5 Kinds of Interview Rounds and Their Pros and Cons (2024)

In the corporate world, an interview is considered as the final test for accessing a candidate’s competencies, abilities and aptness for the role.

It may be true that over time, a recruiter tends to develop his own way or method of conducting an interview, the bottom line is that he must extract the right professional, psychological and functional insights from a candidate to make the best hiring decisions for his company.

We all want to know how to separate cream from milk when it comes to hiring and, in this article, we are going to help you achieve that.

Ready to prepare your dream team?

5 Tips to Crack the Job Interviews

You only have one chance to leave a first impression when you meet someone for the first time. When you are interviewing for a new job, preparing for the interview will help determine your probability of success. There are a few crucial factors to take into account in order to properly complete the interview:

  • Tips 1: Research about the employer
  • Tips 2: Match the job description to your skills
  • Tips 3: Research the company
  • Tips 4: Set your first impression
  • Tips 5: Share more about your experience
  • 5 Kinds of Interview Formats

    Depending on the industry, geography and the role itself, an interviewer makes fine tuning into hishiring process, but it can be broadly divided into five categories. Each one has its own pros and cons and one can employ a blend of these to achieve desired goals.

    5 Kinds of Interview Rounds and Their Pros and Cons (1)

    Let’s look at these closely.

    1. Tele/Video Call Interview

    It must be noted that interview is a resource and time consuming process and one must employ methods that weed out misfits and weaker candidates effectively.

    Interviews held over a telephone or a video call help in a quickcandidate assessmentwhen you have a long list of candidates. What the CV may not reveal can be probed through a telephonic interview and the recruiter can draw conclusions based on the conversation, tone and responsiveness of the candidate.

    Pros:

    • A tele/video interview can reveal presence of mind, responsiveness andcommunication skills of a candidate
    • It’s faster and takes less effort
    • You can skim out the weaker candidates early in the hiring process
    • Can be held over long distances

    Cons:

    • One cannot judge the body language of a candidate
    • Connectivity and network issues may occur
    • A candidate may not perceive it as crucial as a face-to-face interview

    2. Assessment

    Assessment rounds have become a standard for mass hiring. Hiring experts believe assessment rounds are best suited for fresh graduates and help in assessing multiple skill sets andevaluating talenton individual and group skills.

    A typical assessment can last a full day and may include presenting a case study, group tasks, personal interview, psychometric and physical tests.

    Many companies employ innovative strategies like games and experiential case study basedassessment platformslike Authess to measure competency of candidates in diverse role based situations.

    Pros:

    • Evaluate talent on multiple skill sets
    • Tests teamwork and individual skills
    • Ideal for large groups and freshers
    • Its uniqueness throws candidates out of their set routine

    Cons:

    • Takes more time and planning
    • May miss the best talent in mass screening
    • Candidates may already know the interview process details

    3. The Face-to-Face Interview

    Considered a gold standard for evaluating a candidate, face to face type of interview can range from soul probing conversations to a stress interview making the candidate sweat all over.

    A face to face interview allows the recruiter to gauge a candidate on many parameters be it body language, interpersonal skills and spontaneity. It also helps in testing a candidate’s domain knowledge by quizzing his theoretical knowledge.

    Pros:

    • Thoroughly tests a candidate
    • Gauge body language and confidence

    Cons:

    • Interviewer may get biased
    • Time and resource consuming
    • Assessment criteria can vary with different interviewers

    4. Interview Panel

    An interview panel is considered a more accurate method of conducting a personal interview. It takes away the risk of personal bias and offers a well-rounded assessment where every member of the panel adds a valuable insight about the candidate.

    Pros:

    • Assessment by multiple recruiters at the same time
    • Each interviewer can evaluate on a set parameter
    • Candidate feels more valued

    Cons:

    • High involvement and resource consuming
    • Can be too overwhelming for a candidate and put him on guard
    • Panel can reach a disagreement

    5. Group Interview

    A less popular interview process these days, group interview tests more than one candidate at a go. The interviewer asks the same question, or the next sequential question to a group of candidates and may use elimination, scoring or rapid fire rounds to assess every candidate.

