With a Traditional Interview, Reasons to Use Them Are Vast in Sales
There are an overwhelming number of interview styles employers can choose from. Each interview style comes with its own set of benefits and drawbacks. When it comes to hiring for a sales role, traditional interviews remain the most effective. With a traditional interview, reasons to use them make the most sense when compared to other styles. Before we discuss what a traditional interview is, and five reasons to use them, let’s review other styles. You very well could connect with one of the other styles more. However, more likely, you will gain a deeper understanding of why traditional interviews are best for sales positions.
Different Interview Styles
The various interview styles your organization could choose to leverage hinge on the type of role you are hiring for. While we believe traditional interviews are best for sales roles, they may not be best for other roles. Reference the below overviews for an understanding of the different interviews styles commonly used. From panel to traditional interview, reasons to use each are unique and ultimately preferential.
Structured Interview
A structured interview is a style in which the interviewer goes through a list of the same questions for every candidate. The questions relate to the candidates’ background and how they would handle different situations. Every company will have their own questions they deem important to ask. Those questions also shift from position to position. Nonetheless, when evaluating candidates for the same role, every candidate is asked the same questions in structured interviews.
Benefits
The main benefit of a structured interview style is they allow for a transparent way of comparing candidate responses. When all of the questions are the same, the variation in information-gathering from one interview to the next is limited. Another benefit of structured interviews is they require less preparation for the interviewer. Regardless of who the interviewer is speaking with, they are already equipped with all of the questions they intend to ask.
Drawbacks
Structured interviews lack personalization. Sure, they make comparing responses easier. However, responses to structured questions don’t take into consideration the fact that every single candidate is different. They all have different backgrounds, experiences, and aspirations. Structured interviews do not allow interviewers to more deeply assess the differences among candidates. In addition, structured interviews don’t give the interviewer the opportunity to dig into candidate responses. Meaning, a candidate could have great responses at the surface, but they may just have “a way with their words.”
Panel Interview
As is true with a traditional interview, reasons to use a panel interview are unique. They certainly have their benefits and drawbacks. Nonetheless, panel interviews continue to make the list of common interview styles for a reason. With a panel interview, a group of interviewers interview one candidate at the same time. Each interviewer should come prepared with specific questions they need to ask. Those questions will likely vary from one interviewer to the next. With a panel interview, the individuals selected to participate as interviewers must be strategic. That leads us into the benefits of panel interviews.
Benefits
Panel interviews give you the opportunity to put candidates in front of everyone that needs to evaluate them at once. They are an efficient way to have multiple interviews essentially packed into one conversation. If the interviewers all prepare for the interview proactively, you theoretically shouldn’t need a follow-up interview with anyone that is part of the hiring decision.
Drawbacks
While panel interviews are efficient, they aren’t always effective. The interview can stay too surface level to allow all interviewers to ask their questions. Conversely, the interview could get too deep on certain questions, keeping an interviewer from appropriately vetting the candidate. Even if interviewers strike the perfect balance, panel interviews are nerve-wracking for candidates.
It can certainly be helpful to evaluate how candidates compose themselves. However, a comfortable candidate will always allow you to learn the most about them. Plus, a comfortable candidate will feel more positively about their experience with your organization. You don’t want to lose out on an amazing candidate simply because of the interview style you chose.
Group Interview
Like panel interviews, group interviews are great when you are short on time. With a traditional interview, reasons to use them have a downside that group interviews solve. Group interviews involve several candidates being interviewed at the same time. Interviewers should approach group interviews with a relatively structured style. Doing so will ensure the questions can be answered by any of the candidates present. If the questions become too specific, not every candidate will have an equal opportunity to respond.
Benefits
As mentioned above, group interviews are a great time-saving interview style. If you received an abundance of applications to a role, group interviews help you vet the candidates more efficiently. Beyond efficiency, group interviews uniquely allow you to assess how candidates conduct themselves amongst peers. A great candidate will approach a group interview collaboratively – something you cannot as easily vet outside of the group setting.
