Job Interview Success Tips: Do's of Group Discussion [GD / PI Preparation]

 

3 important Do’s or 3 key rules you should follow while competing in a Group Discussion

"Before we get into the Do’s of Group Discussion, first let us begin by understanding what a group discussion is?

Group Discussion is:

A Systematic and Purposeful oral exchange Of Information, Views, and Opinions About a Topic, Issue, Problem, or a Situation Among members of a group Who share a certain common objective.

Practice to Become Better at GD!

"Group Discussion", popularly abbreviated as GD, is a popular methodology used by many organizations, companies, institutes, business schools to gauge whether the candidate has certain personality traits such as interpersonal communication skills, confidence in public speaking, team spirit, leadership abilities, social behavior and problem-solving skills. GDs form an important part of the short-listing process for recruitment or admission in a company or institution.

 

Let me begin by asking you a question –

 

‘Have you developed the essential skills required to be effective in a group discussion?’

 

In this short article, I am going to share with you 3 important Do’s or 3 key rules you should follow while competing in a Group Discussion. These 3 rules will help you to increase your success probability in a group discussion.

Okay, let’s get started!

The First Rule is:

 
·        Join the discussion as quickly as possible

 

Most of the candidates attending the GD wait for their chance to speak or wait for the right opportunity to jump into the discussion. Unfortunately, if you wait for your chance to speak, you may never get one. Remember, this is a competition and only a few candidates will win. You keeping quiet is not going to help you win this competition. So, join the discussion as soon as possible.
 

 

 The second rule one must follow is:

 

·        Listen to others attentively

 

In a group discussion, most members are so busy talking about what they know that they forget to listen to other members of the group. Some candidates even start talking to themselves in their minds. They start thinking and preparing for their turn and eventually fail to focus on what others are saying. So even if they speak at a later stage they will be speaking something not connected to what others have spoken. A good listener has the advantage of adding to the conversation. Hence, a good listener will always earn respect.
 
I would like to give a couple of reasons why you should listen to others in a group discussion:
 
1.     Listening to other candidates carefully will help you assess the strengths and weaknesses of others. You will come to know how well or how poorly they are presenting their ideas. Once you know their strengths and weaknesses, you can construct your sentences and come out as a strong and confident participant.
 
2.     A good listener keeps track of the discussion. Even though he may not agree, but he knows the key points raised by the members during the group discussion. This gives him the advantage of concluding the GD effectively. And concluding the GD can earn you points thus improving your chances of moving to the next round in the selection process.
 

Now let’s have a look at the third rule:

 

·        Be Assertive

 

Do not confuse assertiveness with aggressiveness, both are not the same. Being assertive means you believe and stand by what you have said. You take a firm and polite stance on the point of view you have taken on the subject being discussed.
 
When you disagree, avoid saying, ‘I don’t agree…’ or ‘I know better than you...’ This is a sign of aggressiveness.
 
Remember, people are sensitive. Harsh words can hurt.
 
So, these were the three rules a candidate should follow in order to ace group discussions and come out as a winner. 

·         Instead, you may say something on the lines of, ‘’you have a point there, but I look at it from a different perspective,’’“With due respect, I would only partially agree to your point…” You can come up with your own sentences to disagree with other members of the group.

 

In Conclusion

Before I sign off, I would like to stress the importance of practice. As the saying goes, ‘Practice makes a man perfect’, the more you practice interview skills, the better are your chances of getting your dream job.
 
Thank you for reading. All the best!

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