GROUP DISCUSSION SUCCESS TIPS
This blog is based on my many years of reading competitive magazines and books on actual and mock GDs where remarks and comments on the performance of the candidates after the GD was over are given. In addition, I too have conducted many Mock GD and have closely observed the candidate’s performance - what makes a candidate tick and what gets him rejected.
I have combined my experience as well as the information I gained from my reading to create this blog.
In this blog, I have taken a scenario where a Group Discussion has concluded between eight candidates. The evaluator of the GD has observed the performance of all eight candidates and has prepared his report on it. In his report, he gives reasons why a candidate should be promoted to the next round in the interview process and why a candidate should be rejected.
As you read the blog make notes on how you can gain additional marks in a group discussion and where you can lose valuable marks.
Use this blog as a basic guideline to get started on your preparation for the Group Discussion round.
LET’S SET THE BALL ROLLING
CANDIDATE’S EVALUATION OF PERFORMANCE IN A MOCK GROUP DISCUSSION [GD]
(How a Candidate can be Evaluated in a Group Discussion and what you can learn from it.)
Candidate # 1:
Candidate number 1 initiated the group discussion and was the first speaker of the group. He took the lead while others were thinking and spoke first-rate. He scores additional marks for being proactive and grabbing the opportunity to commence the GD.
Candidate number 1 has also shown a sign of leadership not only by initiating the discussion but also by translating his ideas into sentences and presenting them in front of the group. The ideas on the topic that this candidate presented have a proper logic to them. He justified his stand on the topic of discussion by talking about what can be considered as the actuality of the topic.
Once Candidate number 1 set the ball rolling he re-entered the discussion the second time at a later stage. He disagreed on a point presented by a candidate and politely conveyed the message to the candidate that he disagreed with him. Then he went on to give his reasoning why he disagreed and what his stand was on the argument.
The second time also presented his arguments in a logical manner and showed that he had deep knowledge and understanding of the topic.
Overall his ideas were mature and he was able to impress the group.
Candidate number 1 gets additional marks for speaking the second time in the discussion.
His performance has been the best in the group discussion. He leads the way into the next round.
POINTS TO BE NOTED:
The best thing that one can learn from Candidate number 1 is that prepare so very well so that you can be the initiator of the group discussion.
He scored bonus marks because he had the courage as well as the subject knowledge to initiate the GD.
The other positive point that can be picked up is in a GD don’t be afraid to disagree. It’s a discussion and not everybody has to agree with whatever is being said. The key point is that you should be able to counter your disagreement with logical arguments that carries weight.
Candidate # 4:
Candidate number 4 spoke second in the group. He displayed signs of confidence and control as he spoke to the group. He was able to make the group agree to his way of thinking by presenting his thoughts and arguments in a logical and convincing manner.
By observing him discuss in the group discussion it can be determined that he is a candidate with a vision and imagination. He is able to see what others may not imagine. In addition, he is optimistic and constructive in his approach.
As a result, he is promoted to the next round of the job interview process.
Candidate # 8:
Candidate number 8 has put forward some real practical and workable ideas on the topic of discussion. Nobody in the group interrupted him as he spoke. In fact, he was able to influence some of the candidates and they agreed to his point of view.
Candidate number 8 appears to have experience at the ground level. He was able to attract the attention of the group members by providing real-life examples on the subject of discussion. His examples touched a chord in other members and they were on the same page with him. This shows that he has got convincing skills.
He was able to enrich the discussion by coming out with some original and out-of-the-box ideas that he put forward in an interesting manner.
This candidate scores additional points because he also spoke the second time in the discussion. He agreed to a point put forward by a candidate and then went on to give very valuable information related to that point. This proves that not only is he a good listener but also he has the skill to connect his knowledge with what is being discussed.
Surely he is promoted to the next round.
Candidate # 3:
Candidate number 3 presented his sentiment well but one thing that goes against him is that he came on the topic very harshly. His tone was unpleasant that was underlined by his loud body language. It appeared as though he was trying to dominate the group by being loud and rough.
After a while, he tried to take the discussion on to a totally different tangent. Not being able to control his emotions Candidate number 3 brought in a few irrelevant points that did not match his stand on the topic.
After observing his performance in the GD it can be concluded that Candidate number 3 even though started very well did not discuss the topic as well as he could have.
His performance in the GD can be considered as dominating as he tried to enforce his ideas by speaking with aggression in a high voice.
Candidate number 3 lost his opportunity due to his harsh behavior.
He is rejected.
POINTS TO BE NOTED:
There is a way to show other people that you are a knowledgeable person. Speaking harshly and in an unfriendly manner with them is surely not the way.
In a GD it is important that a candidate remains humble and respectful towards other participants. Yet he should not be a person who gets easily influenced by anyone and everyone. He should be able to stand for his point of view and have solid arguments to support it.