Drawbacks
Every interview style has benefits and drawbacks. A con of group interviews is aligned with the cons of panel interviews. It’s easy for the interview to be derailed when too many people are involved. One or two candidates can take up more of the time, preventing you from evaluating everyone adequately. Another drawback is the fact that some people are more reserved than others. A reserved personality doesn’t mean the candidate isn’t a great fit for your position.
Case Interview
Quite different from a traditional interview, reasons to use a case interview are heavily reliant on the position. They also rely on the level of experience you expect from your candidates. With a case interview, the interviewer gives the candidate a business problem to solve. Case interviews require interviewers to come up with the case and instructions ahead of time. They can be recycled for every candidate, saving some time. In the case interview, candidates need to be given a fair amount of time to solve the case. For best results, you can ask the candidate to walk you through their approach to solving the problem. Doing so will give you insight into how they navigate problem solving. This is especially helpful if the candidate ends up being unable to correctly solve the problem. If you appreciated their approach, you might still consider hiring them.
Benefits
Case interviews allow you to assess a candidate similarly to on-the-job interviews. With case interviews, you have an opportunity to give candidates problems to solve that they could experience in their role. They also uniquely allow interviewers to get a front row seat into how a candidate solves problems. Rather than asking about a complex issue they resolved in their past experience, you can watch them do so live.
Drawbacks
A great hire is more than their ability to solve a case study. There are many other variables that make a candidate a stellar choice. Perhaps some more important than solving the case. That leads to another drawback: time. To use a case interview effectively, they need to be paired with another interview style. That adds more time to the interview process, which you may or may not have to spare.
Stress Interview
Though candidates certainly can experience stress in a traditional interview, reasons to use a stress interview revolve around it specifically. The idea behind a stress interview is to assess how well a candidate can compose themselves in a stressful situation. In a stress interview, the interviewer asks the candidate questions they likely don’t know the answer to. Example: “How many windows are in New York City?” The interviewer could also give the candidate a strange task to perform or assess their reaction to certain things. The point is for the interview to be unusual, which of course, is stressful for the candidate.
Benefits
The benefit of a stress interview is in the name: you get to see how the candidate handles stress. Like case interviews, stress interviews allow you to witness a behavior live. Stress is going to be present in any position. Given that, stress interviews can be used in a variety of industries and job types.
Drawbacks
While transferrable, stress interviews aren’t the most effective interview type. They do exactly as they intend to: they stress candidates out. A stressed candidate is not going to be able to articulate their past experiences as well as they would otherwise. Additionally, the obscurity of stress interviews can really turn candidates off from your company. When organizations are competing against each other for the best candidates, candidate experience needs to be a consideration.
Unstructured Interview
The opposite of the structured interview is the unstructured. Though they may not seem like the best choice, unstructured interviews certainly have their place. Existing on the same spectrum as a traditional interview, reasons to use an unstructured interview may surprise you. Simply put, an unstructured interview is a fluid conversation. An interviewer comes with a high-level idea of what they aim to evaluate, but they allow the conversation to flow. An unstructured interview requires a decent amount of interview skill to pull off effectively. Though the interview feels comfortable for the candidate, it needs to be intentional.
Benefits
A large benefit of an unstructured interview is that it can be personalized for every candidate. Depending on how the candidate responds to questions, the interview is able to change direction. That fluidity also creates a positive experience for the candidate. They ultimately feel as though they are just having a conversation with their interviewer. And they are. However, the interviewer is being highly strategic (if they are using the style effectively).
Drawbacks
The first drawback of an unstructured interview is that they require skill for an interviewer to pull them off. It is very easy for an unstructured interview to turn into just a conversation. An enjoyable conversation, perhaps, but not one that they can use to evaluate the candidate. In addition, it can be a challenge to compare candidates against each other with unstructured interviews. If there isn’t a common thread or clear intention behind each interview, one won’t be comparable to the next.
