BHILAI INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, DURG

DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

SUBJECT TEACHER : DR. SHABANA NAZ SIDDIQUE

UNIT – IV Employment Process II

Part 1 GROUP DISCUSSION

WHAT IS A DISCUSSION ?
By definition, a discussion implies the process of examining or considering something in detail, generally in
a conversation.
The primary aim of a discussion is to arrive at some point of agreement or a valid decision, by obtaining
various shades of opinions and ideas on the subject or topic, which is under consideration.

GROUP DISCUSSION
Group discussion is formed by combining two different words i.e. group and discussion. Group means a number of
people or things that are put together considered as a unit whereas the word ‘discuss’ is derived from the Latin
‘discutere’, which means to shake or strike. ‘Discussion’ refers to examine the topic thoroughly to reach a
conclusion.

Critical Difference between a GD and a Debate

• A debate begins with two groups' bids to outwit each other.

• scussion is evolutionary; this essentially means participants have the opportunity to refine their views in the
course of the discussion.
• In a GD Every member needs to contribute substantially and add to the existing knowledge base instead of
pulling each other down.
• A debate begins with two groups' bids to outwit each other.
• A discussion is evolutionary; this essentially means participants have the opportunity to refine their views in
the course of the discussion.
• In a GD Every member needs to contribute substantially and add to the existing knowledge base instead of
pulling each other down

WHY GROUP DISCUSSIONS ARE USED AS A SELECTION TOOL

• As a member of a modern organization, we spend a considerable amount of our time in groups.

• A group assumes significance since one person alone does not possess the requisite knowledge, skill, or
talent to achieve a complex.
• We need material as well as intellectual inputs from others to attain difficult targets.
 • One must interact and communicate meaningfully within the group.
• Most executives spend about half their working time in business meetings.
• Today ability of an executive to convince others, and also get convinced by others, has emerged as a pivotal
personality trait, which is indispensable for a team leader. And also goes a long way in keeping a group of
professionals together as a team

Why is Group Discussion Conducted?

By exposing a certain number of candidates to a group discussion situation, selectors are able to observe several
personality traits or attitudes of the participants.
a. group discussion reveals the real intellectual capability and general awareness of the participants, as
group members are allowed a very limited time to prepare the subject under discussion.
b. It brings out the communication skills of the candidates in the language used in the discussion.
c. Members clearly display their logical reasoning as well as their ability to realign their thoughts with
those of others.
d. Ability to reach a logical decision, consequent to listening to various arguments in favour and
against the topic, can be observed.
e. Often some group members emerge as leaders by virtue of displaying certain leadership qualities.
Leadership qualities are a combination of traits such as tact, self-confidence, empathy for others,
higher intellectual level and initiative, etc

Which skills are evaluated in group discussion?

In a GD, the panellists evaluate the following skills to check the performance of a candidate:-

 Subject Expertise
 Creativity/ Originality
 Voice
 Bodily language
 Fluency
 Initiative
 Active hearing
 Leadership
 Communication skills
 Self-confidence
 Team skills
 Ability to present your views logically
 Time management

What type of preparation is needed

• Build your knowledge base.

• Analyze issues from various angles.
• Maintain a positive attitude.
• Stay motivated and excited about the upcoming challenge.
 • Stay focused and competitive.
• See things from the other person's viewpoint and respect it even if you strongly disagree.

Types of Group Discussion

 Topic-Based Group Discussion: In this discussion, a topic is provided to the candidates about what they
have to perform the discussion.
 Factual group discussions: These discussions focus on the real world/ practical things and test a
candidate’s ability to process information and analyse socio-economic issues or everyday concerns.
 Opinion-Based Group Discussion: Test how well candidates can articulate/put forward their beliefs,
opinions and viewpoints.
 Abstract Group Discussion: In these, the interviewers check to see if a candidate can approach the
subject at hand with originality, creativity and lateral thinking.
 Case-Based Group Discussion: Instead of the topics, small cases are handover to the candidates which
leads to the questions and they have to discuss those questions.

