interviews which are conducted at restaurants or cafes are known as lunch interview. In such interview, the interviewer can easily evaluate interpersonal skills and communication skills, along with table manners of an interviewee. It is obvious that such interview includes food or drinks. So an interviewee must make an order carefully so that he/she can easily focus on food and questions at the same time.

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Interview is described as an in-depth conversation between two or more persons, in a formal way, so as to figure out candidate’s acceptability for the job. It is one of the most effective tools for data collection and selection. It is one to one communication between the interviewer and interviewee; wherein both the parties get a chance to learn about each other. Interviews can be structured interview or unstructured interview.

Take a look at the given article to know the difference between structured and unstructured interview.

Content: Structured Interview Vs Unstructured Interview

1. Comparison Chart
2. Definition
3. Key Differences
4. Conclusion

Comparison Chart

Definition of Structured Interview

Structured Interview is a type of personal interview, in which the interviewer uses a fixed format, wherein the questions are prepared in advance. It uses highly systematised techniques of recording. It is a method of quantitative research used for the purpose of the survey, which aims at presenting the preset questions, in every interview, which the same sequence. It is also known as a patterned or planned interview.

Definition of Unstructured Interview

Unstructured Interview is one, that does not use any fixed format, however, the interviewer may have a few planned questions prepared beforehand. It is a qualitative research method, in which the questions are prepared during the interview. As the interview is unplanned, it has an informal approach where a friendly conversation takes place between the interviewer and interviewee.

The interviewer has the freedom to ask any questions and can also change the sequence or skip some questions that are planned in advance, however, it lacks uniformity. Further, the interviewer should possess deep knowledge and skill on the subject.

The difference between structured and unstructured interview can be drawn clearly on the following grounds:

1. Structured Interview refers to an interview, in which questions to be asked to the candidates are fixed in advance. An interview in which the questions to be asked to the candidates is rare and not prepared beforehand.
2. As the structured interview is a pre-planned and same set of questions are put to all the candidates, so the data collected is quantitative in nature. As opposed to an unstructured interview, wherein different questions are put to different candidates, and so qualitative data is collected.
3. In descriptive research, the structured interview is used to collect information, because it is relatively economical and the inferences can be drawn easily. On the contrary, in exploratory research unstructured interview is used as the basic tool for collecting information.
4. In a structured interview, the questions put before the candidate are close-ended, that demands a certain piece of information from the applicants, or in fact, he/she has to make a choice among various options provided. As against this, unstructured interview, the questions are open-ended, that can be answered in multiple ways, i.e. the candidate is free to give thoughtful answers and thus influence the interviewer.
5. Structured interviews are used by positivists whereas unstructured interview is used by interpretivists.
6. The structured interview is used for validating results when the number of candidates is quite large. Unlike unstructured interview, which is used to probe personal details of the candidate, so as to judge if he is the right person for the job.
7. In a structured interview, the characteristics evaluated are explicit which on the other side are implicit in an unstructured interview.

Conclusion

Therefore, when the interview is structured, same questions, are put before the candidates, which are job-related. On the contrary, when the interview is unstructured, questions may differ from interviewee to interviewee, for the same job, which may or may not be related to the job.

Moreover, in a structured interview, there is a pre-developed system or guide to check the results. As against this, there is no such pre-developed system or guide for checking interview results.