Which type of interview is best in determining how a candidate might perform under pressure?

During the interview you will be asked some difficult questions. These questions are designed to see how you will react under pressure and unfamiliar territory. However, by being familiar with the types of questions you may be asked and identifying examples of situations from your experiences where you have demonstrated behaviors or skills, and practicing responses to questions, you will give yourself the opportunity to answer these questions comfortably and confidently. While we describe these interviews separately, your interview may be a combination of these interview types.

Traditional Interview

Although behavioral interviewing (see section below) is being used more frequently, a traditional interview is still very common. The length is usually from a half hour to one and a half hours. You are usually asked many of the questions from the Common Interview Questions section and possibly a few behavioral questions related to the job. After this interview, if you are being considered, you would be invited back for 1-2 more interviews.
Panel Interview

In a panel interview, you will be in the room with several people, usually three to five, but it could be as many as ten. Sometimes each person will ask you a series of questions, and other times a few people will ask questions while the rest listen. The purpose of having many people sit in on the interview is sometimes so several staff members can meet the candidates and also to keep the number of interviews a candidate has limited to one or two. The questions could be traditional, behavioral or a combination.

Serial Interview

This type of interview consists of a series of interviews on the same day. For example, if you are scheduled for an interview from 1-3:30, you may have 5 half-hour interviews with individual people. Each interviewer will most likely ask you different questions. Question types may vary. If your interview is during a mealtime, like 10-2, most likely, someone will take you to lunch. Do not let down your guard; this is still part of the interview. A “lunch interview” (see section below) is more common for upper-level positions or positions in which you would have frequent “lunch meetings” with clients/colleagues.

Behavioral Interviews

Behavioral interviews are designed to provide the interviewer with information about how you think and behave in situations. Hiring managers are interested in your method of thinking and going about doing a task as well as how you respond in difficult situations. An effective way to answer behavioral questions is the to provide the interviewer with four pieces of information known as the STAR Method: Situation, Task, Action, Results.
Case Interview

This is really a type of question. Your whole interview could be made up of case interview questions, or you could be asked 1-2 case questions. You will be given a problem or scenario related to the industry and asked to solve it or describe the process in detail. The interviewer is not necessarily looking for the “right” answer, but wants to evaluate your problem solving skills. If you do not have adequate information to determine a solution, you may need to ask the interviewers questions. Case interviews are more commonly used by investment banks, consulting firms, technical positions, and for upper-level management positions. You may be asked to provide a detailed financial analysis, to plan an event or to develop a marketing campaign.

Examples of Case Interview Questions:

• A chain of grocery stores currently receives its stock on a decentralized basis. Each store deals independently with its suppliers. The president of the chain is wondering whether the company can benefit from a centralized warehouse. What are the key considerations in making this decision?
• A magazine publisher is trying to decide how many magazines she should deliver to each individual distribution outlet in order to maximize profits. She h as extensive historical sales volume data for each of the outlets. How should she determine delivery quantities?
• A personal finance and loan company that currently targets low-middle class people is expanding to the Philadelphia market. They need to know how many financial centers the area can support and where they should be located. What kind of information would you need in order to determine the number of centers?

Phone/Skype Interview

To save the company time and money, many interviewers will schedule phone interviews as an initial screening of potential candidates. This may be an interview with a human resources representative or a hiring manager. Since this is typically your first interaction with the company, it is also their first impression or you.

• Set up a specific time for the call so you will be fully prepared.
• Treat the phone interview just as you would a face-to-face interview. Just because it is over the phone does not mean that you should take it less seriously!
• Have your resume, company research, notes, and questions to ask spread out for the interview. Make sure your information is well-organized and legible. You certainly don’t want to noisily go rummaging through papers on the desk while you say, ‘ummmmm’ because you are trying to find your list of questions.
• Make sure the phone/computer you are using works well and avoid cell and portable phones if possible.
• If you have call-waiting, turn it off if possible. At least, DO NOT answer it during an interview.
• If you have a bad connection or have difficulty hearing the interviewer, offer to call them back.
• Turn off radio and television to limit distractions. Plan to sit in a quiet room where you won’t get interrupted.
• Put a ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign on your door.
• Get yourself water beforehand.
• Stand up during the interview (for phone interview). You will sound more expressive and alert.
• Smile. Your enthusiasm and happiness will show through in your voice.
• Establishing rapport is an important aspect of interviewing. On the phone, one way to establish rapport is to “match” the interviewer’s tone of voice and rate of speech. This will make you seem “like” him or her.
• Before you get off the phone, ask about a time to meet face-to-face. Do not be afraid to ask! The worst thing that can happen is they tell you ‘no’ or say they will get back to you. Have your calendar ready so you can schedule and interview easily.
• Employers will be calling you to set up interviews. If you have an answering machine or voice mail on your home and cell phone, make sure it is professional.

Lunch Interview

Job interviewers take candidates to lunch to evaluate your business etiquette, communication and interpersonal skills, social skills and table manners. DO NOT let your guard down. This is no time to act like you would with your college buddies. This is still a part of your interview. Following are tips to help you while dining.