    This interview process tests the competitiveness of candidates and allows the hirers assess a large number of candidates.

    Pros:

    • Fast and effective for assessing large groups
    • Test competitive spirit and teamwork
    • Can be conducted by less qualified recruiters too

    Cons:

    • More planning and manpower is needed
    • Favours speed over accuracy in answers
    • The best candidate may get missed out

    Types of Interview Rounds

    Interview round can be of different types such as:

    • 5 Rounds of Interview
    • 4 Rounds of Interview
    • 3 Rounds of Interview

    5 Rounds of Interview

    Usually conducted for fresh graduates, the 5 round interview encompasses assessments and tests to determine aptitude, cognitive ability, and behavioral traits.

    The main advantage of this 5 step interview method is a detailed analysis of a wide range of employability parameters.

    The disadvantage of a 5 round interview conducted the traditional way is that the amount of time, money, and effort invested is higher.

    4 Rounds of Interview

    A four-round interview will consist of pre-screening tests, aptitude or domain skill test, HR interview, and a hiring manager interview.

    Compared to a 5-round interview, this process has lesser number of aptitude/cognitive/behavioural tests and it tends to focus on domain-specific tests.

    The advantage of this interview process is a quick result processing time. A four round-interview that fails to include behavioral assessment can cause higher attrition rates.

    3 Rounds of Interview

    A 3 round interview is commonly conducted for experienced professionals who are specially selected for their skills and abilities. This type of interview may include an HR round, technical round and a final discussion round.

    A 3 round interview is excellent when you have to make quick hiring decisions, but if your recruitment strategy does not include online assessment tools, then it could lead to mis-hires.

    Interview Rounds in Software Companies

    The number ortypes of interview roundsmay differ from one organization to another based on the job role. Here is a list of possibleinterview roundsfollowed by top Indian software companies.

    1. TelligentInterview Rounds: A total of 3 to 4rounds of interviewsare conducted for various software jobs at Telligent. This may include an HR round, basic aptitude round, a technical round, and a face-to-face interview round with a hiring manager.
    2. Interview Rounds in TCS: Fourrounds of interviewsare conducted by TCS, and this includes aptitude test, technical interview, a managerial interview, and an HR interview.
    3. Infosys Interview Process: A software job interview at Infosys may contain only two rounds featuring a technicalinterview roundand an HR round. Job interviews for entry-level candidates may include a reasoning ability round, quantitative aptitude round, and a verbal ability round.

    From conventional to futuristic hiring

    Interviewing may not be an exact science and many would agree that there is no right or wrong way to conduct an interview, but now-a-days we are using technology to turn into a near exact science. Simulations are changing the conventionalhiring processto deliver better results in role-based situations.

    LikeMeritTrac's CodeTrac, a performance-based coding platform that provides real-time feedback to help companies assess candidates’ coding skills for performance benchmarking andeffective recruitment.

    The platform is integrated with domain-based tests to assess candidates’ end-to-end full-stack software development capability and benchmark it with industry standards.

    By leveraging CodeTrac, organizations can design an efficient developer recruitment cycle, bridge skill gaps foremployee careerprogression, build customized coding scenarios based on business needs, and tailor pre- as well as post-training requirements

    5 Kinds of Interview Rounds and Their Pros and Cons (2)

    Transform your organization’s hiring strategy with futuristic assessment platforms.

    MeritTrac’s rich suite of technology-led assessments is designed to support the unique hiring needs
    of organizations.

    Request a demo

    5 Kinds of Interview Rounds and Their Pros and Cons (2024)

    FAQs

    What are the 5 rounds of interview? ›

    • Written/Aptitude test: The first round for most of the companies is written round. ...
    • Technical interview Round: The next round is a technical interview. ...
    • HR interview round: The HR interview round is the last round where candidates are judged on the basis of their communication skills, soft skills, confidence level, etc.