Classification of GDs.
Leaderless group discussions
Leader-nominated group discussions
Role-play-type group discussions
Leaderless group discussions:
In this classification of GD, members start in an equal position and are not assigned any specific role by the
moderator.
By their participation and display of leadership qualities during the discussion itself, a group member or group
members become the natural leader(s) of the group.
Selectors thus get adequate opportunities to observe certain abilities and personality traits of the candidate during
the course of the discussions.
Leader-nominated group discussions:
In this category one group member is asked to assume the position of leader of the group or become the
Chairperson of the group.
Either the moderator appoints the leader or the group members are asked to appoint their leader.
In this way, the moderator sets an opportunity to observe the ability of group members as a leader as well as
members of the team.
Role-play type group discussions:
During a role-play type of group discussion, each member of the group is assigned a specific role to resolve a
problem or tackle a given situation.
Usually, roles allotted to various members may need varying skills or abilities.
This type of GDs reveals how a group member can swiftly adapt himself to a new situation to eventually resolve a
problem

Purpose of Group Discussion

 To reach a solution on an issue of concern.
 To generate new ideas for solving a problem.
 For choosing the applicants after the written test for a job or for admission to educational institutes.
 To train ourselves in various interpersonal skills.
Group Discussion Process
 Topic Announcement

 Preparation Time

 Discussion Starts

 Discussion among participants

 Results

Phases of group discussion

1. Initiation or Orientation
2. Conflict/Power Battle
3. Collaboration/Teamwork
4. Execution/Performance
5. Conclusion/Closure
Phases of group discussion
 Initial phase
 Conflict
 Teamwork
 Performance
 Conclusion

Roles in a Group Discussion

GD is a collaborative discussion that involves a group of people. Participants play a role in these discussions.
1. Opener
2. Facilitator / Moderator
3. Seeker of Information
4. Opinion Seeker
5. Analyst
6. Community Supporter
7. Reliever
8. Energy spreader
9. Bridge creator
10. Summary maker
Rules to be followed in Group Discussion
1: Prepare
2: Know the Participants
3: Take Care of your Posture
4: Take Charge
5: Retain Your Balance
6: Follow the Company Culture
7: Follow your Domain

TYPES OF TOPICS
Reality–based topics These types of topics are most commonly used for selection purposes. These are
usually topics on current or contemporary issues.
Most of these topics are somewhat controversial and members of a group can present a variety of views on
the subject

Imaginary or abstract group discussion topics: Discussion on this type of topic are left to the imagination of
the candidate or left open to interpretation. Such topics involve lateral thinking and unconventional perspectives

Case study group discussion topics:

Here, a corporate situation or person/ organization-based situation is presented and group members have to
arrive at the best solution through mutual discussion

Case study group discussion topics:

 The participants display their ability to process the information and analyze a problem and group skills are
visible rather clearly.
Participants need to reach a consensus and solve problems, unlike other types of GDs.

CRITERIA OF ASSESSMENT IN A GROUP DISCUSSION

Depth of knowledge/awareness: Academic knowledge of the candidate about the subject being discussed in
terms of range and depth and the candidates’ general awareness and its updation get assessed.
Ability to express ideas: The ability of the aspirant to communicate his/her thoughts fluently and put across
his/her arguments in a rational, planned, and systematic manner gets evaluated.
Flexibility: The fact that a candidate is accommodative to ideas expressed by others or remains rigid about
what he/she thinks, can be easily judged by the examiner. It is better to be assertive, but not rigid in your approach
Adjustment with new people and new ideas: Since one gets exposed to unfamiliar persons in a group
discussion situation, time consumed in adjusting and acclimatizing oneself to an alien and new situation becomes
evident. Similarly, a person’s adaptability and receptivity to new ideas also come to light in a very short period
Display of self-confidence: The ability of a person to have faith in oneself and face a group of people while
expressing one’s opinions, often in the face of disagreement, comes to the fore. A shy and under-confident person
will not be in a position to display this quality in this strenuous situation
The courage of conviction: The capability to defend one’s position and hold on to one’s convictions
becomes visible in a group discussion
Leadership attributes: The fact that a candidate can generate a following and leave a mark of his/her
presence in the group can be easily discernible. The skill of being able to convince other members about one’s
convictions and motivating them in this regard also becomes evident.
Reactions under stressful situations: Owing to the very purpose of testing participants’ reactions under
stressful situations, the element of time constraint has been introduced in a group discussion. A group discussion
pressurizes the participants to give their best within a predetermined time frame. Of course, the level of stress
experienced under the circumstances would differ from one person to the other.
Willingness to learn: The only constant theory in the world is change. Situations around us and business
scenario keeps changing on a regular basis mainly due to the availability of new and better products and matching
demands. One needs to constantly update his awareness about happenings around, and also update his knowledge
about new technological developments. Selectors keenly look for this quality in candidates.
Eye for detail: A good manager must be a good organizer and should also be a meticulous person. He/she
must not miss out on minor details of any job or project to ensure an effective output. Assessors look for this
quality in a candidate during a group discussion by watching his tendency to care for minor details of a situation
Logical thinking: This includes a correct understanding of the topic and a balanced point of view, avoiding
jumping to conclusions. A logical person will take an objective view of both sides of the argument before arriving
at a conclusion

