Different from the individual interview, from a classic case study, and even from the group projects carried out during the studies, the collective interview is disconcerting. We explain how to shine while keeping the team spirit. Learn how to stand out in a group interview.
It is essential to stand out
The explicit purpose of the group interview is to make you work as a team. To pool your abilities, therefore. But it’s still about demonstrating that you’re best suited for the job. Only a tiny minority of candidates is finally selected, you might as well be part of it.
It is imperative to keep in mind that recruiters do not only assess restitution. As in maths, the result is just as important as the methodology. It is therefore strongly advised not to settle for “delegating” painful tasks to your day-to-day colleagues. You are observed and evaluated from start to finish – Big Brother is watching you. So get your hands dirty and don’t just follow.
Find the right balance
Standing out is a necessity but it is not obvious. By trying too hard to be seen by recruiters, you risk monopolizing speech or attention without really taking advantage of the team’s dynamics and missing expectations. It is therefore necessary to be assertive but to listen . Open to the discussion while keeping in mind that the relevance of your own point of view must work in your favor. In short, it’s a delicate balancing act.
Without falling into caricature, recruiters are looking for “a good fit”. And a good fit is as much about someone who has the skills for the job as it is about a colleague you enjoy working with. During this test, you will want to collaborate with some candidates while others may give you hives. This is the time to show professionalism: your state of mind must be to solve the given problem as efficiently as possible and to maximize the product of your cooperation. In summary, if affinities appear, so much the better. If not, take a deep breath and put all your energy into solving the given problem.
Form a conviction on the subject
Understanding the subject is essential and easy to do on your side. To be able to improvise, a business leader, a politician or even an actor must know his subject inside out. Same for you. Since you will be called upon to improvise with your group, thorough preparation must be carried out beforehand. Know the company, the sector, current trends and market developments.
The only way to develop legitimate leadership within the group is to be proactive in an intelligent way – as opposed to talkative proactivity that will only end in trying to get you noticed at all costs. You must therefore carry a conviction. And this will arise from your previous knowledge of the subject and your confrontation with the problem raised during the interview.
Share your conviction with other members. If it is based on solid arguments, it enriches the dynamics of the group. If it is sincere, you can share it without fear that others will try to appropriate your ideas; you will defend them better than them.
Identify the strengths of the group and optimize the distribution of tasks
Understanding the subject posed is obviously not enough. After interacting with the other candidates, be lucid. Trying to take the lead at all costs is not always a good strategy. The most important thing is to identify the strengths inherent in your team. Assign quant topics to the maths, economic modelling to the business profile, and choose how to communicate them to the literary. It seems obvious, but in a situation, candidates are frequently tempted to assign themselves subjects according to other subjective criteria (“the most interesting”, “what is likely to impress recruiters the most”, etc.) , to the detriment of group dynamics. While it is by dealing with a subject on which you are competent, whatever it is, that you will maximize your chances of having relevant ideas. And so, to get noticed.
Play as a team by focusing on your own success
When presenting ideas, distribute the speaking time fairly. Recruiters observe you from the preparatory phase but restitution remains the main window of opportunity to prove yourself. After pooling your knowledge on the subject and structuring the issue, define who will talk about what.
The exposition of your ideas is not intended to be a gospel, but a series of well-articulated solos. It means listening and knowing how to question your ideas while remaining confident in your convictions. Knowing how to value the good ideas of others, too. A recruiter knows better than anyone that it is just as important to know how to recognize and surround yourself with competent people as to be yourself.
To stand out, you have to find the right balance. Demonstrate tact and assertiveness; listen while knowing how to impose oneself within a collective. Your team has to win – that goes without saying – but you have to be named Ballon d’Or.
Also read : Qualities to stand out in an interview