Group Discussions with Interview questions

Group Discussions
By Madhushree
Placement Executive
NITTE Meenakshi Institute of Technology

What you will learn today
• What is a GD and how it is conducted.
• Broad classification of common GD topics.
• Considerations and guidelines for participation in
a GD.
• Common pits fall that can be avoided.
• Mock practice sessions.
2

What is GD?
• A Group Discussion (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.
• It is used as one of the best tools to select
prospective candidates based on social behavior
in groups.
3

What happens in a GD round?
• It is an informal discussion in which candidates
with similar academic qualifications or related
educational backgrounds, discuss a topic.
• In a group discussion, each participant is free to
speak his/her views.
• A successful discussion involves both listening
and speaking
4

GD Evaluation Sheet (Sample)
5
Date: ________________________ Group: _________________________
Topic: ________________________________________________________
Evaluator: ____________________________________________________
PARAMETER Weightage Cand 1 Cand 2
Content Subject knowledge 30
Creativity and originality 5
Voice Tone and pitch 5
Body language Posture, Eye Contact 10
Analytical Ability 5
Ability to conclude 5
Initiative 5
Leadership 10
Group Behaviour 15
Enthusiasm 5
Listening 5
<10 20 30 40 50 60 70+
WORST VERY BAD BAD NEUTRAL GOOD
VERY
GOOD
EXCELLENT
Rating

Why is it important?
• In every company, employees communicate
with ’N’ number of people from various walks of
life.
• So the heart of the matter is to find out – who
can make a mark in a group with his/her ability
to communicate.
• It is critical to present your point of view in a
logical manner and to portray good listening and
communication skills within a group for better
chances. 6

1. General : related to facts, latest news and
current affairs.
The purpose is to find out how aware you are of
the surrounding.
Example:
• Should yoga be made compulsory in schools?
• Is India ready to go 100% cashless?
7
GDs fall under 4 categories

2. Controversial : These topics are argumentative
in nature and its purpose is to provoke you. The
moderator / interviewer wants to assess how
mature you are to keep your temper in check.
Example:
• Is beef ban logical?
• Women make better managers
• Fresher’s are better than laterals
8

3. Abstract : These are meant to check your lateral
thinking and creativity
Example:
• End justifies the means.
• Make hay while the sun shines.
4. Case-study based : These use cases are short
description of a problem and the team together is
required to come up with a solution.
Example: A company fired an employee and as a result
other employees went on strike.
So the question is why do you think the company fired
the employee and what can they do to end the strike? 9

Core objectives of a Group
Discussion
• To assess whether you are a good fit for a
company
• To assess whether you are a team player
• To assess your communication skills
• To evaluate your subject knowledge
• To assess if you are comfortable to voice your
opinion on a particular topic or subject
• To assess the spontaneity of your thoughts
• To gauge your diction, gestures and expressions 10

Before going for GD one has to
consider a few points.
1. Be up-to-date on the latest information such as
news and trending topics in the market.
2. Make a habit of reading newspapers, books and
magazines so that information is ready at hand
when needed.
3. The simple way to remember the content for a
longer period is to watch videos for 2-3 times. 11

4. Later on, select a topic and speak to yourself in
front of the mirror. (Make a self-assessment ).
5. Even be aware of different topics such as sports,
political news, technology news, economics and
market-related news.
12

Best time to speak in a group
discussion.
• If you have an argument to make, start as
soon as you can. Don’t wait.
• Don’t miss an opportunity due to
hesitation in a GD round.
• Do not make it obvious.
• Will also look at some scenarios in detail.
13

I want to initiate the discussion
If you are a dynamic person by nature
and you feel confident about your
knowledge on the topic (provided by
the moderator), then don’t waste time.
Initiate the discussion!
Make your opening statements.
14

I wanted to speak first, but
someone else already did
• If you feel your opinion differs from that of the
group’s initiator, react by opposing his/her move
mildly.
• Always jot down facts and figures to support
your argument
• Put forth new ideas and give the group
discussion a fresh dimension.
15

I had a great idea but someone
else got to it first
• This is your chance to hook onto others’ ideas.
• Thank them for bringing the point into the
picture and support their idea with substantial
facts and/or data points.
• Also shows contribution (how much importance
do you give to the group objective as well as
your own)
16

I don’t have any points to make
• Do not be a bystander.
• If you have no clue about the GD topic on the
table, keep noting important points presented by
fellow participants.
• Remember, summarizing at the end of a GD
leaves a great impression on the moderator.
• So you haven’t lost the battle yet!
17

Pros vs Cons
• Pair up with the person next to you
• For a given topic take 2 minutes to come up
point under Pros and Cons.
(Each person has to come up with points for both
sides of the argument).
• After 2 mins Person to the left expresses the Pros
while person to the right counters with Cons.
• After 1 min switch roles and person on the left
takes up Cons while the person on the right
switches to Pros.
18
ACTIVITY

Common Mistakes that must
be avoided in a GD round
1. Deviating from the subject:
• Focus on your points alone and do not let other
candidates push you out off topic.
• Be poised and stay calm if they try to agitate you.
• If the discussion steers off course, wait for the
candidate to complete and bring it back to the
topic of discussion. 19

2. Losing neutrality and making personal attacks:
• Maintain your calm and keep your debate down
to earth.
• This is just an interview round, not a war.
3. Focusing on quantity rather than quality:
• As discussed previously, gather your thoughts
and give them a structure mentally before
speaking.
20

4. Dominating too much:
• Do not sound bossy and snub everyone with
snide remarks or too many points.
• This will only fetch negative marks.
5. Quoting too many facts and figures:
• Mentioning quotations and facts is a good way of
scoring points. But don’t go overboard with
them.
• Maintain a balance while you speak.
21

6. Analyzing a topic poorly or starting in a haste:
• Listen carefully, think and then speak.
• Speak first only if you are confident about the
topic.
• Don’t be in a hurry to start first. You may end up
speaking rubbish.
7. Staying tight-lipped:
• This is an interactive round to check your
communication skills within a group.
• So, speak up to add value to the GD round.
22

GD Topics
1. Commercialization of medical services.
2. Income disparity due to modern technology.
3. Winning is what matters, whatever be the cost.
4. Educated Indians lack national commitment.
5. Net neutrality.
6. Road to success : hard work or smart work?
7. Flexi-timings vs. fixed timings at work.
8. Compulsory attendance in professional courses.
9. Examination - Has it killed education?
23

MOCK GD session
1. Each group would have 10 students from a
section. This group would be chosen at random.
2. One student would act as a moderator for each
group.
3. The moderator would announce the topic of
discussion and can ask any student to start the
discussion.
4. Moderator would have to go last and give
concluding remarks for the GD round.
24
ACTIVITY

5. Each student would get 2 minutes for putting his
argument. He can use it in multiple turns and final
half minute for concluding remarks.
6. If a student exceeds his time limit it would be
graded negatively.
7. The topics for discussion and the evaluation
criterion are given below.
Students as coordinator for MOCK sessions will
help them understand the parameters which needs
to be focused
25
ACTIVITY

Reference Links
• https://
www.managementstudyhq.com/characteristics-a
nd-purpose-of-group-discussion.html
• https://www.ssim.ac.in/blog/how-to-prepare-for
-group-discussion
/
• https://
q4interview.com/dos-and-dont-in-a-group-discus
sion.php
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BguYUJ7cW
rs
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