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Question styles and formats of job interviewing

Employers are prepared to use a variety of interview formats and techniques in their quest to improve the accuracy and objectivity of job interviewing, according to this part of IRS’s guide to selection interviewing practices. Other sections

On this page:
The rise of telephone interviewing
The changing format of job interviews
Competency-based questions
Behavioural questioning
Situational interview questions
Table 1: Employers’ use of telephone interviews
Table 2: Interview formats, named practice
Table 3: Employers’ use of different question formats

Key points

  • Telephone interviews of job candidates are now used by four in 10 employers, usually as an initial interview or work-related test of relevant skills.
  • Employers tend to use a combination of question styles and formats in the same interview, rather than following one technique rigidly.
  • Two-thirds of employers use competency-based questions in their selection interviews; just over half use behavioural questioning; and four in 10 use situational questions.