How to Nail a Group Interview (With Example Scripts!)

Learn what to expect from a group interview; read some amazing tips and sample scripts so that you ace the interview.

Do you have a group interview coming up? The idea of interviewing for a job is stressful enough. But having to do so amidst a group of people can feel like a lot! In this article, we’ll go over the different types of group interviews and equip you with tips and interview questions to prepare for.

What is a Group Interview?

A group interview is a hiring process where, as the job applicant, you interview not just with a single person but with a whole group. There are two types of group interviews: one is called a group interview, and the other is called a panel interview.

In a group interview, you will interview with a group of other candidates. It might be a group discussion where each participant has a chance to respond to questions.

For the group interview format, you might also be asked to work on a collaborative project together, where the interview simulates a team environment. In this case, be aware that the interviewer will look out for your ability to be a good team member, take leadership, and handle disagreements.

You will meet with multiple interviewers at once in a panel interview, usually from different departments. Companies might conduct panel interviews both to save time and also to gain a variety of perspectives on the candidate.

How do you prepare for a group interview?

1. Early Bird Strategy: I arrive early to calm my nerves and scope the environment.
2. Social Butterfly Approach: I focus on networking and getting to know the other candidates.
3. Lone Wolf Style: I keep to myself, focusing on my preparation and responses.
4. Strategic Thinker: I plan my responses to stand out and show leadership qualities.

9 Tips for Group Interviews

If you are gearing up for a group interview, where you’ll be interviewing alongside other candidates, remember these group interview tips to knock it out of the park.

Arrive early

Try arriving 15 minutes early to calm your nerves and give you time to observe the setting.

It’s kind of like going to a party. If I get to a party early, I can ground and meet each guest as they come in. I’ll be landed and connected by the time the whole group arrives. Whereas if I arrive after everyone has already met each other, I feel one step behind and never fully grounded. Does this apply to you as well?

If nothing else, getting to the interview early will give you a chance to settle your nerves with some deep breathing.

Introduce yourself to the other participants

While it’s easy to view a group interview as you versus everyone else, it will hugely benefit you if you view yourself on the same team as everyone.

Try to swap names and shake hands with everyone as soon as you meet them. Think of this as a mini networking event.

This will help break the ice so that when the formal interview starts, you won’t feel like you’re in a room with strangers but with people you already know.

In a group interview, you’re being judged on your knowledge and how you relate with a group. So the more comfortable you feel with others (and the more connected they feel to you), the better you’ll do.

Pro Tip: Once you arrive, introduce yourself to everyone. Bonus points for starting small talk.

If you’d like some tips on introducing yourself, check out this article without being awkward.

Address people by name

In the words of the great Dale Carnegie https://www.dalecarnegie.com/en/courses/262, “A person’s name is to that person, the sweetest, most important sound in any language.”

Calling people by their names creates a sense of familiarity and shows you pay attention to details.

This is another reason why showing up early and meeting people gives you a leg up—you can remember everyone’s name. If you’re lousy with names, try this science-backed trick to remember names.

Pro Tip: Once you meet each person, repeat their name to them.

Then, associate their name or nickname in your head to help you remember. For example, if you met someone named Sarah, you might remember her by thinking of Sarah Palin or perhaps by nicknaming her “Sarah The Bear-a” in your head.

Be the first to respond (at least a few times)

Once the interview starts, and the interviewers ask the group questions, try to respond first some of the time. If you respond first, it will show confidence and pro-activity. It shows you’re not afraid to lead or share your ideas.

However, if you respond first every time, you might appear overpowering.

Balance is key–it’s important not to dominate but to strategically position yourself as a thought leader.

Pro Tip: Try to speak first at a minimum proportional to the number of people. For example, if there are four people, try to jump in at least one out of every four questions first.

Reference what others say

Be an active listener. If you can pick up on key points that others make and refer back to them in your responses, it will create a greater feeling of connection and collaboration. Plus, you’re giving a nod to someone else’s good point, which shows you are supportive and not too prideful to take on others’ good ideas.

