GD/PI TechniqueProf. Abhipsa Mishra

Faculty Member – HR & IT; IBS Pune

IBS Business School

Group Discussion (GD)• What is Group discussion?

A GD is a methodology used by an organization to gauge whether the candidate has certain personality traits and/or skills that it desires in its members.

• Personality Traits the GD is trying to gauge may include :

Ability to work in a team Assertiveness

Communication skills Flexibility

Reasoning ability Creativity

Leadership skills Listening

Initiative Awareness

Why GD?

Institute’s Perspective -

To know you as a person and judge how well you will fit in their institute

Why GD?Company’s Perspective –

Companies conduct group discussion after the written test so as to check on your –

• Interactive skills • Communication skills• How you behave, participate and contribute in a group• How much importance do you give to the group objective as well

as your own• How well do you listen to viewpoints of others• How open-minded are you in accepting views contrary to your

own

The aspects which make up a GD are: verbal communication, non-verbal behavior, conformation to norms, decision-making ability and cooperation.

Preparation for GD?

GD reflects the inherent qualities of an individual

• Reading: This is the first and the most crucial step in preparation.

• Mocks: Create an informal GD group and meet regularly to discuss and exchange feedback.

During the GD

Panelists assess on:• Leadership Skills - Ability to take leadership roles and be able to lead, inspire

and carry the team along to help them achieve the group's objectives.

• Communication Skills -Candidates will be assessed in terms of clarity of

thought, expression and aptness of language. • Interpersonal Skills - People skills are an important aspect of any job.

• Persuasive Skills - The ability to analyze and persuade

GD is a test of your ability to think, your analytical capabilities and your ability to make your point in a team-based environment.

Skills that reflects

• Clarity of thought • Group working skills (especially during a group task of

case study discussion) • Conflict handling • Listening and probing skills • Knowledge about the subject and individual point of view • Ability to create a consensus • Openness and flexibility towards new ideas • Data based approach to decision making

My chance to speak

How do I take my chance to speak:

• Trying to interrupt others while speaking would only harm your chances.

• Maintain an eye-contact with the speaker. This would show your listening skills

• Would help you gauge from his eye-movement and pitch of voice that he is about to close his inputs.

• You can quickly take it from there. • Try and link your inputs with what he has spoken

whether you are adding to or opposing his arguments.

Positive task Roles in GD

Initiator

Information seeker

Information giver

Procedure facilitator

Opinion seeker

Opinion giver

Clarifier

Social Supporter

Harmonizer

Tension Reliever

Energizer

Compromiser

Gatekeeper

Summarizer

Negative roles in GD

• Disgruntled non-participant • Attacker • Dominator • Clown

GD Tips

• Initiation Techniques • Body of the group discussion • Summarization/ Conclusion

Initiation Techniques

• When you initiate a GD, you not only grab the opportunity to speak, you also grab the attention of the examiner and your fellow candidates

• If you can make a favorable first impression with your content and communication skills after you initiate a GD, it will help you sail through the discussion

• But if you initiate a GD and stammer/ stutter/ quote wrong facts and figures, the damage might be irreparable

Body of the GD

• Techniques to initiate a GD

QuotesDefinitionQuestionShock statementFacts, figures and statisticsShort storyGeneral statement

Summarization / Conclusion

• Most GD doesn’t really have conclusions. A conclusion is where the whole group decides in favor or against the topic

• But every GD is summarized. You can summaries what the group has discussed in the GD in a nutshell

While summarizing a discussion

Avoid raising new points

Avoid stating only your viewpoint

Avoid dwelling only on one aspect of the GD.

Keep it brief and concise

It must incorporate all the important points that came out during the GD

If the examiner asks you to summaries a GD, it means the GD has come to an end

Do not add anything once the GD has been summarized

Types of GD

• Topic-based GD

1. Factual TopicsE.g. The education policy of any country, Tourism, State of the aged in the nation.

2. Controversial TopicsE.g. Reservations should be removed, Women make better managers  

3. Abstract Topics E.g. Abstract topics are about intangible things.

• Case-based GDThe case study tries to simulate a real-life situation.