    Why are there 5 rounds of interviews? ›

    Jobs have multiple rounds of interviews so that employers can have you meet more than one person on the team. They want to get multiple opinions before deciding whether to offer you the position, and they want to give you a chance to learn about their organization and make sure it's the right fit for you.

    What are pros and cons of interviews? ›

    Comparison table for interviews' advantages and disadvantages
    AdvantagesDisadvantages
    1. Ability to select the ideal candidate.1. Ability to select the ideal candidate
    2. Boost your knowledge.2. Can quickly develop stereotypes.
    3. An excellent method for achieving information.3. Judgements are made quickly.
    3 more rows

    What are the 5 disadvantages of interview method? ›

    Disadvantages of interviews
    • Interviewing is a time-consuming process. Traditional face-to-face interviews can be extremely time-consuming. ...
    • Interviewing is a costly process. The cost of interviewing is the sum of the time and resources that you spend on interviewing. ...
    • Unethical behaviour in interviews.

    What is five stage interview structure? ›

    All clinical interviews follow a common process or outline. Shea (1998) offered a generic or atheoretical model, including five stages: (1) introduction, (2) opening, (3) body, (4) closing, and (5) termination. Each stage includes specific relational and technical tasks. The introduction stage begins at first contact.

    Is 5 rounds of interviews a lot? ›

    While there's no objective answer to how many interviews are too many, typically any more than four interviews is too much. To avoid this, consider the size of your company before deciding how many rounds of interviews you're going to conduct.

    Can you match with 5 interviews? ›

    This also translates to a 50% chance of matching. So if you have 5 or more interviews, your chances of matching is 50%.

    What are the four main interview rounds? ›

    On average, the procedure from application to contract proposal takes three weeks and consists of four interview rounds.
    • Round 1: Exploratory Interview.
    • Round 2: Skills Interview.
    • Round 3: Culture Interview.
    • Round 4: CEO Interview.
    Aug 16, 2021

    How many rounds of interviews is typical? ›

    For entry-level positions, one interview may give enough information to decide. For mid-level positions, two interviews may be sufficient. Companies may use three for senior level or above. Organizations may sometimes justify using a fourth interview to make a final decision between two highly qualified candidates.

    What are pros and pros and cons? ›

    The pros and cons of something are its advantages and disadvantages, which you consider carefully so that you can make a sensible decision. Motherhood has both its pros and cons.

    What are cons examples? ›

    Examples of Cons:
    • New car is expensive.
    • Old car runs fine.
    • Insurance will cost more on the new car.

    What are the pros and cons of a behavioral interview? ›

    6. Behavioral-Based Interview Pros & Cons
    • Pros: Behavioral-based interviews are more comfortable for candidates because it often focuses on their experiences. ...
    • Cons: Candidates can easily prepare for this type of interview and it requires more preparation and training for interviewers.
    Sep 29, 2021

    What are the disadvantages of face-to-face structured interview? ›

    Disadvantages. In face-to-face interviewing, respondents often are not afforded the time to provide answers that might be thought out thoroughly as compared to a mail or Internet survey. Respondents essentially are expected to give an answer on the spot, which may not be very convenient or very accurate.

    Which is a disadvantage of face-to-face interviews? ›

    Cost is a major disadvantage for face-to-face interviews. They require a staff of people to conduct the interviews, which means there will be personnel costs. Personnel are the highest cost a business can incur. It's difficult to keep costs low when personnel are needed.

    How many interview stages are there? ›

    Any job interview can be broken down into four general stages: introductions, broad questions and answers, position-related questions, and the conclusion.

    How many types of interview are there? ›

    There are basically two types of interviews – screening interviews and hiring-decision interviews.

    What are three classifications of interview? ›

    There are three types of interviews: unstructured, semistructured, and structured.

