Recent Interview Trends

Baffled at an interview because it is not the typical Q & A? Read on to find out what interview format your next employer might apply on you.

Traditional interviews are not going anywhere any time soon, but they have been proven to be an ineffective way to read candidates. They can even undercut the impact of more useful information and introduce more bias.

For example, attractive and charismatic interviewees aren’t necessarily more capable, but we unconsciously assume they are. There exists a bias problem in traditional interviews as well as their limited ability to assess soft skills and weaknesses. It’s hard to evaluate grit in a candidate or spot disorganization simply by having a chat.

To move over this old model of traditional interviews and ensure that the candidate hired is well assessed and actually a right fit for the organisation and the job role, following are five techniques to be observed among top recruiters:

Online soft skills assessments

Digital assessments measure traits like teamwork and curiosity and give a more holistic picture of candidates earlier in the process. Citi, for example, has implemented such assessments for its campus recruiting program, leading to more diverse candidates and a better understanding of their talents.

Job auditions

In job auditions, companies pay candidates to do real work so that they can observe skills in action. Citadel designed day-long job auditions in which about 100 students compete for cash by solving real business problems with data.

Interviewing over a meal

Casual interviews typically take place over a meal and can offer a unique look into a candidate’s character. A famous example is the CEO of Charles Schwab who takes candidates to lunch and asks for the restaurant to mess up their orders on purpose. There are plenty of other examples of companies creatively adapting this concept.

Virtual Reality

With virtual reality (VR), companies immerse candidates in simulated 3-D environments to test their skills in a standardized way. Lloyds Banking Group has been a front-runner in this aspect and has seen great results when it comes to reducing bias and engaging candidates.

Video interviews

Interviews on tape can be recorded or live and help by tapping a broader talent pool in far less time. KPMG Australia is a great example of a company who has implemented them for its entry-level hires and seen increased efficiency.