10 Group Interview Questions: [With Sample Answers]

So you finally landed that interview but it turns out that it’s a group interview and you aren’t sure what to expect.

You’re not the only one wondering how to prepare for a group interview. It can be overwhelming for many reasons, but don’t let it scare you!

We’ve got you covered with the tips, tricks, and valuable insight you need to ace your upcoming group interview.

What Should I Say in a Group Interview?

You may feel overwhelmed or out of place surrounded by peers, especially when they are your competition. Knowing what to say can help because you’ll need to make yourself stick out from the crowd.

When you speak up in a group setting, stay on topic and engage others. Asking your peers questions when appropriate is a great way to prove you’re an active listener, attentive and value your peers.

What Skills Are Group Interviewers Looking For in a Candidate?

An interview is your employer’s time to get a read on how effective a candidate you are. Here are five of the traits your employers are likely searching for.

• Teamwork: Your interviewer is using this as a chance to see how you work in a team. Group interviews are rarely a competition!
• Accountability: Interviewers may give a task to your group to see who takes the lead, who accepts blame for issues, and more. Accountability is core to your working life.
• Awareness: A group interview is a great way to test a candidate’s ability to keep track of their busy surroundings.
• Social skills: In a social industry, such as hospitality, ensuring that your employees have stellar social skills is crucial.
• Standing up to pressure: Most working positions have pressure, either from the employer’s side or the customer’s side. Making sure that your employees can handle the pressure is a vital step in any interview.

What Traits Are Group Interviewers Looking to Avoid in a Candidate?

Not every interview focuses on the upsides! Here are some of the traits your employer is likely looking to avoid in their potential employee.

• Antisocial: Your interviewer will use this time to see how you interact with potential coworkers, so treat your peers well!
• Spotlight hogs: It’s easy to spot a greedy show-stealer that may not work well with others when dropped in a group setting.
• Underskilled: Interviews ensure candidates are qualified for the job, so underskilled candidates lose out.
• Wallflower: Remaining silent sends the wrong message and can make you look uninterested or too meek.

Sample Group Interview Questions and Answers

Having an idea about what questions you’ll see in a group interview is one thing, but figuring out how to answer them is a different beast. Check out some of these samples to see what works and why the answers work.

1. How Would Your Colleagues Describe You?

Why This Question Is Asked

This question often gauges honesty, social ability, and an employee’s thoughts. A candidate is supposed to look through the eyes of their peers and give a strong and honest answer. Your interviewer will use this information to see how you coexist with your coworkers.

What to Focus on When Answering This Question

Answer this question in a way that shows how well you work with your teammates. You can use this space to mention a relevant experience where you impressed your coworkers. An anecdote about assisting them or staying cool under pressure is a perfectly suitable answer.

What to Avoid When Answering This Question

Make sure you aren’t painting yourself in a negative light. Do you have coworkers who would describe you poorly or say that you aren’t a strong candidate? Best to avoid mentioning those descriptions.

Example Answer

“My colleagues describe me as someone who they can count on when the pressure rises. They know I’m always ready to assist them however I can. I prioritize the team’s success over my comfort.”

2. Why Do You Want This Job?

Why This Question Is Asked

While this question seems obvious, it’s a good way for employers to test their candidates. Tongue-in-cheek answers can show humor, but your employer may not appreciate the jokes. Generally, they’re using this question to see what impresses you about the position.

What to Focus on When Answering This Question

Use this time to focus on discussing what’s important to you as an employee. Saying that you identify with their mission statement or believe in their product is great! You can also show off your knowledge of the company you’re applying to.

What to Avoid When Answering This Question

Many people jokingly answer with financially-minded responses to questions such as this. While this joke may land well with your friends, your interviewer has heard it a thousand times. At best, they may give you a pity laugh – so stay serious!

Example Answer

“I believe that this is a position I could be proud of because X product/service matters. The company’s culture fits my personality and work ethic perfectly, so I feel that this is a position I could truly flourish in.”

3. How Would You Describe Yourself?

Why This Question Is Asked

Putting a candidate on the spot like this tests their honesty and humility. You may hesitate to puff your chest and speak about your strengths. Your employer is watching to see if you’re humble enough to not brag about your qualifications, while also remaining honest enough to mention your strengths.

