You have called for the placements!! It’s not just about the Technical and Personal Interview. Many companies/organisation judge suitability of the candidate by Group discussions before testing them in personal interview. By Group discussions, they judges your communication and interpersonal abilities before the interview process in order to eliminate candidates who do not match the criteria/basic requirements. The panel is looking for verbal and nonverbal skills, clarity of thought process, leadership qualities and other interpersonal skills.
What is Group Discussion?
First, we have to know about these two words, Group and Discussion.
Group refers to the collection of individuals.
Discussion is the process where two or more individuals exchange information or ideas face-to-face to achieve a goal.
How is a Group Discussion Conducted?
Do’s and Don’t for a Successful Group Discussion
Dos
- Enter into the GD room confidently
- Carry a pen and a paper/pad when you participate in a GD
- Occupy your seat silently
- Sit Comfortably (Straight and Confident)
- Have a pleasant smile on your face
- Understand the topic of GD properly
- Not down your thoughts in organized manner
- If you’re initiator, please greet the group and mention your topic name before conveying your opinion
- Maintain positive body language throughout the GD session
- Speaker should maintain the eye contact with everyone in the GD and listener should look only at speaker
- Modulate your voice according the size of group
- Speak more number of times and also let other express their opinion
- Speak only for 30 seconds every time you get a chance and speak clearly & completely
- Speak relevant to topic
- Speak in simple and clear language
- Control your emotions
- Use quotations, proverbs, facts and figures according to the topic of the GD
- Use one liners such as I beg your pardon, I’m afraid to disagree with you, you are right and I have another opinion too, It can be put the other way etc.
- Demonstrate leadership qualities throughout the GD session
- Be a good listener. Goof listener is always a Good speaker.
- Be natural in your performance
- Think out of the box for abstract topic of GD
- Conclude the topic within the time allotted to your GD
Don’ts
- Never drag your seat/chair
- Never disturb the seating formation
- Do not slouch on chair
- Do not play with pen and paper/pad
- Do not speak in loud voice
- Do not demonstrate aggressive body language like pointing fingers at the other participants, palm down gestures to control the GD
- Do not speak for more time
- Do not fidget with fingers, bit your nails, shake your legs or tap your feet
- Do not directly oppose a member’s opinion
- Do not crack jokes during GD
- Do not laugh or giggle
- Do not look down while speaking and listening to others
- Do not look at HR or facilitator of GD
- Do not buff with false information
- Do not interrupt the speaker
- Do not criticize any person, religion or nation
- Do not abruptly stop expressing your view
- Do not involve in argument during GD
- Do not address participants with names
- Do not moderate GD excessively
- Do not give a pre mature conclusion