How to Nail a Group Interview

Job interviews are nerve-wracking and stressful, and we cover them extensively on the WorkInSports Podcast. VP of Content and Engaged Learning Brian Clapp has plenty of job interview advice ranging from overcoming nerves to asking great questions at the end, but this question from Eliza in Chicago brings up another angle of the interview process:

“Hey Brian, I’m interviewing for an entry-level job in the sports industry right now, and I’m confused by the email I just got from the team. They said that I’d be part of a group interview – what does that mean? Will there actually be more than one person in the interview? What do I do? I’m panicking, but I really want this job! Please help!”Group Interview Tips

Group interviews are a new wrinkle in the hiring process. While they seem like something HR teams came up with specifically to make candidates uncomfortable, there are some legitimate reasons to conduct them. For example, group interviews can help with:

• Determining how quickly candidates think on their feet
• Showing how confident and assertive a candidate is
• Identifying which candidates fit into the company culture and work collaboratively

With all of that in mind, we have job interview tips to help you stand out among your competitors:

• Don’t be a wallflower: The company is looking for someone with ideas, not a person who will follow along with what the group is doing.
• Introduce yourself to the other interviewees: Being willing to put yourself out there among people that are gunning for the same job is a boss move and shows you are engaged.
• Involve the group: You are being put in a collaborative environment to show how well you work with others. Trying to dominate the room will work against you.