Interview formats

Job interviews can take various forms, including in-person, phone, video call, video/voice recording or a combination of these forms. Interview questions can cover topics such as your work experience, education, transferrable skills, technical skills and how you handle specific situations or challenges.

Individual interview

The most common interview formats are one interviewer interviewing one candidate or multiple interviewers interviewing one candidate.

General/group interview or information session

This interview format is intended to provide applicants with information about the organization and the job. This format is used by organizations to save time, especially if they are interviewing a large number of candidates or there’s a lot of information they would like to share with candidates about the job and/or organization. A general group interview or information session is usually followed by an individual interview.

Tip: An on-topic, thoughtful question may help the employer to remember you positively and to demonstrate your interest in the position.

Competitive group interview

Unlike general group interviews, in a ‘competitive’ group interview format, job candidates will be assessed based on their performance in the interview. This type of interview is often used when a position involves a large amount of team or collaborative work, and the interviewers want to see how you interact in a group setting.

If you are participating in this type of interview, be prepared to contribute thoughtfully.

Demonstrate confidence and your knowledge of the position or organization but be mindful that an employer is assessing your teamwork skills so try to avoid monopolizing the conversation and be attentive to the contributions of others.

Phone interview

Phone interviews are an effective way for an employer to quickly and cost-effectively screen and interview candidates. In cases where an employer will be conducting multiple interviews, a phone interview is often used as the first step. Applicants who are being strongly considered may be invited to the next stage of the interview process, which may be an individual interview.

There may be times when an employer calls you for an interview and you are not prepared to take the call. If this happens, don’t panic!

If you feel confident proceeding with the interview, go right ahead. If you are not prepared to conduct an interview, politely ask the employer if you can call them back or they can you back at mutually convenient time. This will allow you to refresh your memory on the organization and consider what points you want to make.

Note: This does not apply to co-op interviews scheduled through WaterlooWorks.

Webcam interview (e.g., Zoom, Skype, Teams)

In this type of interview, interviewers use video technology to conduct interviews. Generally, you can apply the same strategies as you would if you were meeting in person.

Here are some strategies to consider for conducting webcam interviews:

Test your tech (e.g., camera, microphone) and, if you can, join the call a bit early to double check
Be prepared for possible audio/video transmission issues (e.g., have a Wi-Fi hotspot ready and/or a phone nearby)
Ensure that you are in a private setting to eliminate distractions or background noise
Ensure your background is simple and uncluttered which can be distracting to interviewers
Confirm if the interviewer(s) can both see you and hear you clearly
Ensure your camera angle and lighting is good and avoid being back lit
Be prepared for small talk at the beginning of the interview (e.g., you might ask how the interviewer(s) are doing today or make a comment about the weather)
Make 'eye contact' with the camera every now and then, in addition to moving the meeting window closer to the camera and centre of your screen; doing so makes it appear you are giving direct eye contact with the interviewer(s).
Be conscious of your body language (e.g., posture, facial expressions)
Remember to check the monitor periodically to observe the interviewer’s body language
Before the interview, practice your answers out loud, if possible For both webcam and pre-recorded interviews, these strategies are helpful.

Prerecorded interviews (e.g., VidRecruiter, Willo)

In this type of interview, recruiters use digital software programs to conduct interviews. Candidates will be asked to log in to a confidential platform and answer predetermined questions in an allotted time period. Answers will be recorded in either audio or video format. Interviewers will review the recording later. This is a time-efficient method for interview panels comprised of numerous individuals.

Often, prerecorded interviews are used as a screening tool.

Second interview

If you are asked to attend a second interview, it may take place in the same or a different format. Second interviews are often held in-person at the organization. The intention is usually to show the workspace, meet staff members and give more people an opportunity to interview you in greater depth to determine whether a good match is developing.

It’s best not to assume that a second interview will lead to a job offer or that the second interview will be the final step in the process.

Ensure you are prepared, actively listen, ask relevant questions about the organization and reiterate or elaborate on how your strengths are a good match for the organization. Use the opportunity to observe the work environment (e.g., physical space, how employees interact with each other, work pace) to determine if the setting matches what you are seeking.

The visit can take from one hour to an entire day. Sometimes organizations will offer to pay your expenses to travel to the interview.

Be mindful in your spending and be sure to keep copies of all receipts should you need to provide them to the employer.

Approaches to interviewing

Structured interview:

In this approach, each candidate is asked the same set of questions. Candidate responses are recorded qualitatively. Sometimes, interviewers use a rubric to assign numeric value to the responses recorded. Candidate scores are then compared across the applicant pool.

This approach is used to reduce bias and assist the employer in making an objective hiring decision.

Structured interviews tend to be the most common and are generally considered the most formal approach.

Unstructured interview:

In this approach different questions will be asked of each candidate. Without structured guidelines, the conversation is free-flowing and typically feels more casual. This type of interview may feel more laid back, but know that you still need to be prepared and respond appropriately. As with any interview, employers cannot ask you inappropriate or unlawful questions.

Unstructured interviews are prone to bias and thus are not generally considered an equitable or inclusive interview practice (Bergelson, Tracy & Takacs, 2022).

However, there is nothing preventing employers from running unstructured interviews. There are times when an unstructured interview can be useful. For example, if the position involves performing work tasks under pressure or dealing with ambiguity/spontaneity.

Semi-structured interview:

This approach is a blend of the structured and unstructured approaches. There will be a balance of pre-determined (structured) questions and free flowing (unstructured) questions. Typically, the employer will ask follow-up questions to better assess a skill, experience or trait that did not come through clearly in the structured question portion of the interview.