The Transformation of the Job Interview

 

Used to be, the job interview was something you prepared for in a certain way. Perhaps you memorized some responses to questions that always came up, such as “What’s your greatest weakness?” Or “What project were you most proud of?”

Organizations have gotten wise to this type of preparation and are inventing new ways to evaluate job candidates that really separate the finalists from everyone else.

The April edition of PM Network^® provides a guide to new interview formats you might currently encounter in your career journey. These include digital assessments, often done as online surveys. The object of the survey is to evaluate key applicant skills such as grit, curiosity, polish, rigor and initiative. This technique is called predictive hiring, and satisfies the corporate urge for quantitative data in the hiring process.

Another new interview technique, auditions, is the project management version of what happens in the performance arts. Candidates are asked to perform some sort of project task such as mapping a work breakdown structure or managing a test project. This gives the interviewer a more thorough look at how the candidate might perform.

Virtual Reality simulations are becoming part of the hiring process. Recruiters are bringing headsets to job fairs as a new way to find talent by immersively showing what the job is all about. VR is also used in the interviewing process to assess candidates’ styles in, for example, teamwork and leadership style.

Finally, some companies are loosening up candidates by holding conversations in less formal venues, such as coffee shops or restaurants. The goal is to gain a truer sense of the candidate’s engagement.

For each of these selection techniques, PM Network provides “prep talk,” advice on what to do and what not to do in these new interview styles.

Have you had a unique job interview experience? Please share your insights in the comments below.