SOME EXAMPLES OF TOPICS OF GROUP DISCUSSIONS

Topics on ‘Economy
Topics on Education & Training
Topics on Sports & Games
Topics on ‘Environment & Ecology
Topics on Defence & Allied Matters
Topics on Miscellaneous Subjects
Topics on ‘Management
TOPICS ON POLITICAL ISSUES
 Part 2 INTERVIEW

DEFINITION OF INTERVIEW
An interview is an interaction between two or more individuals with the exchange of words as the main medium.
The purpose and aim of this exchange is to make sure that relevant and sufficient information about the candidate
is obtained to decide his/her selection/rejection for a course of study or assignment.
“A personal face-to-face meeting and conversation between two or more persons with the object of gaining
information about that person”.
Another definition of a selection interview could be “A physical interface between the interviewer(s) and
interviewee with the objective of assessing the interviewee’s potential for a purpose”.
The interview can be defined as the most common type of purposeful, planned,decision-making, person-to-
person communication.
The purpose is to choose and induct the best candidates for the job vacancies available.
The interviewers have planned how to move about the interview, how it will take place. Interviewee also has
planned answers, thinking what questions will be asked.
Decision-making, because an interviewee has to decide whether to take the call, whether to join that company or
not; post the interview or towards the end of the interview being concluded.

WHY INTERVIEWS ARE NEEDED?

• A candidate who has performed well in a written entrance examination is not necessarily the best person to
be selected and, that is where the significance of the interview emerges, i.e., in assessing a person’s finer
qualities.
• A written test mainly reveals several mental abilities of a person, but interviewing a candidate brings out
various behavioral aspects.
• A written exam does not reveal many personality and competence aspects of a candidate
• Inputs gathered from personal interview complement and supplement the information that is obtained from
other assessment tools/tests.

The types of interviews :-

1. Information-gathering interview – It is designed to collect information, opinions or data.

2. Appraisal interview – It is designed or geared towards the evaluation of the candidates or interviewees.
Persuasive interview – It is designed to influence attitudes of behavior, conducted by ad agencies or people in
the media
3. Exit interview – It is designed to determine why someone is leaving a position.
4. Counseling interview - It is designed to provide guidance, which are held in counseling centers, where the
person who has mental issues or problems.
5. Hiring interview - It is designed to select the right person for the job and fill up an employment position.
There are three parts to a planned interview:-
1. First is a beginning or ice-breaking phase
2. second/ middle phase- the participants settle down and serious matters are discussed.
3. Lastly the conclusion or the end, when the main points are reviewed and the participants take leave of one
another.

Hiring Interviews
The objectives of the hiring interview in terms of roles and responsibilities are on both sides.
Both interviewer and interviewee work very hard during the interview because at the same time they are
functioning as information seeker, information giver and decision makers.
To be a successful interviewer or an interviewee requires a specific preparation.
The interviewer is the information seeker, but towards the end of the interview, interviewee can ask the
interviewer some questions about expected date, when the results will be disclosed or made available to you, what
are your career options in the company.

In the first part and the second part of the interview, the interviewee is simply an information giver.

Both are taking decisions and both may be interchanging roles and this is finally, the job towards which both are
moving.

There are three types of hiring interviews:-.

Behavioral interview, where an employer is looking for the employee to provide specific examples or
specific [Link] of us have specific areas, which are our strengths, specific abilities in which we flourish and
therefore, a behavioral interview is to tap on this aspect of your character or your personality.
Case interview, where they want to test your analytical ability and your decision-making, time management.
The interviewee is presented with the business case and the employer asks to work through it and come to a
solution on the questions.
Stress interview - there is one candidate and more than one person may be firing questions.
Before the candidate or the interview is through with answering one question or maybe he wants to say
something more, another question is shot at him and he has to respond back.
The situation is stressful for the interviewee, because he is being bombarded with questions from all sides of
the interview board.

QUALITIES INTERVIEWERS LOOK FOR

Communication skills.
Ability to analyze a problem/situation in a logical/systematic manner.
Leadership skills.
Decision-making abilities.
Planning and organizing abilities
Ability to express ideas clearly and effectively.
Self –confidence
Above average academic achievements, and practical intelligence.
Demonstrating clarity of goals and objectives and motivation and enthusiasm to achieve their goals.
Ability to think and plan in a systematic manner
Interviewers besides posing a series of questions, observe the candidates’ body language closely to
assess the above-mentioned abilities of the candidate
Awareness about developments in the fields of business and economy
Displaying an inquisitiveness and keenness to learn.
Displaying leadership qualities and possessing a pleasing personality.
Grasp, imagination, and mental alertness
Preparing for the Interview
1. Research
2. Understand the job being offered
3. Prepare a list of questions about the company and the job.
4. Name of the recruiter/interviewer
5. Make a list of all your good qualities and skills
6. Get a good night’s sleep before the interview.
7. In the file, keep

FACING AN INTERVIEW

The word ‘INTERVIEW’ itself contains the points one should keep in mind while facing an interview. Each
alphabet is so meaningful as given:
• I Identify weak areas of your personality
• N Notice correct dress code
• T Truthful and trustworthy answers
• E Eye to eye contact with the interviewer
• R Result-oriented outlook and self-confidence
• V Verify and update data and info on current topics
• In-depth knowledge of your subjects and hobbies
• E Ensure logical and convincing responses
• W Working towards adopting positive body language.