Improving GD Skills

• Observe• How do other students make critical comments? • How do they ask questions? • How do they disagree with or support arguments? • What special phrases do they use to show politeness even when

they are voicing disagreement? • How do they signal to interrupt, ask a question or make a point?

• Practice• Start practicing your discussion skills in an informal setting or

with a small group.

• Participate• Take every opportunity to take part in social/informal discussions

Discussion Etiquette

What to do:

• Speak pleasantly and politely to the group. • Respect the contribution of every speaker. • Remember that a discussion is not an argument. Learn to

disagree politely. • Think about your contribution before you speak. How best can

you answer the question/ contribute to the topic? • Try to stick to the discussion topic. Don't introduce irrelevant

information. • Be aware of your body language when you are speaking. • Agree with and acknowledge what you find interesting.

Discussion Etiquette

What not to do:

• Lose your temper. A discussion is not an argument. • Shout. Use a moderate tone and medium pitch. • Use too many gestures when you speak. Gestures like finger

pointing and table thumping can appear aggressive. • Dominate the discussion. Confident speakers should allow

quieter a chance to contribute. • Draw too much on personal experience or anecdote. • Interrupt. Wait for a speaker to finish what they are saying

before you speak. 

Leading a Discussion

• You may be in a seminar group that requires you to lead a group discussion, or lead a discussion after an oral presentation. You can demonstrate leadership by:• Introducing yourself and the members of the group • Stating the purpose of the discussion • Inviting quiet group members to speak • Being objective • Summarizing the discussion

How to Face GD

A group discussion consists of:

• Communication Skills • Knowledge and ideas regarding a given subject • Capability to co-ordinate and lead • Exchange of thoughts • Addressing the group as a whole • Thorough preparations

Communication Skills

• The first aspect is one's power of expression.• You should be precise and clear • Listen is also what evaluators judge • You should be able to convey your thoughts satisfactorily

and convincingly before a group of people.

Knowledge and ideas

• Knowledge of the subject under discussion and clarity of ideas are important

• Comes from consistent reading • Knowledge makes one confident and enthusiastic • That makes one sound convincing and confident. • That’s the key to crack GD

Addressing Group as a whole

• Address the person farthest from you. If he can hear you everyone else too can.

• Attend the group discussion in formal dress.• The language used should also be formal, not the

language used in normal conversations. • For instance, words and phrases like "yaar", "chalta

hai", “Ovio", "I dunno", etc. are out. • Just use formal and simple language.

Thorough Preparation

• Only 460 candidates make it to the final list from 2.75 Lac civil service aspirants each year.

READING VARIOUS TOPICS & KNOWLEDGE ON THEM IS THE KEY TO SUCCESS

GD Mistakes

• Emotional outburst• ANGER

• Quality Vs Quantity• MAXIMUM TALK

• Egotism Showing off (Selfishness)• FAKE FIGURES / INFORMATION

• Get noticed - But for the right reasons • WANT TO BE THE FIRST

• Managing one's insecurities • NERVOUSNESS

Demonstrate a GD

Personal Interview

NOTE:

Use these skills with caution… you could end up getting every job you apply for !

Interview goals: Job candidate

• Obtain information about position and organization • Determine whether position is suitable for you • Communicate important information about yourself • Favourably impress the employer

Tailoring your curriculum vitae

• What does the company need? • You may need to make the dates a little vague if there are

gaps in your career • Summarize ambitions and key achievements at the top;

keep personal details to a minimum • Employment details in date order with the most recent at

the top • List your personal selling points (punctuality, honesty,

ability to communicate ,loyalty, efficiency-consciousness)

Before the interview

• Research Job / Company/Product • Practice! Practice! Practice! • Prepare and Anticipate Questions • Know Your Resume Contents• Know Who You’re Meeting • Confirm Date / Time / Location • Be Well Rested