    Is 4 rounds of interview good? ›

    Do you know what the fourth round interview says about your hiring process? It says that your process is broken. No one needs four rounds of interviews to decide if a candidate is the right candidate for your organization. A fifth round, or any number higher, is just adding insult to injury.

    Do employers interview best candidate first? ›

    Some hiring managers may choose to interview the strongest candidates first. This can be advantageous for a number of reasons. By interviewing the top candidate early, employers can gauge other candidates' performances against the benchmark set by the best candidate.

    How many people usually make it to final round interviews? ›

    You may wonder how many candidates make it to the final interview, but the number usually varies depending on the company. On average, about two to four candidates make it to the final interview. For the final interview, employers usually invite individuals who performed well in previous interviews.

    Can you ask too many questions in an interview? ›

    Choosing the right amount of questions to ask depends on how much information was already provided in the interview and the personality of the individual interviewing you. You need to have enough emotional intelligence to recognize whether or not asking more than 2-3 questions will be seen as overkill.

    How many different job interviews before an offer? ›

    The average number of interviews before getting a job offer is anywhere between 10 and 20, with every application having an 8.3% chance of proceeding to the interviewing stage.

    Is 3 job interviews normal? ›

    Companies may conduct a third interview to learn more about top candidates. These interviews provide more insight into candidates' behaviour and experiences and help to decide who is most suitable for the role. By knowing more about this type of interview, you can prepare well and improve your chances of getting a job.

    What is the rule of 3 in interviewing? ›

    Instead, remember the rule of three. What three things do you want the interviewer to remember about you? What three things are you most proud of in your life to date and why? What three extra things would you be looking for if you were interviewing someone for this role?

    What is round 3 of interview? ›

    A third interview is often a final interview, so there's a good chance you will talk about salary and perks. You may even receive an offer at the end of the interview. You should be prepared by researching the average pay for the job and deciding what figure you need to say yes.

    Which round of interview is the most important? ›

    The final interview is probably the most intense and important interview you'll go through and is when you want to show your in-depth knowledge of your industry, the role, and the organization. So, your final round interview questions should reflect this high level of preparedness and research.

    How long is a good interview length? ›

    Although it varies depending on industry, most interviews last between 45 minutes and one hour. This should provide sufficient time and flexibility from both sides to get to know one another.

    What is the star technique in interviews? ›

    The STAR method is a structured manner of responding to a behavioral-based interview question by discussing the specific situation, task, action, and result of the situation you are describing.

    Why should we hire you? ›

    “I should be hired for this role because of my relevant skills, experience, and passion for the industry. I've researched the company and can add value to its growth. My positive attitude, work ethics, and long-term goals align with the job requirements, making me a committed and valuable asset to the company.”

    What are pros and cons examples? ›

    The pros and cons of something are its advantages and disadvantages, which you consider carefully so that you can make a sensible decision. They sat for hours debating the pros and cons of setting up their own firm. Motherhood has both its pros and cons.

    What is a list of pros and cons? ›

    What Is a Pros and Cons List? A pros and cons list is a chart that helps you make a decision. On the pros side of the list, you add all of the positive outcomes of a decision. On the cons side, you add all of the adverse outcomes.

    What is the pros and cons method? ›

    In a "Pros" column, write down all of the possible benefits of following the course of action, and all the possible negative outcomes in the "Cons" column. Then score your pros and cons to show the importance of each. The total will help you to decide whether it's worthwhile going ahead with the decision or not.

    What is negative pros or cons? ›

    When weighing options, we use “pros” to describe positives while using cons to describe negatives. The idiom “pro and con” compares the advantages and disadvantages of something with the intention to aid in the decision-making process.

    What defines cons? ›

    a disadvantage or a reason for not doing something: One of the cons of buying a bigger car is that it costs more to run. You have to weigh up all the pros and cons of the matter before you make a decision.

    What does cons mean in job? ›

    con job in American English

    noun informal. 1. an act or instance of duping or swindling. 2. an act or instance of lying or talking glibly to convince others or get one's way.