Behavioral Interview
A behavioral interview is another transferable style, like a traditional interview. Reasons to use a behavioral interview also align with reasons you would follow a traditional style. They allow you to assess candidates based upon their past experiences. Rather than asking questions such as “how would you handle X situation,” you relate questions to their resume. As an example: “when you worked in X job, tell me about a time you helped solve a client’s problem.” The question revolves around a behavior they did (or did not) exhibit in the past.
Benefits
Behavioral interviews give interviewers a great assessment of how well a candidate will do in the role. When it comes to candidates, past performance is the best indicator of future performance. If the candidate’s past behaviors are in line with what you are looking for, they are likely a good fit. Another benefit of behavioral interviews is that they allow you to compare candidates against each other. If you know what behaviors you’re looking to vet with each candidate, you have a standardized way of evaluating candidates.
Drawbacks
A downside of behavioral interviews is they do require the interviewer to intentionally draw information out of candidates. Another term for that is to “peel the onion.” Not all candidates will answer the questions with the full picture the interviewer is looking for. Some will. Others won’t. The ones that don’t aren’t any less qualified. They just may not have experienced a behavioral interview before. Because of that, interviewers need to think on their feet in the interview to get the information they need. Doing so in the moment is easier said than done. It takes practice to do them well.
5 Reasons to Use Traditional Interviews
Each interview style has its benefits. Interview styles can also be blended together, depending on the needs and preferences of organizations. When it comes to a traditional interview, reasons to use them are especially applicable to sales. Sure, some of the styles listed previously can be helpful. In fact, we may even recommend incorporating some qualities of those listed previously. However, a traditional interview remains the most effective style to vet sales candidates. Let’s live into why that is.
1. They allow for a good candidate experience
Candidates are most familiar with a traditional interview style. It likely falls directly in line with their expectations. When they expect to have a conversation about their past experience and applicable skills with an interviewer, they prepare accordingly. Candidates feeling like they prepared for their interview appropriately will leave the conversation feeling positive about the experience. Even those that aren’t a fit. The “shock factor” of other interview styles can commonly leave a bad taste in a candidate’s mouth.
2. Traditional interviews ensure you evaluate matters
With a sales role, in specific, you have to be able to make the most out of your interviews. For both you and your candidates. Time is money, after all. A traditional interview style focuses the time on what matters most. In the context of an interview, the things that matter most are the candidate’s qualifications and professionalism. Nothing vets that better than a single interviewer asking relatively standardized questions about past experiences and skills. Of course, all while evaluating professionalism throughout the interview. With a traditional interview, reasons to use them revolve around effectiveness overall. That leads us to our next point.
3. They are easier to assess
Some of the interview styles listed above can be a challenge to assess once the interview is over. After an unstructured interview, as an example, you can leave feeling uncertain. Are they a good fit, or did you just enjoy talking to them? Traditional interviews still leave room for you to build rapport with the candidate. They also ensure you talk about the candidate as a professional. After the interview is over, you are left with clear insight into the candidate’s background and skills. Transparency allows you to assess whether the candidate is a fit more confidently.
4. Traditional interviews can be compared against each other
Along the lines of traditional interviews being easier to assess, you can also compare candidates more easily. Having specific qualities you learn about every candidate you interview, contrasting one candidate with the next is seamless. When you are interviewing candidate after candidate for one position, having the ability to compare them quickly is a necessity.
5. They can be molded
A traditional interview gives interviewers the ability to mold the style as they see fit. Traditional interviews can be thought of as a foundation for your interview style. That assures there is consistency. From there, you can build onto the interview style as you see fit for your company (or the role). For sales positions, as an example, you could choose to add a sales pitch to the interview. A pitch by itself, with no other interview style incorporated, will not be as effective. When paired with a traditional interview, you can assess candidates’ pasts along with a live look into their sales skills.
Panel Interview to Traditional Interview, Reasons to Use Styles Vary
The reasons you could choose to use one interview style over the next is ultimately preferential. Every style will allow you to learn more about a candidate. The differentiator between the styles is what you learn about candidates and how. When it comes to sales candidates, our team of sales recruiting experts believes traditional interviews are the best approach. With the five reasons we shared, it’s clear why.