A job
interview is a type of employment test that involves a
conversation between a job applicant and representative of the employing
organization. Interviews are one of the most popularly used methods for
employee selection. Interviews vary in the extent to which the questions are
structured, from totally unstructured and free-wheeling conversation, to a set
list of questions each applicant is asked. There are variety of job interview questionswhich arefaced
by Job seekers in Canada.
Questions
generally depend on the nature of the job, profile of the job seeker, position for
which he is applying and in which sector the job is. The majority of the
interviews involve competency questions but interviewers may ask other types of
questions depending on the work experience and seniority. There are various
types of interviews that employers in Canada may conduct, including behavioral interviews, case interviews, group
interviews, and telephonic or video interviews etc.
In a Behavioral interview, the employer has already
decided what skills are needed in the employee they want to hire and therefore questions
will be asked to find out if the candidate has those skills. The questions will
be more focused than traditional interview questions and Job seekers need to
respond with special examples of how will they handled situations in the
workplace.
Questions in
a Case interview, can be asked on a given
business scenario and asked to manage the situation. The business scenario is usually
one that the Job seeker would likely encounter while working for the company.
However, interviewer may also ask IQ questions or give brain teasers that do
not relate directly to the company. Case interview questions allow Job seekers
to demonstrate their analytical ability and problem solving skills.
Questions in
a Competency interview, require Job
seekers to describe a problem or situation, the actions they took to handle the
problem, and the results of the situation. Such questions allow the employer to
quickly evaluate a Job seekers mindset, and to gauge how the person handles
certain situations and his attitude.
In Informational interview, questions will
be about a specific type of job, about a career field, an industry, and/or a
company. Here interviewer is trying to
discover what the person's previous job is like, what they do, what
responsibilities they have, and what it's like to work in their job at their
company.
In Group interview, interview takes place
when a Job seeker is interviewed by more than one interviewer or when a group
of Job seekers for the same position are interviewed together, by the hiring
manager. A topic is given on which every Job seeker has to give his opinion or
discuss the topic with other job seekers as in group discussion.
Telephonic or Video interviewsare often used to screen candidates
in order to narrow the pool of applicants who will be invited for face to face
interviews. This is done to minimize the expenses involved in interviewing
out-of-town candidates. Questions asked are non-descriptive in nature and
short.
A structured interview format is
typically used when an employer wants to assess and compare Job seekers
impartially. If the position requires specific skills and experience, the
employer will draft interview questions focusing exactly on the abilities the employer
is looking for. The questions can be of objective type or descriptive. Employer
can check the general knowledge, Aptitude, Verbal ability, writing ability etc.
Question can be asked face to face or though paper based test or computer based
test.