    What are the pros of a traditional interview? ›

    Pros of traditional interviews
    • Predictable; candidates are comfortable with the format.
    • Ability to build rapport with a candidate.
    • Opportunity to assess body language.
    • Setting and time frame can be adjusted to meet your needs.
    Nov 12, 2020

    What are the different stages of an interview? ›

    Stages of the Interview
    • STAGE 1: Introduction. Lasting approximately two to three minutes, you are meeting the interviewers and being escorted to the interview room. ...
    • STAGE 2: Q&A. ...
    • STAGE 3: Your Questions. ...
    • STAGE 4: Closing.

    What is the most popular interview technique? ›

    The most frequently used interview technique are structured interviews. Structured interviews are being used by 74% of HR professionals around the world. Behavioral interviews come second in a tight competition. This interview technique is being used by 73% of of HR professionals around the world.

    What is the main disadvantage of the in depth interview? ›

    The disadvantages of in-depth interviews are: They are time-consuming, as they must be transcribed, organized, analyzed in detail. If the interviewer is inexperienced, it affects the complete process. It is a costly research method compared to other methods.

    Which form is better than face to face interview? ›

    Ans B, Explanation -Telephone form is better than face to face interview .

    What is behavioral interview? ›

    What is behavioral interviewing? Behavioral interviewing is a technique used to question job candidates about their past experiences. It's based on the premise that past performance is an excellent predictor of future behavior.

    What are the weaknesses of interviews? ›

    Example weaknesses for job interviews
    • Being a perfectionist.
    • Being too hard on yourself.
    • Getting too caught up in small details.
    • Getting nervous about speaking to groups or on the phone.
    • Ignoring or rationalizing away constructive feedback.
    • Locking in on a certain idea or way of doing things.
    Apr 1, 2023

    How many rounds of interview is normal? ›

    For entry-level positions, one interview may give enough information to decide. For mid-level positions, two interviews may be sufficient. Companies may use three for senior level or above. Organizations may sometimes justify using a fourth interview to make a final decision between two highly qualified candidates.

    What are the 3 P's of job interview? ›

    Interviews: The 3 P's - Preparation, preparation, preparation.

    What are the 4 stages of the interview process? ›

    Stages of the Interview
    • STAGE 1: Introduction. Lasting approximately two to three minutes, you are meeting the interviewers and being escorted to the interview room. ...
    • STAGE 2: Q&A. ...
    • STAGE 3: Your Questions. ...
    • STAGE 4: Closing.

    What is a HR round interview? ›

    After the initial rounds of candidate selection, every company holds an HR interview round to get to know the potential candidates personally. An HR interview's main aim is to judge the candidates' personality, background, strengths, and weaknesses and assess whether or not one is a good fit for a specific role.

    Is it OK to tell an interviewer that you have other interviews? ›

    According to Lauren Milligan, founder and CEO of ResuMAYDAY, you shouldn't mention other interviews you've scheduled or other companies you might want to work for. “Letting the interviewer know that you are interviewing elsewhere immediately makes them less interested in you.

    What are the three 3 basic approaches to interview? ›

    There are many different types of interview approaches and techniques, Generally speaking, all interviews fall into one of three categories: structured, semi-structured, and depth/unstructured interviews.

    Are 3 stage interviews normal? ›

    If you've made it to a third interview, remember - a third interview is a good sign. It's a good indication that you're a leading candidate for the job, and you should be prepared to bring your A-game to the interview table in an effort to close the deal.

    How do you ace an interview? ›

    6 Tips to Help You Ace Your Next Interview
    1. Do your research.
    2. Understand your “why.”
    3. Be prepared for uncommon interview formats.
    4. Remember to be yourself.
    5. Prepare to ask questions.
    6. Ask for help.
    Oct 3, 2022

    Why are the three main types of interviews? ›

    There are three types of interviews: unstructured, semistructured, and structured. Unstructured interviews: These are interviews that take place with few, if any, interview questions. They often progress in the manner a normal conversation would, however it concerns the research topic under review.

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