Interview processes are difficult at the best of times. Many people are nervous when approaching the job interview process, wanting to not make any mistakes and give a good impression of themselves. While standard job interview questions are well documented though, some of the most nerve racking interviews are the ones that go out of the ordinary. Increasingly because the standard of interviewing for graduates especially is becoming formulaic, sometimes interviewers and recruiters want to see how you do in a more spontaneous environment.
Whatever the interview technique, it’s important to remember what the fundamental goals are of the interview process in the first place : acquiring more information about you, and having an idea of your temperament and ease of work with. Some basic things to also remember about interviews in general : always bring the CV that you have written thanks to our tips and templates. Greet the interviewers by “Sir/Ma’am” in a formal setting. And make sure you have researched the company thoroughly – including what previous interviewees experienced!
Below though we have just a few examples of the kind of interviews you need to be prepared for despite their rarity.
The Lunch interview
The lunch interview is a practice that used to be more common. It involved taking the interviewee on a “lunch date” style interview. This can still happen to you, and depending on your character it may relax you or stress you out further. But there’s a few tips to remember when doing a lunch interview :
- If you have arranged to meet for lunch, make sure you are on time. This interview will likely take a bit longer and it should be seen as a privilege.
- Make sure your attire is suited to the restaurant. If you don’t know where you are going dress smart casual.
- Eat light, so that you don’t have any issues with the meal, whether it is in terms of finishing it or digesting it. Avoid drinking alcohol.
The lunch interview is often used as a way to evaluate how you would conduct yourself with a client or associate. Often to save time and provide an informal setting for discussions.
The group assignment interview
Sometimes you will be put in a group assignment interview. You and several other interviewees will be forced to take on a challenge or an assignment together. This is often a test of your ability to work in a group and your leadership skills.
You can easily prepare for such an eventuality by preparing scenarios yourself. Nevertheless, it has to be said a lot also depends on the dynamics of your team. Just keep in mind the following areas you need to show strength in :
- Be accommodating and friendly towards others from the off. A workplace bully is something the interviewers want to avoid.
- Demonstrate listening skills. Pick up on what others have said and done before and what they are strong at and ask them to
- Don’t be worried about not taking a leadership role. Show that you are a team player. That you can quietly do effective work in a group task.
- Show assertiveness in case of others trying to roll over you. Don’t let yourself be pushed into things you do not want to be doing by other interviewees when engaging in a project.
Remember too that what is expected of you depends a lot on the company culture you are set to join. If for example it is a highly competitive, cut-throat results based working culture they might favour a more competitive approach. In a more laid back or consociation-based working culture they want to see you more accommodating.
The “silent” interview
An increasingly fashionable, albeit somewhat “out there” interview is when the interviewers remain silent for the entire duration of the interview. This involves the interviewers simply welcoming you then not saying a word. It is done as a test of your resolve under pressure and your ability to improvise.
The simple way to go about this is to have your opening pitch that you should have prepared for the standard opening question (“Tell us about yourself and your experience”). Eventually you may want to stop and see if they respond. Continue then onto some of your skills and experience gained in them and how you are suited to the job. Try to be brief, direct and concise and then politely thank the interviewers for their time.
Stress interview
The stress interview is similarly a strategy to see how well you handle pressure and particularly conflictual situations. In a stress interview, the interview deliberately responds to you in an unpleasant manner. The idea is that you can demonstrate how to manage conflict properly. You must remember :
- Not to interrupt the interviewer even if they interrupt you
- You keep your cool and calm but confident manner when answering tough questions. Don’t also be afraid to ask the interviewer to repeat the question to catch them off guard and give you a bit more time to process the question.
- Never swear or curse.
Stress interviews are, like the interviews above, designed to be artificial to display your soft skill qualities. You need to show improvisation, temperamental skills and assertiveness.