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Seeking Tips For Group Zoom Interviews
I have an interview this Friday with a Saas company and was told that the interview would be through Zoom and there will be 8 other candidates joining. The interview would be around an hour and I am worried I won’t have enough time to get my points across. This is my first time interviewing in a group setting and would love to know what your experiences have been like.
Anonymous
10/05/20 at 4:21PM UTC
Oh boy, I just had an interview with 4 other candidates via Zoom. One problem, they never told me (and I do not know if the other candidates were told) about the format of the interview. Each one of us was asked the same question, and each one of us had a chance to go first to answer. While it was interesting to hear the other candidates responses, I do not know how the company could really get a sense of who would be right for the job. I was a bit annoyed that they didn't explain to me beforehand that this was a group interview. Maybe the term "group interview" means that all the candidates are present at the same time. I thought the other emails (the other candidates ) were employees of the company's interview team. I wish they had been more clear.
Evelyn LivantAssociate Software Engineer - Remote
493
10/05/20 at 4:55PM UTC
I have never been through a virtual group interview. I was on an in-person group interview once. We were given tasks to solve in teams. I think they were observing how we worked together and our group dynamics. In this case, it sounds to me as if the company wants to create a competitive environment for the position between the candidates.
Anonymous
10/05/20 at 5:27PM UTC
Yes, as friendly as this was, let's be real, we are competing for a job.
Rebecca Lee VCredentialing Specialist
3.44k
10/03/20 at 1:22PM UTC
I have never heard of an interview conduct with a group of candidates. Maybe a panel of hiring mangers and then a candidate but not the other way around. What a horrible experience.
Anonymous
10/02/20 at 3:29PM UTC
I think it depends on the company and what they are looking for. I’ve interviewed in a group setting before years ago but once recently via zoom. There were about 10 candidates, 3 women, 2 racial minorities. I was one of the women, and one of the racial minorities. The company I was going for prioritized someone who was “scrappy.” The entire hours long interview was dominated by one guy, and it was hard to get anything in without being talked over. Not a very good experience for me. I had a one-on-one interview afterwards, and one of the facilitators said he’d wished I’d spoken up more in the way the dominant male candidate did. With that being said, I would recommend looking into what traits/qualities the company seems to be prioritizing and lean into those. Don’t dominate the conversation in an arrogant or self-centered way (my experience), but if you have something to say, don’t be afraid to speak up, be persistent, and be tenacious. Even if that means saying something like, “While I appreciate your comments, I would like to please finish my statement,” etc. to someone who is taking charge and tuning out the voices of others. Overall, do what you can to stand out (but don’t try too hard—let it be natural), stand up and advocate for yourself and your qualities, and be respectful of others. I hope this helps and that your experience is better than mine! Best wishes!