Tips for the Interview

1. Wear neat, clean clothes appropriate to the work place.
2. Find out where the interview will take place. Arrive 15 minutes early and announce yourself to the
secretary or receptionist by saying your name
3. While waiting, sit comfortably but do not slouch. Sometimes employers ask office staff for their
opinions about prospective employees.
4. Do not smoke or chew gum.
5. Greet the interviewer(s) and introduce yourself.
Smile when you enter the office or interview room.
Make eye contact with all the interviewers and continue to do throughout the meeting.
6. Shake hands firmly, and then take a seat.
Be aware of your posture.
Let your body language show that you are interested, professional and confident of your abilities.
7. Listen carefully to the whole question before you answer.
If you don’t understand, ask!
8. Answer questions clearly, but don’t ramble on.
Do not volunteer any negative information. ( “I didn’t get along with my last boss.”)
9. Relate your education and experience directly to this particular job.
10. Be honest! Do not exaggerate or compare yourself to others.
11. Do not make money your primary interest.
12. Before you leave, check your lists to make sure you have asked all your questions and emphasized
all your strengths and skills.
13. Watch the interviewer for clues that your time is up.
Shake hands firmly and ask when you can expect an answer.
If you like, ask if you can call to check on the progress of the hiring process, or when they will make a
decision.
14. Thank the interviewer for his/her time and interest.
Leave promptly.

Employers suggest that the following may cause them to reject a candidate :
 1. Poor personal appearance/hygiene. Inappropriate dress.
2. Superiority complex. A “know-it-all”.
3. Inability to express him/herself clearly. Poor voice, diction, or grammar.
4. A limp, fishy handshake.
5. Doesn’t make eye contact.
6. Poor posture. Slumps or drapes body over chair.
7. No long term plans.
8. Lack of interest or enthusiasm. Doesn’t seem to listen.
9. Unwilling to start at the bottom.
10. Lack of courtesy - poor manners.
11. Criticizes past employers and fellow employees.
12. Sloppy application form or résumé.
13. Lazy, intolerant, strong prejudices.
14. Narrow interests.
15. Late for interview.
16. Hadn’t bothered to find out about the company or its products.
17. Didn’t ask any questions about the job.
18. No sense of humour.
19. Overly concerned about salary, vacation, benefits, hours of work.
20. Fidgets, has nervous mannerisms.

Interview Questions
Prepare yourself for an interview by answering these questions.
1. What do you know about this company? Our clients? Our products?
2. Tell me about yourself.
3. How did you get your last job?
4. Why did you (do you want to) leave your current job?
5. Why do you want to work for our company?
6. What made you decide to become a ............?
7. How important is salary or hourly rate?
8. Do you have a car? Can you travel? Are you prepared to relocate?
9. Do you prefer to work alone or as part of a team?
10. Tell me one accomplishment you are particularly proud of.
11. What is your strongest quality?
12. What is your biggest weakness5?
13. How do you feel about overtime?
14. Do you plan to continue your education?
15. Are you willing to take training?
16. What are your interests outside of work?
17. What’s the most important thing you’ve learned in your work experience?
18. How did you get along with your last boss?
19. How long do you expect to work here?
20. Tell me about your family.
21. What type of books do you read?
22. What are the disadvantages of your chosen field?
23. What kinds of people “rub you the wrong way”?
24. What do you do to keep physically fit?
25. What have you done that shows initiative and willingness to work?
26. What do you think makes a good employee?
27. Did you like school? What were your grades? What’s your favourite subject?
28. How has your education (training, work experience) prepared you for this job?
29. What are your long term goals?
30. How do you define success?

After the Interview

Right after the interview, take a few minutes to assess your performance. In many cases, it is wise to make notes
about the [Link] will find them useful if you are required to attend second interview.
• What did I do well?
• What could I improve on?
• Which questions did I find difficult?
• How could I have answered differently?
• Did I talk too much or too little?
• Was I enthusiastic and interested?
• Did I cover all the points I wanted to?