This will show you value others’ contributions and are adept at building on them.

Pro Tip: If there’s a thought somebody else said that you resonated with, don’t be afraid to say, “I like the point that Sam made. And it made me think of…”

Foster collaboration, not competition

This one is a biggie. Remember, part of the purpose of a group interview is to see how you work with others.

Your goal is not to dominate everyone else and make them look bad because that would ultimately make you look bad!

You want to contribute to a lively group atmosphere while letting your brilliance shine. Bring everyone up together, and the interviewers will notice.

Position yourself as a collaborative force. Agree with and elevate others. Doing this will showcase leadership qualities focusing on team success over individual glory.

Pro Tip: If you notice someone hasn’t spoken up for a while and is sinking back into themself, invite them into the conversation. For example, “I’m curious what you think about that Avery?”

One of the best ways to ace an interview is to develop your people skills. The better your interpersonal skills are, the more you can intuitively hit an interview out of the park. If you want to double down on your people skills, you might like to check out our flagship course, People School.

Confident body language

Your body language could set you apart from the others.

Imagine that everyone else has their arms crossed, knees folded, back hunched, looks down with their hand on their neck. All the while, you are relaxed, your body is open, you’re talking with your hands, and you are smiling and making eye contact. On a subconscious level, you have already positioned yourself as a leader.

Often, your body language can speak louder than your words. So keep your body language open and approachable. It will make you come off as more confident and positive.

Pro Tip: Keep the following three tips in mind, and you’ll do great:

• Think of the internal mantra “open and expand” to guide your body language
• Make as much eye contact as you can
• Keep your hands visible

Here are some more body language principles and tips to keep in mind.

Learn my favorite tips to be more confident:

Ask insightful questions

As a baseline, responding actively and thoughtfully to your questions is good. But if you can also ask questions, you can start to guide the interview and show leadership.

Posing questions to the group will demonstrate your engagement, curiosity, and ability to think critically.

This might be especially effective if you’re the last to answer a question, so you’ve ensured everyone else has responded. Then, you can open a new thread if it interests you.

For example, if the interviewer asks how you stay motivated during extremely busy periods, you might give your natural response and then close out by saying:

“For all of you, what tactics have you found useful for avoiding burnout when workloads ramp up?”

Pro Tip: Don’t just share your thoughts in response when responding to any question. Also share what it makes you curious about. You could finish a response with, “You know, this also makes me curious about XYZ…what do you all think?”

Nod and smile

Nodding and showing positive reactions to others’ ideas creates a collaborative atmosphere where people feel encouraged to share and express themselves.

You have a say in how safe and encouraging the culture of this group interview is! And one way to create a better group environment is to affirm people with your non-verbal listening.

Here are some additional tips on how to listen charismatically.

5 Tips for Panel Interviews

If you are participating in a panel interview, where a group of people will be interviewing you, keep in mind the following tips.

Research each panel member

Dive into some detective work beforehand. Know who you’re talking to by researching the panel members. It’ll be like having a cheat sheet for a test.

If you understand their roles and backgrounds, you can tailor your answers to resonate with each.

Maintain eye contact with everyone (or turn your body towards the person speaking)

Two-thirds of hiring managers https://press.careerbuilder.com/2010-07-28-New-CareerBuilder-Survey-Reveals-Top-Body-Language-Mistakes-Candidates-Make-in-Job-Interviews agree that poor eye contact decreases a candidate’s likelihood of getting hired. So make sure to keep your eyes up!

But don’t just focus your eye contact on the panelist who asked the question. If you can’t make eye contact, turn your head or body towards the person speaking.

Spread your gaze across the panel. Make sure each member feels included in your response. This connects with the entire panel, not just the lead speaker.

Prepare for a diverse set of questions

In a 1-on-1 job interview, you can get away with only preparing for questions based on the role of the other person. If it’s with human resources (HR), you might focus more on prepping for culture-related questions.

