Directed Vs. Non-Directed Interviews

So let's talk about directed versus non directed interviews and they can occur in any type of format whether it's one to one or group or panel whatever type of format. But the idea is who's really controlling or directing the interview or the interview itself. So in a directed interview let's look at that first. The interviewer has real tight control of how the interview flows and that's typically how most interviews go. They lay out the process they say OK I'm going to ask you questions then you can ask me questions then we'll talk about next steps and they kind of walk you through and then we'll go on a tour or whatever it might be. It's very directed and it's like we do this we do that and we know when we do this next. So they could be asking structured or unstructured questions as far as what's planned out for the questions themselves. But the idea is the interviewer has tight control over a director and interviewer and it's really a good way to kind of how the process goes smoothly and go fast and really talk to a question talk to the candidates you know with a lot of different types of questions and maybe a more detailed set of kind of floundering around and letting you know the interviewee be really directing or how the interview flow. So the idea is to gather data for decision making and saw a director and interview or style of that is where I'm going to tell you what I want ask questions and you answer questions and we're going to walk right through it. But as the interviewer I have total control and I really run the interview. Sometimes the opposite of that is not directed interviews and the idea is the interviewer was allowing you to control the interview and they might ask real broad questions things like. So tell me a little bit about yourself as reclassify classic once that's asked and almost a lot of situations. Tell me a little about yourself but then keeps going from there or really just kind of real broad left up to you that you might answer that so tell me about yourself and the interviewer might say Oh well tell me a little bit more and that's it. I mean it's really kind of open and letting you control it many times so these unstructured are scuse me with these non direct in interviews you might have an less skilled or inexperienced INTERVIEWER So who's not comfortable or has the ability to take control and they're really kind of leaving it up to you know you might be thinking well that's great. I can really talk about what I want to talk about which is true as long as you do that and really then take control of the interview but you can't seem like you're taking control of the interview kind of got to have that dance and work with the person. But if the the person that you're interviewing with is really talking about the weather for 10 minutes or about the company in general and you're not really getting to learn about you that's where you need to kind of take direction and take that interview over a little bit and take control and say well let me show you about some ways I can contribute to the company and really start going from there and really making sure that interview work gets the data they need to make a decision. And also the maybe pass you want for a next interview as well. So sure we see some a rambling or really just kind of unfocused and the interview that might be just that they have lack of skill on that. So this is where your question prep ahead of time will really help you you'll have these different stories that you want to talk about you'll have these things you want to highlight in your career able to answer these different types of questions ask yourself a question like that talk about like you know one thing you might not know about me but one of my best strengths is this. And then tell the story and then we'll take notes the interviewer take notes and probably be real appreciative that you're taking control of the interview. So when you first start with a newbie we'll talk later about the actual day of the interview going through the whole process but let them take control Let them be directing in their view. That's usually how to go after some initial small talk and that kind of stuff. But if you find that it's not being directed as much then that might be a non directed interview either by intention to sing you know your ability to control and in part will lead a discussion or it's not directed usually because they just have some lack of skill. Either way you want to get your information out so they can make a great intelligent decision about you which leads to what we ultimately want which is a job offer.