The team interview subscribes to the notion that the more people involved in the hiring decision, the better the chances are of hiring the best candidate. Applicants will either meet the entire group at once, or will meet each member individually. The interview team members will assemble at the end of the interview to compare notes. Team interviews are effective when they are structured and the interviewing teams use a common assessment guide to rate each applicant, otherwise, the interview ends up being a conversation with the final decision often being a "gut instinct" decision. You will quickly know if the interview is structured if the interviewers ask highly specific questions from a list. Your job is

to respond concisely and directly to the question. If the interview question is hypothetical or theoretical ("What would you do if someone...?" How would you...?"), try to give a specific example of a time when you actually were involved in a similar situation or performed a similar task. You will gain added credibility and believability by citing a specific example to a hypothetical or theoretical interview question. Be sure to make direct eye contact with each interviewer in a panel interview, not just the one who asked the question. This is very important in developing a favorable impression with all interviewers. If you are uncertain as to what the question is targeting, be sure to ask for clarification. The second type of Team Interview is called a multiple applicant panel interview. The panel interviews two or more applicants at the same time. This is a highly stressful interview technique and has lost popularity over the years. If you find yourself in this situation, your goal is to offer concise, specific examples of past experiences that highlight your accomplishments. Your other goal is to ask a follow-up question at the end of your answer to engage the panel in a mini-discussion with you. Don't overdo this technique or you might be assessed negatively.