Interview formats

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

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

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.

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 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 call you back at a 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.

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.

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.

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 and 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.

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.

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.

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.

Unlawful questions

A job candidate can only be asked to disclose information relevant to the position they applied for. An employer may only gather information relevant to deciding whether a candidate can perform the necessary functions of a position. The onus is on the employer to know and adhere to the law. However, it’s a good idea for you to be aware of your rights in case an interviewer intentionally or mistakenly asks you an unlawful question during a job interview.

You do not have to answer questions that are unlawful, regardless of the intent behind the question being posed. The Ontario Human Rights Code (OHRC) prohibits discrimination in employment on the following grounds:

Citizenship
Race
Place of origin
Ethnic origin
Colour
Ancestry

Disability
Age
Creed
Sex/pregnancy
Family status

Marital status
Sexual orientation
Gender identity
Gender expression
Record of offences

How to handle unlawful questions

During your career, you may be asked an unlawful question. It’s a good idea to be prepared in the event it does happen, even though you aren’t required to respond. Here are some ways that you could choose to respond:

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In most cases, the interviewer will reconsider the question if they realize that it’s an unlawful one. If it’s just a matter of adjusting how the question is asked, the employer can rephrase. Though the onus is not on you to do so, you will most likely enlighten the interviewer using this approach as they may not realize they’re asking an unlawful question and may be appreciative that you pointed it out to them.

Proprietary information

If you’re asked to provide information about a past employer, it’s best to refrain from giving any information that is not publicly available. Revealing information about a past employer, who may or may not be a competitor, could create a breach of confidentiality. Even though you may have worked for this employer some time ago, you are still obligated to keep confidential information private.

This also applies to your application documents such as your résumé, cover letter, portfolio, etc.

Additional resources

The majority of employers strive to hire the most qualified staff and do so fairly. For employers who don’t follow established guidelines, remember that assistance is available. Access additional resources through our Safety and your rights content.

Do I have to disclose my disability?

Sometimes during the interview process, candidates with physical, mental, sensory, or learning disabilities or chronic medical conditions wonder if they should disclose a disability or not, and if so, how, and when.

Interview accommodations

If you are a co-op student with permanent, temporary or suspected disabilities, you may request accommodations throughout the interview process. Learn more about the accommodation process.

Next: Managing interview anxiety

Bergelson, I., Tracy, C., & Takacs, E. (2022). Best Practices for Reducing Bias in the Interview Process. Current Urology Reports, 23(11), 319–325.