Day of the interview

• Appropriate Professional Attire • Good Grooming / Personal Hygiene • Arrive on Time / Correct Location• Turn Off Cell Phone! • Bring Extra Resumes / Reference List

Opening moves

• Be aware of your surroundings and people waiting for you

• Take you out of yourself and be less self conscious • You are a “celebrity” for whom people are waiting for, so

walk with confidence• Smile • Make eye contact • Wait to be invited to sit • Address the interviewer formally unless invited to use first

names • Speak clearly ( don’t be nervous)

Pacing and leading

• Don’t assume that the interviewer controls your pace • Take it to a level which enables you to make your best

impression • Match the speed of your gestures and voice and ease down

to a manageable speed • Interviewer’s level of interest will rise with your own if

you can moderate the pace

During the interview

• Speak Directly to Interviewer • Make Eye Contact • Open Body Language • Be Confident / Professional• Answer Questions Completely • Provide Relevant Information

• Use Action Words • Give Specific Examples• State How You Can

Contribute • Focus on Employer’s Needs • Avoid topics: Time Off /

Salary • Ask the right Questions

Buying signals

• The interviewer is trying to fit you into a slot in the organisation

• Demonstrate that you are the right size and shape for that particular slot

Asking questions

Asking right questions are as important as answering the questions right

• Asking questions gives you control and breathing space

Eg: What kind of performance appraisal questions do you have? What would be the opportunities of growth in the organisation?

• Save the worst till the last (about pay, conditions, equal rights, benefits etc)

• There is no rule against asking direct questions and no prize for being unnecessarily devious

Controlling the content

• Focus your mind on your strong points • Let go the part of your experience, which is irrelevant to

your potential employer • A well written CV gives you lots of hooks for focus on

your good points and achievements • Make sure you at least have an informed opinion on any

books, films that you may refer to in the interview

HaveUpdatedRESUME

Listening skills

• Your interviewer will tell you exactly what they want to hear - if u listen carefully

• Active listening prompts the person you are listening to and help them relax

• It builds rapport

• You can use the following carefully: • Nodding • Interested facial expression • Attentive body language, leaning forward, alert

Being remembered for right reasons

• Looking good - clean and smart than glamorous • Feeling good - Smile • Sounding good – Clear, Polite, Mature, Fluent• Seeing eye to eye – Don’t gaze, don’t be too shifty

Interview mistakes

• Arrive Late / Wrong Time / Place • Too Much Cologne / Makeup • Monotone Voice• Use Interviewer’s First Name • Talk About Personal Problems • Use Street Slang• Talk Badly About Former Employer / Company / Products / Co-

workers • Talk Too Much / Too Little • Lie / Exaggerate / Arrogance• Set Limitations / Make Demands • Say You’re Desperate to Find a Job • Rush to Talk About Salary / Benefits

Common dreaded questions

• What Are Your Strengths and Weaknesses? • Where Do You See Yourself in Five Years? • Why Should I Hire You? • Why Do You Want to Work Here?• Tell Me About a Time When You Made a Bad Decision /

What Did You Do About it?• Why Does Your Resume Show a Gap in Employment? • Why Did You Leave Your Last Position?

Typical questions

• Tell me about yourself? • Why should we employ you? • What do you know about our company? • Why should we choose you over someone else?• Which is more important to you-salary, perks or growth

opportunities? • What do you expect to be doing five years from now? Ten

years from now?

Don’t talkTOO MUCH

Tell me about

YOURSELF

Your

GOALS !

What do you Know about ourCOMPANY &INDUSTRY ?

Your STRENGTH & WEAKNESS

Your SALARY expectations !

YOUR HOBBIES ?

Your Achievements?

Your greatestDisappointment

In life !

AndManyMore

Criteria based questions

• These are the likely criteria for which the interviewer may be looking for: • Initiative • Stress tolerance • Adaptability • Leadership • Problem analysis • Interpersonal skills • Team attitude • Reliability • Persuasiveness • Innovation

Thank You