When we think of a job interview, we often refer to an exchange between a candidate and a recruiter, face to face. Yet it exists in very different forms. Among those whose popularity is rising is the recruiting session. It must be said that group interviews bring many advantages to the recruitment process.
Check out our full article on this extraordinary job interview.
What is a recruiting session?
Better known under the name of group interview or collective interview, the recruitment session is a step in the hiring process.
It consists of bringing together candidates who have responded to the same job offer. Together, they participate in exercises and scenarios related to the position in question. For optimal efficiency, the group is made up of 4 to 8 people.
The interview usually takes place in a large room on company premises. However, it can perfectly be done remotely, via videoconferencing tools. Ideally, its duration is 1 to 3 hours.
Recruiters use it to determine the best candidates for the job.
While it is presented as a form of recruitment interview, it does not replace the individual interview. Rather, it facilitates the selection of candidates at the start of the recruitment process.
The individual exchange remains the Holy Grail for discovering the candidate’s career, skills and ambitions.
The objectives of the collective interview
The recruitment session often follows a telephone prequalification.
For the recruiter, this is an opportunity to put candidates in a situation similar to the reality of the position. It is then possible to observe their behavior, their way of communicating, their ability to listen, their spirit of synthesis and analysis, etc.
It not only assesses professional skills but also soft-skills and personality. In other words, this is an unusual approach to the candidate selection process!
But the recruitment session is also an opportunity for the company to support its employer brand and to give an overview of its corporate culture.
The recruitment session: for which positions?
Group interviews are commonly used for recruiting trades in sales, retail, but also banking and insurance.
In these sectors where human relations and commercial performance are essential, this type of evaluation is acclaimed to reveal the potential of candidates.
But while the group interview facilitates the selection of profiles, it is not suitable for all positions. Indeed, it can hardly be put into practice for trades that require high technical skills. For example, it is irrelevant to use it for recruiting web developers or accountants.
The advantages of the recruiting session
1. Saving time and reducing the recruitment budget
The main advantage of the recruiting session is the time saving that it brings to recruiters. Indeed, it is very time-consuming to conduct several individual interviews with all the candidates that interest you. And when you realize that candidates tend to be put off by lengthy recruitment processes, that matters!
Group interviewing is a great way to assess as many people as possible in the least amount of time. Thus, it helps to reduce your recruiting cost.
2. Real-time observation
What makes the performance and popularity of the recruiting session is being able to put candidates in situations on issues or subjects specific to the organization.
Thus, this exercise facilitates an objective assessment of skills, but also of the candidate’s interest in the activities of the company.
3. A valuation of soft-skills
If the candidate must use his knowledge during the recruitment session, it is above all his soft-skills that are in the spotlight.
The exercises and discussions offered during the interview are designed to assess the human qualities and skills of the candidate in terms of communication, public speaking, negotiation, stress management, mental teamwork or creativity.
The recruiter takes the position of facilitator and observer.
In addition to the individual interview, the recruitment session allows candidates to reveal their talents, even if they have little professional experience or an atypical profile.
The disadvantages of the recruiting session
1. A special organization
To be effective, the recruiting session must be well thought out. It is about finding the right balance between presenting the employer brand and practical exercises. And all this in a caring environment.
Too intense a pace or an overly competitive atmosphere can create frustration among candidates and thus distort the results of the assessment. Not to mention the risk of losing top talent along the way.
2. A perilous exercise
Traditional recruiting interviews are often a source of stress for professionals. When you add in the fact that you are facing other candidates, in other words, other competitors for the job, this can prove to be a difficult exercise for some.
The candidate may feel like they are not being assessed in their singularity. Unlike an individual interview, he does not necessarily have enough time to explain his background and defend his strengths.
How does a group interview work?
Like the individual interview, the recruitment session begins with a presentation of internal stakeholders such as the HR manager, department manager, director, etc.
Then comes the time to talk about the company, its values, and to recall the job description to be filled.
The interview then proceeds as follows: the candidates introduce themselves in turn by offering a summary of their professional experiences, their qualities and skills, but also their ambitions.
Once all participants have had the opportunity to discover each other, it’s time to move on to the practical exercises.
Often recruiting sessions to consist of 1 to 3 exercises. After the presentation of the instructions, the candidates work for a fixed period. There follows a period of discussion/debate during which everyone can present their views.
The group interview ends with a conclusion from the recruiter, thanks and above all, information on the rest of the recruitment process.
Within the defined feedback period, it will then be necessary to contact the candidates individually to debrief and inform them of your decision.
application tracking is essential to provide an optimal candidate experience and maintain engagement.
Examples of exercises for a group interview
The exercises of the recruitment session are determined according to the company, its activities, the job description and the criteria for evaluating candidates.
They often consist of a period of individual reflection followed by a speaking and opinion-sharing activity.
Here are some examples of exercises you can use for a group interview :
- Prepare the main lines of the marketing strategy for a product launch.
- Write a pitch to convince a prospect to use the company’s new service.
- Offer a solution to an unhappy customer.
- Role-play between an employee and a manager.
- Find a group solution to a problem encountered by the company.
- Suggest ideas to improve customer service.
- Assess the risks and opportunities of a new market.
- Debate on a subject such as work organization, marketing methods, business automation, etc.
Use your creativity to design an exercise specifically tailored to the needs of the business.
Some tips for a successful recruiting session
Have you decided to set up a recruiting session? Well done, this is a great initiative to optimize your selection of candidates.
And to promote its performance, here are some good practices.
1. Prepare a schedule
It cannot be repeated enough, good anticipation is the key to a successful recruitment process. Thus, it is essential to plan each stage of the collective interview, in substance, form and duration.
In this way, you will have better time management and you will obtain results that meet your expectations.
2. Communicate with your candidates
If you want to offer a successful candidate experience, bet on transparent communication. Avoid at all costs inviting your candidates to a recruiting session without giving them a minimum of information on what to expect.
About a week before the date of the collaborative interview, send an email with the session schedule, location and estimated duration. If you do not wish to reveal the purpose of the exercises, you can simply mention its form (role-play, practical case, debate, etc.).
3. Create a caring atmosphere
Recruitment interviews are stressful, especially when conducted in groups. Even if their goal is to assess candidates, it is important to ensure that there is a space conducive to fruitful discussions.
To do this, feel free to use little humor or suggest an “icebreaker” activity at the start of the session. For example, you can ask each participant to tell an unusual anecdote about them. By creating a welcoming atmosphere, candidates can give the best of themselves. And you promote your employer brand at the same time.
4. Involve the employees concerned by the recruitment
To recruit the right person for your company, invite all decision-makers (recruiter, HR manager, manager, etc.) to participate in the recruitment session.
In this way, everyone can give their opinion on the candidates without being influenced by the content of an interview report.
5. Obtain the opinion of your candidates
As we know, the recruiting session collects useful information to help recruiters make a hiring decision. But its reach goes much further.
It also serves to improve your recruiting process and the candidate experience you offer.
So ask your candidates for their opinion on the group interview they attended. What did they like? On the contrary, what did they dislike? How did they view the interview? What about the duration of the session? Ask open-ended questions and encourage them to make suggestions for improvement.
While this idea is good in theory, it is easy to understand that some candidates are reluctant to give their opinion, especially when the recruitment process is not complete.