Interviews may be carried out in a one-to-one situation, or a group of interviewers may interview a single candidate. Each type of interview has its advantages and disadvantages.
The one-to-one interview is the most common. It has the advantage of being the most natural situation. It is easier to build up a relationship with the candidate, who will feel at ease and answer questions more fully and more naturally. In this way, the interviewer is likely to find out a good deal about the candidate. In particular, he will be in a good position to find out whether or not he will want the candidate to work with him. These advantages carry with them certain disadvantages as well. The interviewer may be so strongly affected by his own positive or negative feelings that he will be unable to assess the candidate fairly. The interview may be so relaxing that the interviewer forgets to explore certain areas: it may turn into a conversation about topics of mutual interest.
The next most common type of interview is the board interview. This is usually adopted by some bureaucratic organizations in order that the selection procedure should be seen to be fair to candidates and that people who are selected reach some kind of common standards. On the other hand, the board may be more conscientious in covering all relevant areas. They may also be more careful in reaching a decision based on all the available evidence. But it also has some disadvantages. For example, the candidate will feel nervous in front of a group of interviewers, which may influence the candidate's demonstrating his personal and professional qualities.