10 group interview questions to ask

Instead of the typical group interview where candidates sit in a big group and answer questions, consider changing things up. Begin in a whole-group setting with an icebreaker and a task, then split candidates into smaller groups. Make sure you have a hiring manager to supervise each small group and ask questions as they move through the process.

Here’s an example of a flow, with group interview questions to ask along the way.

1. Icebreaker question

“What are two truths and one lie about yourself?”

Starting with an icebreaker helps candidates to relax and find their voice in the group setting. Get them to sit in a circle and pass a baton to the next speaker. This particular icebreaker is fun and provides hiring managers an insight into people’s personalities and backgrounds.

2. Innovation task

“What is a unique and creative solution for [common problem encountered in your industry]?”

Creativity and innovation are core skills for most jobs. While sitting in a whole-group circle, give candidates five minutes to write down a creative problem-solving idea. Ask them to read their ideas to everyone and gauge how effective their solutions are.

3. Role allocation

“Can you split into groups of three to five and allocate a leader within 10 minutes?”

Instead of choosing groups, ask them to split up themselves and self-allocate a leader. This will immediately demonstrate who’s the most confident about their leadership skills, who holds back and offers insights into how efficient and decisive each candidate is.

4. Workplace scenario

“Role-play this [provide a frequently encountered workplace scenario]. Can you demonstrate a resolution?”

Once all candidates are in groups, give them a unique workplace scenario they’re likely to encounter regularly at your workplace. With supervision from a hiring manager, get them to come up with what they think would be a solution. This can show candidates’ creative thinking skills and ability to work with a team to solve problems.

5. Resource allocation

“How will you allocate your resources to resolve the workplace scenario above?”

After they’ve come up with a solution, dig deeper to get an idea of their depth of knowledge. Ask each group to list the resources they’d need to resolve the workplace scenario and how much they think each resource would cost.

6. Conflict resolution

“Anonymously write the main conflict you encountered during the workplace scenario task on a piece of paper. The leader should read the answers aloud and resolve them with the group.”

Get each candidate to write what they felt was the main conflict in the group on a piece of paper and ask the leader to read and resolve them. This helps you understand the leadership style and communication skills of the self-appointed leader and learn about how observant each candidate is.

7. Presentation

“Can you convince the rest of the candidates to accept your resolution with a presentation?”

Ask each group to give a five-minute presentation about their workplace scenario solution. Make sure a hiring manager observes the preparation process to see who contributes the most and least. During the presentation, you’ll get a clear picture of who’s an excellent public speaker and see each group’s organizational skills.

8. Group recaps

“Recap the other group’s presentation in 30 seconds.”

As soon as all presentations are finished, ask each group leader to recap one of the other group’s presentations in 30 seconds. Gauge how well they listened and whether they fully understood the scenario and solution. If the leader isn’t able to do the task effectively, ask another member of their team to volunteer.

9. Individual feedback

“Give one piece of positive feedback and one piece of constructive criticism to a candidate.”

Now the smaller group presentations and recaps are complete, get back into your whole-group circle. Assign each candidate another candidate to offer one piece of positive feedback and one piece of constructive criticism about their performance in the interview. This demonstrates their analytical abilities and confidence, and it’s a good indication of how empathetic they are.

10. Collaborative strengths and weaknesses

“As a group, tell us what your strengths and weaknesses were”

Before splitting up the smaller groups, ask them to have a group discussion and come up with three strengths and weaknesses for the team. Observe whether candidates seek to come up with constructive feedback or tend to avoid taking responsibility.

What are the benefits of group interviews?

Group interviews offer an unprecedented opportunity to narrow down a large group of candidates into a smaller group of applicants who can add to your company culture . There’s only so much practical information you can get from a resume or cover letter, which means using them alone to filter out candidates could mean missing out on great potential employees.

Let’s look at the main benefits of asking group interview questions:

• Saves time and resources compared to multiple individual interviews

• Demonstrates how candidates act as part of a team

• Lets you observe leadership styles

• Allows hiring managers to assess problem-solving abilities

• Showcases how people behave when they haven’t had time to carefully craft an answer

• Highlights speaking and listening skills

• Shows hiring managers candidates’ attitudes and mindsets

• May make comparing candidates easier

• Allows resilience, confidence and knowledge to take a front seat

• Lets you assess innovation and creativity

• By asking challenging questions, you can see how applicants respond under pressure

Group interviews allow you to see the best and worst of each candidate and help you understand how they react and behave in a workplace environment. As such, asking well-crafted group interview questions is a dynamic and highly effective way to assess job applicants’ skills, teamwork and leadership styles. These interviews provide real-world insights that go beyond the scope of assessing a resume or cover letter.

Group interview FAQs

How many candidates should you invite to a group interview?

The number of candidates you invite to group interviews should depend on how many people have applied and how many hiring managers you have. The candidate-to-hiring manager ratio is imperative as you want to be able to closely supervise and assess each smaller group when they split off. As a general rule, aim to have three to five candidates per hiring manager.

How do employers get the most from group interviews?

To get the most from a group interview, ask well-designed questions and provide candidates a chance to showcase their confidence, knowledge and practical skills. Make sure the interview is engaging and stimulating by splitting teams into smaller groups and organizing dynamic tasks. Lastly, remember that you’re selling the job role to candidates as much as they’re selling their expertise—so go the extra mile and make sure group interviews are well-structured.

Are there any drawbacks to group interviews?

The main issue that can arise with group interviews is the most dominant and outgoing personalities often get the most attention. Just because someone is loud and confident with first impressions doesn’t necessarily mean they’re competent. That’s why it’s so important to split up larger groups and have multiple hiring managers observe how applicants interact within their teams.