As the saying goes - “If you don’t stand for something you’ll fall for everything.”
Candidate # 6:
Candidate number 6 entered the group discussion late. He was the fifth candidate to speak.
The point that goes in his favor is that even though he started late he spoke with sureness and did not show any sign of nervousness.
The way he put forward his views shows that he had a clear structure in his mind on how he was going to present his ideas and put them in proper words.
With the arguments that he put forward, he was able to justify his stand on the topic. He has used real examples, taken from his own life, to present his evidence.
Overall it can be concluded that candidate number 6 presented a mature point of view and he can be considered for the next round of the interview process.
POINTS TO BE NOTED:
Even though you enter the GD late it doesn’t mean that you cannot create an impression.
If you present your stance on the topic in a manner that everybody sits up and takes notice then you have hit the ball out of the stadium.
But it is not advisable to enter the group discussion late because each GD is a different scenario and the evaluators are also different.
If you know the subject matter why wait for long? Enter the discussion as soon as possible and leave your mark.
Candidate # 2:
Candidate number 2 was the sixth candidate to speak in a group of 8 candidates. Throughout the discussion, he was silent and listening to others as they spoke.
Being a late speaker in the group discussion he will lose marks.
It appeared that he will not speak and had given up on the Group Discussion.
But he spoke taking his own time. When it comes to the manner in which he presented his arguments on the topic he surprised the entire group with his common sense.
It appears that he is a well-read person because he was able to quote examples from various sources. All his examples and quotations were not only relevant but also convincing to the whole group.
Even though Candidate # 2 spoke very late in the discussion and lost marks no one can deny the way he spoke.
It can be concluded that the discussion by Candidate number 2 was up to the mark and his late entry can be overlooked.
He can be given a chance and is promoted to the next round.
Candidate # 5:
Candidate number 5 made a surprise entry in the group discussion at the very last moment.
He was the last speaker in the group as Candidate number 7 did not speak even a single word in the entire GD.
Though he was last it did not bother him a bit.
It did not stop him from making an assertive statement on the topic being discussed. He did not lose control over his thoughts and presented his points like a well-read knowledgeable person with lots of maturities.
In short, he spoke like an authority on the subject.
Candidate number 5 after expressing his thoughts even tried to inspire Candidate number 7 to come forward and share his opinion on the topic with the group.
This shows that Candidate number 5 is a team player and is ready to motivate his team members to contribute, in this case, in the group discussion.
When most of the candidates consider other candidates as competitors Candidate # 5 tried to pull in the last candidate into the discussion. This is a rare quality.
Because he spoke almost towards the end of the discussion Candidate number 5 lost valuable points. If he had initiated the discussion or had been the second speaker in the group he would have scored additional points and would have come out with flying colors.
Overall his performance was very impressive and he can be promoted to the next round in the interview process.
POINTS TO BE NOTED:
As we have discussed earlier in the blog, even if you enter the group discussion late, you can do well and spellbound other members including the evaluator.
The only criteria to come out as a winner is you should be either as good as the other speakers or better than them.
Are you able to present your arguments so very powerfully and in a structured manner that the evaluator has no other choice but to move you up the ladder?
Candidate # 7:
For whatever reason, Candidate number 7 could not contribute to the entire discussion. He remained silent and was looking lost.
Candidate # 7 created an impression that he either did not understand the topic or got nervous as he heard the other candidates. He didn’t even show his agreement or disagreement with other candidates. He lacked the qualities required to be an active participant in a Group Discussion.
In short, this candidate did not take the pain to prepare for the GD and lost his opportunity to join the organization.
Candidate number 7 did not score any marks and will be rejected in the GD round.
POINTS TO BE NOTED:
Being silent will not take you forward in a GD. This clearly shows a lack of practice and smartness. You may be the smartest person in your home or amongst your friends but in front of strangers if you are not able to use your smartness then it is no good.
Even though we may consider ourselves as the smartest guy around we should never forget that out there in the world there are people smarter than us.
The best advice is to get over your insecurity or shyness or thinking less of yourself. Develop boldness to go out into the world, take the center stage, and have your say. Just being bold on social media will not do you any good.
And then prepare hard, burn the midnight oil, practice and repeat for long hours before you sign up for a job interview.
In Conclusion
The purpose of writing this blog is to give you, the prospect job seeker, the feel of how an evaluator can evaluate your GD performance.
Different evaluators will have different ways of gauging your performance so you need to be on your toes and keep on upgrading your performance for every group discussion that you attend.
Finally, I sincerely hope this blog on ‘Candidates Evaluation in a Group Discussion’ will help you to take a closer look at yourself so that you can build on your strengths and overcome your weaknesses by constant repetition and practice.
ALL THE BEST!
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