Types of Interviews

Based on Purpose

• Screening Interview -- used to quickly and efficiently eliminate unqualified or overpriced candidates. Conducted by professional interviewers, recruiters, or personnel representatives seeking information regarding educational and experiential background using a highly structured question and answer format.
  
• Selection Interview -- used after some type of screening process. Usually conducted by a professional practitioner who will be the candidate's supervisor. It is generally less formal and less structured than the screening interview. Questions tend to be open-ended with subsequent questions based upon candidate's responses to previous questions.
  

Based on Format

• One on One -- usual interview procedure. Screening and selection interviews usually include one interviewer and one candidate. At times, a second company representative may join in or candidate may have a series of interviews that involve several meetings with different people within the organization, one at a time.
  
• Search Commitee or Board Interview -- group consists of many interviewers and one candidate. Used by business and industry for selection of high level corporate officers. Typical of a selection committee search in higher education.
  
• Group Interview -- group consists of many candidates and one or more interviewers. Frequently used as a screening procedure by smaller companies and by graduate and professional schools. Used to assess leadership skills and ability to work in groups.

Based on Style

• Question and Answer or Directed Interview -- highly structured; interviewer comes prepared with list of questions. Used by recruiters and professional interviewers to seek facts. Generally is format for screening interviews.
  
• Open-Ended or Non-Directive Interview -- generally informal and less structured. Used by professional practitioners to assess candidate's skills, experience, and personality attributes. This is the usual format for selection interviews.
  
• Stress Interview -- staged to determine how candidate will perform under stress. It may be typified by long periods of silence, challenges to candidate's opinions, or a series of interruptions.