What to Focus on When Answering This Question

Answer the question honestly, but always in a positive light. Describe your strengths and subtly highlight what you bring to their workforce.

What to Avoid When Answering This Question

Don’t answer in a way that would emphasize your weaknesses! If you use this time to describe yourself as a procrastinator that folds under pressure, you can consider the position lost.

Example Answer

“I would describe myself as a dedicated person that takes pride in my work. I do my best to identify my weaknesses and improve on them to better myself.”

4. How Do You Work in a Team?

Why This Question Is Asked

Testing your teamwork is a core part of a group interview. While standing out during the process is important, your employer needs to see how you’d meld with their team. If someone shows that they do poorly in a team, the interviewer may look elsewhere.

What to Focus on When Answering This Question

Use this time to discuss the upsides of working in a team and what you enjoy about team-centric workplaces. Your employer will be happy to hear you complimenting the perks of a team. They’ll also know that you’re someone that doesn’t demand the spotlight or credit.

If it applies to you, don’t forget to mention something about being comfortable with leading when necessary.

What to Avoid When Answering This Question

Pointing out the cons of teamwork is a bad idea. Don’t state your dislike for people that don’t carry their weight or the hassle of communicating with several team members. You may come across as someone who’s a hassle to work with.

Example Answer

“In a team, I do my best to ensure there’s a system of leadership and accountability. Groups work best when organized, so if it’s possible, I like to make sure at least one person is helping call the shots. Above all, I prefer to keep my efforts focused on teamwork.”

5. Quickly Describe Your Career History and Goals

Why This Question Is Asked

Knowing what your career was like before the interview is your employer’s way of testing your experience. This question will help them see what work environments you’ve experienced and grown in. They’ll also take note of what ambitions you have for your future so they know what to expect.

What to Focus on When Answering This Question

Stay succinct and don’t ramble! Your whole group will be answering a similar question, and taking too long to answer can come across as arrogant or self-centered. Summarize your experience and mention your future goals.

What to Avoid When Answering This Question

Do your best not to take too much time. If you have a lengthy list of experiences, pick one or two to highlight instead of mentioning every resume bullet point. That way, your information stays relevant and impressive.

Example Answer

“I joined the industry a few years ago in an entry-level position and worked my way up through the ranks. I’ve earned plenty of experience working toward my eventual goal of entering management.”

6. What Was Your Contribution to the Interview Team’s Performance?

Why This Question Is Asked

In group interviews, teams are often given tasks to accomplish. Your interviewer will use this question to test your honesty and how well you grasped the task. They’ll also look around the group to see if others agree with your answer, so don’t be dishonest.

What to Focus on When Answering This Question

This is a great time to highlight the challenges that the group faced and how you overcame them as a group. Don’t hesitate to compliment yourself and state how you contributed to the group. However, this is also an opportunity to applaud a couple of group members to show you appreciate teamwork.

What to Avoid When Answering This Question

Focusing on how you fixed the problem for the team by yourself will reflect poorly on your performance. Your peers will also be there to agree or disagree with your answer. A dishonest answer is usually called out by a peer, leading to you appearing dishonest to the interviewer.

Example Answer

“I contributed by doing my best to help lead the team. We divided up tasks, and everyone performed fantastically to complete the job that was given to us. I was happy to help with organizing our efforts toward the presented goal.”

7. Who Would You Hire in Your Group?

Why This Question Is Asked

It may feel strange to give credit to someone else in your interview, but this is an opportunity to show your values. Applauding a peer for their performance shows that you’re paying attention to your future team members. Your employer asks this question to see what qualities you value in a team member.

What to Focus on When Answering This Question

Pick someone that’s given a strong performance in the interview so they know you give credit where credit is due. Aptly describe what they did that impressed you.

What to Avoid When Answering This Question

This is no time to get competitive. Pick who you think is a strong fit for the team that you believe the employer has already noticed. Picking a weak candidate so your competition doesn’t get credit will make you look worse.

Example Answer

“I would hire Megan for her strong performance in our group trial. She proved that she works well in a team while not shying away from reaching goals.”

8. What Caused Struggle or Conflict in Your Group?

Why This Question Is Asked

Your interviewer is testing your ability to identify and solve issues. This question will showcase your ability to see problems in a team and also to work toward a fix.