• If you are a picky eater, check out the restaurant ahead of time. That way you’ll know exactly what’s on the menu, what you might want to order and where the rest rooms are located.
• Make sure your cell phone is turned off
• Don’t order messy food (pasta with lots of sauce, chicken with bones, ribs, big sandwiches, and lobster).
• Don’t order the most expensive entree on the menu. Opt for moderate priced items like chicken or fish.
• Avoid foods that have a strong or unpleasant order (garlic and onions).
• Consider staying away from things that are crunchy. If may affect how well you hear someone.
• Do order food that is easy to cut into bite-size pieces.
• If you can, avoid soup. It is harder to eat than you think.
• Eat your entire meal if possible. It may seem disrespectful if you leave a large amount of food behind.
• Consider water. Most other beverages stain if spilled.
• Interviewing is hard enough without adding alcohol to the mix.
• Be polite. Remember to say “please” and “thank you” to your server as well as to your host.
• During conversation, remember to listen and participate.
• Stay away from sensitive subjects like religion and politics.
• Do not talk with your mouth full.
• Do not complain about the food.
• Keep your elbows off the table, sit up straight and don’t talk with your mouth full.
• You are not expected to pay for your meal or tip when invited to lunch. It would be inappropriate to offer.NEVER ask for a doggy bag.
• Remember to say thank you and tell the interviewer you enjoyed the meal.

Some interviewers make an effort to put candidates at ease. Conversations begin with smile-filled greetings, and continue through a friendly, conversational question-and-answer period.

In contrast, during stress interviews, no effort is made to put you at ease. Instead, interviewers create a stressful situation (thus the name) to get a sense of how you handle yourself in unpleasant conditions. 

Stress interviews come in many shapes and sizes, from mildly disconcerting to downright aggressive. The format depends on the role you're applying for and the organization that's hiring. The goal of a stress interview is to learn how you perform under pressure.

The interviewer isn't simply taking pleasure in making you squirm. The purpose is to put you on the defensive in order to see how you perform under pressure. 

The logic is that the way you respond under stress during the interview is indicative of the way you'll handle similar situations on the job. Creating an emotionally chaotic setting puts candidates under psychological stress to see if they will crack, remain calm, or even thrive under pressure.

Stress interviews can be controversial because they create a sensitive and emotionally charged relationship between the applicant and the hiring manager, and, thereby, the company. Sometimes, even the most successful applicants will turn down an offer on account of the nature of the interview alone. 

After all, interviews are a two-way street. The interviewer is getting an impression of you, but you're also sizing up the interviewer. And it's very possible that your feelings won't be positive after feeling stressed out. Some candidates, of course, thrive under pressure. 

Stress interviews are more common in certain industries. For instance, people in sales, law enforcement, intelligence, and airline employees, for example, may have to deal with a high-pressure work environment or difficult or frustrated people frequently.

Interviewers may also use stress interview tactics to locate people who can handle a potential barrage of rudeness. 

How does a stress interview play out? There are a few options. 

A candidate may be asked repeated difficult or seemingly inappropriate interview questions, be subjected to testing, face multiple interviewers simultaneously or in sequential interviews, be subjected to a long wait, or spoken to rudely.

Intimidating Questions: "Why were you fired from your last job?" "Was your previous job too much for you to handle?" These aggressive questions are intended to put you on the spot. They are potentially offensive and difficult to answer. 

Aggressive Behavior: An example scenario is one in which the applicant walks into the room, and the interviewer is sitting with his feet up on the desk while reading a newspaper that he holds up obscuring his face. "Get my attention," the interviewer demands. Other aggressive behaviors may include providing on-the-spot negative feedback to your responses to questions or saying rude, hurtful comments about your previous work or accomplishments. 

Unexpected Responses: The interviewer may ask the same question multiple times, pretending that he or she forgot or didn't comprehend your answer as you grow more frustrated at his or her lack of understanding. 

Brainteasers: "How many rats are there in New York City?” "How much of New York's garbage do they consume?" While you're not expected to know answers to these questions off the top of your head, you need to demonstrate your ability to explain how you'd research the answer.

Problem Solving: Sometimes, interviewers will ask candidates how they solved a problem. These types of questions aren't as stressful as they may seem, because the interview is more interested in how you solved the problem than the conclusion you reached. As with brainteasers, explain how you'd handle it when you respond.

The key to getting through this process is remaining calm and unemotional throughout the interview. Of course, for many of us, when we're provoked or disrespected, keeping a level head is easier said than done. 

Here are some tactics to employ:

• Clarify the question. There's no need to hesitate or feel embarrassed when you ask follow-ups and confirm the question's intent. This is what's expected of you, and the point is it buys you some time to think and plan your answer before articulating it.
• Request more details. If there's unknown or missing information, ask for elaboration before proceeding with your answer. Without having all the details, you won't be able to provide a meaningful response. This will show your follow-up abilities. 
• Show your work. Focus on describing your problem-solving method rather than trying to devise a correct answer.
• Tell a story that makes your point. Again, the "right" answer isn't necessarily the goal in this type of interview. Instead, try to inject your personality and unique thought process into the response instead of getting bogged down in trying to find the right answer.
• Don't be intimidated or fearful. Understand that this approach is part of the process, and your interviewer may very well be a kind of person. 

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