But in this case, because you’re meeting with a group of people with different roles, you’ll have to be prepared for questions across the map, from technical to personal.

Prepare thoughtful questions for each member

Harvard Business Review https://hbr.org/2018/05/the-surprising-power-of-questions found that the most common complaint from interviewers after an interview is that the applicant didn’t ask enough questions. But you can prepare for this!

At the end of your interview, have at least one question ready for each panelist. This will have everyone feel included, and your due diligence might impress the panelists.

If you don’t have time to ask every question, consider asking individual questions to the panelists who didn’t have as much of an opportunity to ask you a question.

If you’d like ideas on what questions to ask, check out these 45 great questions to Ask an interviewer to land your job.

Follow up with everyone

After a 1-on-1 interview, it’s usually good form to follow up via email and thank the interviewer for their time. In this case, consider sending an email to each panelist.

If you take this approach, customize each email so it doesn’t appear generic. Thank each person for the unique question or perspective they brought.

Sample Questions for Group Interviews

Here are some common group interview questions you could prepare for if entering into a group interview where you’ll be applying alongside a group of candidates.

1. “Of all the other candidates in this room, who would you hire for this role and why?”

This question will test your honesty, tact, and ability to perceive others’s strengths.

Here’s a sample answer:

“I think everyone offers strengths that would fit well into this role, but if I had to pick one person as the best candidate, I’d go with Tina. Her initiative and ability to think of out-of-the-box ideas that got the group brainstorming in different directions.”

2. “Can you describe a time when you had to work closely with a group to work on a team project? What role did you play, and how did you contribute to the team’s success?”

This question assesses a candidate’s ability to collaborate, communicate, and contribute effectively in a team setting.

Sample answer:

“In my most recent role, we had a project with a tight deadline. My role was to ensure seamless communication between teams.

Because our time was so tight, I initiated extra meetings between the marketing and research teams to ensure everyone was on the same page. We delivered the project on time, and the client loved it.

In today’s group interview, I tried to use similar skills to ensure we were moving toward the target on the right timeline.”

3. “Imagine the team faces a tight deadline, and a key member suddenly falls ill. How would you approach this situation to ensure the project is completed on time?”

This question probes the candidate’s critical thinking, adaptability, empathy, and leadership skills in high-pressure situations.

Sample answer:

“In this situation, my first step would be to send warm regards to the ill team member. They are a part of the team, and I want them to feel cared for.

Then, I would assess the workload and redistribute the tasks among the remaining team members, including myself, based on each person’s strengths and current workload.

Because of the extra stress, I propose meeting for brief daily check-ins to monitor our progress and address emerging challenges. If necessary, I’d suggest overtime work or seeking temporary assistance, ensuring the team agrees and feels supported.”

4. “Have you ever encountered a disagreement within a team? How did you handle it, and what was the outcome?”

This seeks to understand the candidate’s conflict resolution skills, communication style, and ability to maintain harmony and productivity within a team.

Sample answer:

“In my last team, there was a disagreement about the direction of a project. Two team members had different views on the strategy.

I facilitated a meeting where each person presented their viewpoint, and then we all discussed the pros and cons of each approach. I emphasized finding common ground and focusing on our shared goal.

We eventually combined elements from both strategies, which led to a more innovative and comprehensive approach. This experience taught me the value of listening, meditating, and the power of collaborative solutions.”

Sample Questions for Panel Interviews

If you’re preparing for a panel interview where a group of interviewers will interview you, take a few moments to contemplate how you would answer each of these questions.

1. “Can you tell us when you had to adapt to a significant change at work? How did you handle it?”

This question assesses the candidate’s adaptability and resilience in the face of change.

Sample Answer:

“In my previous role, our company underwent a major technology shift, and we moved all operations to a new software system.

Initially, I found it challenging, but I took the initiative to attend training sessions and practice independently. I also volunteered to help my colleagues who were struggling with the transition.