What to Focus on When Answering This Question

Mention an identified problem, but also highlight how your team overcame the issue. Focus on the impressive performance despite the conflict rather than the negative impact.

What to Avoid When Answering This Question

Singling a peer out as the problem will make you look like someone who passes the blame. Stay accountable, summarize the issue, and compliment your team’s efforts at overcoming the problem.

Example Answer

“We struggled with communication early on, but we were able to get rid of the issue quickly. Organizing ourselves into a group with tasks helped us to stay accountable and productive. It turned us from five individuals with the same goal to a team working together.”

9. What Do You Have to Offer Our Company?

Why This Question Is Asked

Your employer is looking to see which of your skills you highlight. They were impressed by your resume. This question helps them find out what you find impressive about yourself.

What to Focus on When Answering This Question

Use this opportunity to compliment yourself and give your background. Talk about your experience and how the lessons and skills learned will help your team. Focus on your positive traits and how they’ll help you excel in your new position.

What to Avoid When Answering This Question

Bragging about past awards and experiences will make you seem arrogant. Mention your skills and experiences and then move on.

Example Answer

“I bring years of experience and know-how that will help me excel in your team. I’m an earnest worker that’s always looking for new ways to improve my performance.”

10. Name Your Weaknesses

Why This Question Is Asked

Humility and self-awareness are crucial when working in a team. Your employer is seeing if you can identify what issues your work performance may have. However, they’re more interested in how you’re overcoming these problems than why they’re an issue.

What to Focus On When Answering This Question

Mention a common character flaw and how you’re working to fix the issue. Listing a somewhat-positive weakness, like an over-attention to details, is a good choice. Emphasize your efforts to improve.

What to Avoid When Answering This Question

Don’t list a severe issue, like motivation or chaffing under leadership. These problems are tough to overcome – your employer may not want to deal with them.

Example Answer

“My biggest weakness is that I tend to procrastinate if I don’t have a deadline. I’ve begun self-imposing deadlines on myself to boost my productivity. A personal reward system helps me stay accountable and keep my workflow moving.”

Other Questions You Could Be Asked

These ten questions aren’t the only questions you should expect. Here are five more common questions that are less common, but still appear frequently.

• What Are Your Pet Peeves?: Your employer will ask this to judge what part of working bothers you.
• Describe Your Leadership Style: Interviewers ask this question so they know what management style you flourish under and how you would lead a team.
• What Areas Need Improvement?: The ability to identify issues will prove your insight to your interviewer.
• What Does Integrity Mean to You?: Proving that you have strong moral values in your work will help your interviewer trust you.
• How Do You Handle Stress?: Your interviewer needs to know your response to stressful work situations before they bring you into their team.

Additional Tips for Group Interviews

For more tips for group interviews, we’ve compiled a few pointers that don’t deal with questions. Here are three tips for standing out in your group interview.

1. How Do You Prepare for a Group Interview?

Group interviews are often spontaneous in the tasks they give and how you interact with your teammates. Prepare as you would for any interview! Think of your responses to questions, memorize your resume, and get a good night’s sleep to be energetic and personable.

2. What Should You Wear to a Group Interview?

Wear the appropriate attire for the position, but aim toward a formal appearance. If it’s a group interview outdoors, comfortable slacks and a nice polo shirt are a good choice.

3. How Should You Introduce Yourself In a Group Interview?

Introduce yourself with confidence! Stand, state your name, and relevant information – experience in the position, recent education, and a favored hobby are the classic icebreaker statements.

4. What Questions Should You Ask at the End of a Group Interview?

Once the interview ends, you can stand out by asking a question or two. These three questions prove an interest in the company, anticipating joining the team, and paying attention to the interview process.

• How Would You Describe Your Organization’s Culture?
• What Are Your Biggest Workplace Challenges?
• How Do You Help Your Staff Grow?

Frequently Asked Questions

For some common remaining questions, here are two of the most frequently asked questions regarding group interviews.

Wrapping Up

Understanding these common group interview questions is an ideal way to prepare for your group interview. By proving that you’re sociable and effective in a team, your employer will see you as the fantastic candidate you are. Prepare thoroughly, keep calm under pressure, and excel in your interview.

For more information on how to ace your upcoming interview, be sure to browse our extensive site!