Elena Prokopets
Job interviewing has become lengthier and more complex. On average, candidates have three to five different types of interviews — a phone screener, a video interview with a recruiter, and then a couple more convos with the hiring managers.
However, for in-demand roles in top companies, the total number of interviews can be higher — at five to seven at Google, four to five at Bank of America, or five to six rounds for corporate positions at Apple. The challenge is that every round will have a different type of interview — a technical, behavioral, or culture-fit. And you need to do well at every one of them to land the role.
Lucky for you, we’ve rounded up everything you need to know about the most common job interview types, with tips on how to ace them without breaking a sweat (or your professional cool).
14 Common Types of Employment Interviews
From a casual phone chat to the nerve-wracking panel interrogation, interviews come in various types and configurations.
In most cases, interviews differ by:
- Medium: phone, video, or in-person
- Purpose: pre-screening, information collection, skill assessment
- Format: one-on-one, group, or panel discussions.
Based on the above classification, the most common types of interviews are:
- Phone interview
- Video interview
- Asyncronous interview
- On-site interview
- Competency-based interview
- Peer interview
- Technical interview
- Case interview
- Behavioral interview
- Panel interview
- On-the-spot interview
- Informational interview
1. Phone Interview
A phone screen interview with a recruiter is the first step for most positions. This allows recruiters to pre-assess candidates and collect general background information. Be prepared to provide more details about your core competencies, background, and expectations for the new role.
Some recruiters may also ask you to explain gaps in your resume or give a ballpark number for your salary expectations. These are tougher questions, so you better have some practiced answers ready.
If the phone interview goes well, the recruiter will ask for your availability to schedule a video or in-person interview with a hiring manager.
How to prepare
A phone interview is mostly an information intake. Have a copy of your resume in front of you to cross-check what you’ve already mentioned on your application, plus prepare some extra snippets like quick examples of the projects you did and the skills you’ve developed.
To sound confident and smart, you should also practice common phone interview questions.
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2. Video Interview
Video interviews via platforms like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or Google Meets are now the norm in the early stages of the hiring process for candidate screening. Often, companies use this format for remote jobs, global hiring, or time-sensitive recruiting when in-person meetings are a bit of a pickle.
For some people, virtual interviews are less stressful since you don’t need to ask for a day off and get to speak from the coziness of your home. But nailing a video interview means tweaking your communication style a bit to fit the screen.
How to prepare:
Test your tech setup ahead of the interview — camera, microphone, and internet connection. You don’t want to get sabotaged by a pesky echo or a very untimely app update notification. Settle in a quiet, well-lit space with a neutral background. If your home is slightly chaotic, book a conference booth in a coworking space. Practice speaking clearly and confidently, and maintaining eye contact by looking at the camera instead of the screen.
This guide talks more about the dos and don’ts of successful Zoom interviews.
3. Asynchronous Interviews
Asynchronous interviews, also known as one-way video interviews, are a somewhat new interview type. Rather than chatting to a person, you’re asked to record video answers to a set of 3 to five questions. The hiring manager then reviews your answers when they have time and reaches out with feedback.
For employers, async interviewing offers a great way to pre-screen dozens of candidates faster. For instance, Chipotle Mexican Grill, who’s hiring over 20,000 extra employees, uses async interviews for many customer-facing roles.
Candidates, too, benefit from flexibility. You can think ahead and record your answers at your own convenience. But you’ll definitely need to get comfortable on camera.
How to prepare:
Put down concise, impactful stories that clearly showcase your strengths and enthusiasm for the role. Next, test your audio and lighting—you want the image to be crisp. Finally, hit the ‘record’ button. Don’t be afraid to restart—most async video interviewing tools won’t save your ‘bloopers’. Most people (58%) need two to five takes to record a good reply, so give yourself time to find your groove.
4. On-site interview
Getting invited to the employer’s office for an in-person meetup used to be the “classic” interview. Now, many employers only do on-site interviews with shortlisted candidates or invite people round only for the final interview.
At any rate, you should get prepared to answer different types of interview questions, general ones related to your background and core competencies and more pointed ones concerning your personality or hypothetical workplace situations.
How to prepare:
Read up about the company. Learn about their values, culture, and recent newsworthy appearances. Then try to extrapolate which of your skills best aligns with the role’s demands and the possible challenges the business is facing. Your goal during the interview is to show how you’ll add value. Lastly, don’t forget to prepare several good questions to ask the hiring manager after an interview.
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5. Competency-based interview
As it says on the tin, a competency-based interview puts the microscope over your core competencies — aka all the skills, traits, and experiences that make you great in whatever you do professionally.
Most competency-based interviews are structured, meaning the hiring manager asks all candidates the same set of questions and grades their replies in a rubric. Afterwards, the manager(s) compare candidate scores and short-list the best ones for the next round.
Source: Office of Administration
How to prepare:
The best tactic for competency interviews is the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result). When answering questions related to your skills or experiences, give the general context first, then explain the task you had and the actions you took. Finally, round it up with the attained results.
When possible, provide specific examples to help the interviewer really picture you in action. But don’t veer off too far from the subject. No one has time for a long-winded story, without a clear ‘morale’ to it!
6. Peer Interview
A peer interview puts you in one room with your future coworkers, allowing the group to assess how well you’ll slot in with the team. It’s often used in the mid-to-late stages of the hiring cycle to evaluate your interpersonal skills, work style, and cultural fit.
During the course of an hour, the team will take turns asking various adaptability-related or situational interview questions. Sometimes, a couple more technical ones may also come up. Your goal is to sound smart (without appearing like a know-it-all) and relatable (but without oversharing about your last Netflix binge).
How to prepare:
A peer interview is less formal than other rounds, and it’s often a two-way conversation. Apart from just churning out replies, ask counter-questions about things that matter to you, like team dynamics, leadership style, standard workflows, or culture in general.