This helped me quickly adapt and positioned me as a go-to person for this new system. I was able to embrace the change and contribute to our team’s overall productivity during the transition period.”

2. “Describe a scenario where you had to use your leadership skills, even though you weren’t in a leadership role.”

This probes the candidate’s natural leadership abilities and initiative.

Sample Answer:

“In my last position, our team leader unexpectedly had to take leave during a critical project.

Despite not being in a formal leadership role, I coordinated the project tasks. I delegated responsibilities, set milestones, and maintained open communication with the team and stakeholders.

We successfully met the project deadline, and my interim decision-making helped maintain team momentum and morale. This experience affirmed my ability to lead, irrespective of my position.”

3. “How do you prioritize your work when you have multiple important tasks?”

This evaluates the candidate’s time management and prioritization skills.

Sample Answer:

“The first thing I do is assess the urgency and impact of each task. Tasks with tight deadlines or significant consequences are tackled first.

I also use project management software to keep track of deadlines and progress.

For complex tasks, I break them down into smaller steps.

This approach has helped me successfully manage multiple projects in my previous role. And I was able to deliver results efficiently and without compromising quality.”

4. “Give an example of a time when you had to deal with a difficult client or stakeholder. How did you handle the situation?”

This question aims to understand the candidate’s client relationship and conflict resolution skills.

Sample Answer:

“In my previous role, I dealt with a client dissatisfied with our project plan’s initial draft.

I listened carefully to their concerns, validated their feelings, and then explained the rationale behind our approach. I proposed a meeting to discuss their needs in-depth and adjusted the plan to better align with their expectations while maintaining the project’s integrity.

This approach not only resolved the issue but also strengthened our client relationship. We ended up collaborating several more times with this client afterward. The experience underscored the importance of empathy, clear communication, and flexibility in client management.”

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Group Interviews

What to expect in group interviews?

In group interviews, you can expect to engage in activities or discussions with other candidates, often observed by one or more interviewers. In this type of interview, be prepared for interactive tasks, role-plays, or group discussions that challenge your ability to work effectively with others.

How do group interviews work?

Group interviews work by bringing together multiple candidates to participate in various activities or discussions observed by interviewers. The group setting allows employers to assess candidates’ interpersonal and collaborative skills in a real-time, team-based environment.

How to prepare for a group interview?

To prepare for a group interview, research the company and practice your teamwork and communication skills. It’s also helpful to consider examples of your past team experiences and how they demonstrate your ability to collaborate and contribute in a group.

How to conduct a group interview?

To conduct a group interview, plan activities or discussions that allow candidates to showcase their teamwork skills, communication, and problem-solving skills. As you go through your interview processes, think about creating a structured and fair environment where each candidate can participate and be evaluated equally.

Takeaways on Group Interviews

Best of luck with your upcoming interview!

Just remember these tips. If you’re entering into a group interview where you’ll be interviewing alongside other interviewees, remember to:

• Arrive early to settle your nerves and familiarize yourself with the interview setting.
• Introduce yourself to other participants to make the interview feel less formal and more collaborative.
• Address people by name to show you’re attentive and personable.
• Be the first to respond sometimes to show confidence. But don’t overdo it.
• Reference what others say to demonstrate you’re a collaborative thinker.
• Foster collaboration, not competition, and showcase your ability to work well in a group.
• Use confident body language to appear confident and approachable.
• Ask insightful questions to show leadership in the discussion.
• Nod and smile to create a supportive interview environment.

And if you’re entering into a panel interview where you’ll be interviewing with a panel of interviewers, then:

• Research each panel member to understand their roles and tailor your responses.
• Maintain eye contact with everyone to make each person feel included.
• Prepare for diverse questions from the varied roles of the panelists.
• Prepare thoughtful questions for each member to engage everyone and show your thorough preparation.
• Follow up with everyone with personalized follow-up emails

As you’re preparing, you also might be interested in reading about these 8 things you should never say in an interview.