At ISL Recruitment we have experience of many interview set ups. If you are a shy, conservative person then this style of interview may be particularly daunting. ISL Recruitment can work with clients to organise group interviews and help candidates prepare.

Here are some tips from Sophie Down of things to remember at group interviews:

Watch your body language. However relaxed the conversation feels remember you are being watched. You will stand out if you are the only one in the group who is slumped back in the chair.

2. Be Punctual

It sounds so obvious, but you would be amazed how many applicants arrive late. If you are going to be late you must phone ahead and explain why. If you turn up late, it will be noticed.

It’s a group interview not a battle. Greet the other applicants, engage and look to work as a team. They are competition, but don’t corner yourself into a position where you cannot show your skills to the interviewer.

It’s unlikely you will know in advance what activities or tasks you are going to be asked to carry out. All you can do is spend time researching the company and role so that you are confident on the day. Normally there is a short one to one interview at the end so make sure you have some good questions ready prepared.

5. Be Yourself

However much you like the job if you don’t fit the company culture, the job is not going to be a good fit.  Be enthusiastic and polite, but don’t try to act in a completely different way to normal.

6. Get Noticed

It’s polite to let people have their turn, but make sure you make a significant contribution. Make sure you are getting noticed for the right reasons, but also avoid saying nothing at all.

7. Listen

Listen carefully to any group instructions so you are the person that delivers on the task and also shows the interviewer how well you can perform under pressure.

At the end of the session make a point of thanking and saying goodbye to all the interviewers and fellow interviewees. It’s never over the top to follow up a group interview with a thank you letter.

A group interview takes many forms. It could just be a panel interview or it could be executing a range of tasks with a large team of people. Normally in a group interview an interviewer is looking for a great communicator and looking to understand how you fit into working within a team – do you naturally take the lead, are you the person who comes up with all the great ideas or are you a person who quietly gets on with the task.

If you would like to learn more about how ISL Recruitment work with companies to set up group interviews or you are about to attend your first group interview please contact us.

Note: Although this article has many interesting points for debate the opinion expressed in the article doesn’t necessarily represent the opinion of ISL Recruitment.

This post first appeared on the ISL Recruitment blog.

Read the original here.