If you can, try building rapport by identifying a common interest (e.g., an obsession with a favorite coding framework) and spin this subject to show that you’d be a fantastic fit.
6. Technical Interview
A technical interview assesses your role-related hard skills. These can be technical skills like software engineering, data analytics, or knowledge of CRM tools or more general, but still very important, ones like critical-thinking, vocational skills, or general business acumen.
Generally, technical interviews are hands-on: Your direct supervisor or a senior colleague will drill you with a series of skills assessment exercises.
Common formats of technical interviews:
- Coding challenges
- Pair programming tasks
- Conceptual problem-solving questions
- Hardball technical puzzles
- Whiteboarding exercises
- Sample modeled situations
- Tests or questionnaires
Typically, the recruiter will let you know beforehand what type of technical interviews they favor so that you can do some groundwork.
How to prepare:
To prepare for a technical interview, review fundamental concepts, practice solving problems relevant to the role, and brush up on industry-standard tools and technologies. Mock interviews with friends, time-based coding challenges, and explaining your thought process out loud can help improve your performance on D-Day.
Remember: To ace a technical interview, no matter the format, you’ll need to stay calm and methodical through the process. Focus on demonstrating your problem-solving approaches rather than obsessing about getting the perfect answer.
7. Case Interview
Case interviews are a common alternative to technical interviews, mostly held with mid-to-senior level candidates. Such an interview typically revolves around solving a specific business problem, a puzzle, or some weird interview question (like How many golf balls can fit in a school bus?).
The purpose of case interviews is two-fold:
- Assess your problem-solving and analytical skills
- See your domain expertise in action
Most case interviews follow a similar structure. You are first given a business problem or a set of questions to work over and some prep time (about 30-45 minutes on average). Then, you have 15-20 minutes with the interviewer to present your answers. In the last five minutes, the interviewer usually explains how well you did and answers any further questions you may have.
How to prepare:
Practice explaining your through process with frameworks like MECE (Mutually Exclusive, Collectively Exhaustive) or CPS (Clarify, Plan, Solve). Both help you give coherent explanations, even for the most bizarre subjects. As you practice mock case studies, think out loud — talk through your reasoning, assumptions, and solutions.
8. Behavioral Interview
Standalone behavioral interviews can be sandwiched somewhere in the middle after a more technical interview. Although, behavioral interview questions are also asked during the earlier interview rounds.
Typically, you’ll be scheduled for face time with the company’s HR, who’ll assess your personality, cultural fit, and alignment with the company values. Your goal is to give a “preview” of what working with you is like.
How to prepare:
Before the interview, prepare a ‘bank of stories’ to demonstrate your people skills, like teamwork, adaptability, patience, and negotiation. Then, when answering behavioral questions, don’t just put on the ‘perfect facade’ — give an authentic take to each answer. Many employers value that!
As Hannah Wolf, a campus recruiter at Spotify, explained, “Authenticity and being your genuine self is honestly the way to go. Show who you are, show up as you are, and know that companies like Spotify really appreciate people for their uniqueness and their diversity.”
10. Panel Interview
A panel interview involves more than one interviewer from the employer’s side. Usually, you’ll be talking to an HR member, a department head, and several team members or managers. Different panelists may focus on different aspects of the job, like technical skills, culture fit, or leadership.
Such interviews are more common for academic and federal jobs. Though you might be asked to sit on one if you are looking for an executive or senior managerial position too. At any rate, don’t let the idea of having a bigger crowd ruffle your feathers!
How to prepare:
Research each panelist’s role and background beforehand. You can usually ask the recruiter for the names and titles, then look ‘em up on LinkedIn. Then, think about how you could tailor your answers to each person’s expertise and interests.
When you’re in the room, manage the pace of your responses. Don’t talk too fast or ramble, even if the questions come up back-to-back. This will only add to your nervousness. If a panelist throws in a tough interview question, don’t be afraid to take a moment to think or ask for clarification. This shows confidence and thoughtfulness rather than panic or haste.
Read the full guide to doing panel interviews like a pro.
11. On-The-Spot Interview
An on-the-spot interview is a less formal conversation you have with employers at career fairs, networking meetups, or campus hiring events. Expect some high-level questions like “Can you quickly walk me through your resume?” and “Why are you looking for a new job?”.
Your goal is to show that you can think on your feet and communicate effectively.
How to prepare:
Apart from making several copies of a professionally designed resume for the event, craft a punchy elevator pitch for yourself — a 15-second spoken summary of your resume, touting your top skills, core competencies, and past accomplishments. Other than that, go with the flow and give concise responses about your experience, motivation, and availability.
12. Informational Interview
Lastly, there is an informational interview, which isn’t strictly hiring-related but can give you some leverage in your job search. If you’re just starting your career or changing fields, an informational interview is a great way to learn about different options out there, understand the industry trends, or perhaps even find a mentor.
Start networking online or in person to find people who are already doing the work you want to be doing. Then, try to connect with them for a casual coffee chat or a video call. While you’ll likely get a fair share of ‘no’s, don’t get discouraged too soon and keep networking!
How to prepare:
Be respectful of the other person’s time — they’re doing you a bigger favor. Prepare a list of thoughtful questions (aka not something a quick Google search can reveal). Listen carefully to the answers, ask follow-up questions when you don’t understand something, and otherwise show your curiosity. Lastly, don’t forget to send a thank-you message afterward.
The Oh-So-Many Types of Job Interviews
A job interview is a conversation. While there are some common interview structures, your conversation with an employer can ebb and flow in a different direction. And that’s fine as long as you keep the reigns and direct the discussion toward the core competencies, strengths, and expertise that you are bringing to the table!
