This is the time when the candidates short-listed after the Common Admission Test (CAT) are called for the group discussions and personal interviews by the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs). Every short-listed candidate is required to go through a group discussion and personal interview, where he/she is assessed in terms of performance and is scored. These days, most business schools in the country have added this to their selection process.
 
A group discussion, as the name suggests, is a situation where a group of six to 12 candidates are given a topic to discuss and arrive at a common understanding. The group is usually given a couple of minutes to jot down ideas, after which they are allotted around 20 minutes time to discuss the topic.
 
One experienced consultant said that at the second stage, the probability of getting a seat is high. However, the competition is more intense, as the best of candidates would have been short-listed. He said that the objective of the group discussion is to analyze the topic from as many angles as possible and try to work towards a framework for arriving at conclusions. “There is also the intimidation factor, as the competition is with the crème de la crème of all those who had applied for the CAT. Compared to the group discussion, personal interview is much easier to handle. The key, however, to tackle group discussion is practice,” he said.
 
Challenge
The topics for group discussion can either be issue-based, case studies or abstract. The challenge for the candidates is to see what the judge is looking for and deliver it. Candidates will be judged on group behavior, how they put across their opinions, persuading through reasoning, collating the general view, separating material facts from trivia, etc. “The main thing that the judges will be looking out for is group dynamics. In a group discussion, everyone is a leader. So, the way the candidate behaves will be observed.”
 
One of the ways to make a good impression is by ensuring the discussion moves forward. “The topics can be provocative. One thing that candidates have to understand is that a group discussion is not a debate. The issues surrounding the topic should be discussed. The judges will also be assessing the candidates on their body language, said the consultatnt. He said that just because one candidate talks a lot does not mean he/she has contributed a lot to the discussion. A candidate should be able to strike a balance between the quantity and quality of what he/she says. “What one says should either take the discussion forward or change the direction of the discussion. One must also ensure that he/she does not go off on tangents.”
 
To show the judge that one is also listening to other participants, candidates should be able to make subtle references to the points made by others. Experts suggest that candidates should ensure that they are not disrespectful towards other participants. The topics given may be provocative, but the candidate must maintain his composure and come across as a person who can discuss varied topics.
 
What they are essentially looking for is if a candidate can work well in a group, work in a team.
 
A candidate should be able to convey his/her opinion based on facts. Experts suggest that one should not interfere while another is trying to make his/her point. One should also be polite, while being confident at the same time. It is also important for all the members of a group discussion to use reasoning. It is also important for a candidate to ask questions to assess how much the other participants know about a specific topic.
 
A candidate’s general awareness about current social, political and economic affairs may also be assessed during the personal interview. “One thing to remember is that the candidate should not try to answer each question individually. That is a common mistake that most candidates make. An advantage with the personal interview is that a candidate will be able to read the interviewer’s mind and get him to ask questions about what he/she is most comfortable with.”
 
The kind of questions that are usually asked can be anticipated. They are usually about the candidate’s educational background, career aspirations, personality-related questions etc. “What is most required is honest to goodness kind of introspection that will make personal interview easy to handle.
 
A personal interview with a board of interviewers, which could consist of any combination of academicians, behavioural experts, practising managers, industry representatives, etc., follows the group discussion. A candidate should be able to prepare much ahead for the interview. “The basic preparation required for a personal interview is fairly straight forward introspection. A candidate should just sit by himself/herself for half-a-day or however long it takes and prepare for questions about himself/herself.

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