Each company will assess the candidates in accordance with its recruitment policy and different job requirements. Some large companies or public organizations often employ several methods at the same time. Job applicants should seek more information when they are asked to attend an interview.
Different Types of Interview
Individual Interview
One-to-one interview (One interviewer and one interviewee) and Panel interview (A group of interviewers and one interviewee)
The interviewer(s) may be:
Supervisor/ Manager of Personnel/ Human Resources Department; or Supervisor/ Manager of the department concerned
Important Tips:
When answering question in a panel interview, look at the interviewer who raises the question. You should also from time to time maintain eye contact with other interviewers to show that you are replying to all of them.
Group Discussion
Adopted by most Disciplinary Forces and Administrative Officer Grade of the Government, Hong Kong Trade Development Council and some large organisations to select candidates with good leadership and presentation skills
Topics for discussion mainly focus on current affairs which do not necessarily relate to the job opening. The real motive of the interviewer here is to test the candidates’ answering techniques, logical thinking, leadership and adaptability.
Important Tips
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Other Common Selection Methods
Trade Tests
Apart from asking questions, for posts requiring strong technical skills such as beautician, construction skilled worker, data processor, the candidate may be requested to perform a trade test of the relevant skill.
Practice makes perfect. Prepare yourself for the trade test by practising or revising the skills and knowledge before the interview.
Written Test
For posts requiring intensive writing such as translators, public relation officers, the candidates may be required to write short reports or speeches.
To assess the candidates’ analytical power, sometimes a written test may be conducted in the form of case analysis. For instance, applicants for the post of Manager Trainee may be required to write an internal circular to explain and defend a new policy implemented by the management.
Revise the formats of various commonly used business correspondences
Other Tests
IQ tests, logic, analogy, arithmetic problems, etc., will be used for preliminary screening of massive number of candidates
Aptitude test is used to categorize applicants into groups with different predispositions. The group with the desired characteristics will be screened in.