The Art of Stress Interview

Onboarding new candidates is time-consuming and costly, but a stress interview can help ensure that potential employees can perform the job effectively (Jessica Day 2022).

(Joe Ferreira , 2023)

A stress interview under is a trick that is used to put interviewees tremendous pressure. They are designed to test the ability of candidates to think under pressure, respond correctly under challenging conditions, stay calm, and much more, even during the pressurized environment.

Stress interviews have several functions in the hiring process:

Assessing Resilience -     Stress interviews provide employers a better understanding of a candidate's capacity for maintaining balance under pressure.

Evaluation of Problem-          Solving Skills: Recruiters look for candidates who can think critically, solve issues quickly, and let them evaluate their problem-solving skills under pressure.

Testing Communication Skills:     Stress interviews assess candidates' capacity for simple to understand speech, careful listening, and professional manner under pressure.

Evaluating Adaptability:        During stress interviews, recruiters can assess a candidate's adaptability by seeing how they handle novel or unexpected conditions.

Stress interviews are especially common in industries with high stakes and the margin for error is minimal. This interview style is frequently used in fields where quick decisions and stress management are essential, such as technology, consulting, finance, law enforcement, and healthcare.

Fast-paced settings such as emergency rooms, stock exchange floors, and rapidly developing tech businesses require people who can handle pressure well. Employers in various sectors use stress interviews as a means of screening candidates.

Questions might include:      ·        What is so special about you?                            

                                                          ·        Why haven’t you achieved more progression in your career so far?

                                            ·        Tell me how you would deal with a colleague you hated?

How to Succeed in Stress Interviews

Some interviewers try to make claimants feel comfortable. Greetings with a smile on your face open an interview, which then flows into a pleasant Q & A session. There is not a single attempt to make you feel comfortable during the stress interviews. Instead, in order to evaluate how interviewees deal with uncomfortable circumstances, staff members develop a difficult scenario.

Drawbacks of stress interviews are narrow focus, poor candidate experience, confusion within the organization and losing high-quality candidates.

Remember, a stress interview is not just a test of your skills and qualifications but also an opportunity to showcase your resilience and suitability for the role. With the right mindset and preparation, you can turn a stress interview into a valuable opportunity to demonstrate your strengths and secure your dream job.

References;

Kohler, C. (2023) 6 Ways to Stay Calm During a “Stress Interview” [online] Available at  :https://www.topinterview.com/interview-advice/staying-calm-during-stress-interview [Accessed on 10.04.2024].

Stress Interview at online: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5i1VPWdC_iY [Accessed on 10.04.2024].

Times Pro (2024) What is Stress Interview [online] Available at  :https://timespro.com/blog/what-is-a-stress-interview-and-how-to-crack-it-successfully [Accessed on 10.04.2024].