Human Resource Services
Tips for Team Interviews
Prior to the interview, the employer needs to determine whether to use one interviewer at a time or a group of interviewers simultaneously.
An effective team interview can be advantageous for the following reasons:
- It eases the load of each specific interview, since interviewers can take turns leading with the questioning. This can be especially beneficial when several interviews follow one another.
- It saves time compared to scheduling two or more separate interviews.
- It gives the organization a group-oriented decision on each applicant. Multi-person feedback or input induces organized discussion for assessment and comparison. Multi-person feedback or input can prevent blatant bias, prejudgment, and stereotyping of applicants because decisions are based on assessments constructed by a group of interviewers.
- It provides two or more people with whom the applicant may be able to establish rapport.
- It provides two or more familiar faces that may be available to see the applicant in subsequent interviews.
- It may be an effective training technique for the less experienced interviewer in the team.
- It provides two or more people who can follow up with the applicant if an offer is made.
- In the unfortunate event that a claim of discriminatory interviewing is made, it provides two or more people from the organization to attest to what was said or the events that took place during the interview. It is a good idea for each interviewer to record the questions as well as the answers derived from the applicant.
A poorly conducted team interview, however, has the following disadvantages:
- It may be uncomfortable for the interviewee. (Using more than two interviewers in an interview can make it difficult to create a comfort level for the applicant).
- Because it consumes two or more interviewers' time, it can be cost detrimental.
Suggestions:
- It can be stressful seeing more than one interviewer in the room. Therefore, applicants should always be advised ahead of time that the team approach is going to be used.
- Every member of the interview team should be knowledgeable about the areas to be evaluated -- You must have a qualified technical person in the occupational area under consideration.
- Someone who has firsthand knowledge of the organization's working culture should be included in the interview team.
- Make the setting comfortable - not too expansive or too constrictive. There should be no interruptions. Also, a round table is good for relaxed conversation. Forming a soft arc (without a table) in front of the candidate is less structured and more conducive to productive exchange.
- One person should be chosen to lead in each team interview. This lead person should ask most of the questions & the rest of the team should take detailed notes, joining in the conversation later in the interview.
- Mutual respect for everyone present is essential for effective interviewing. The applicant will assume that the relationship demonstrated between team members is typical of relationships between and among organizational employees.
- Be prepared to convey to the applicant the benefits/advantages of working for your department.