It is the word which sends a shiver down the spine. Stress interviews get us in an uncanny situation. So let’s see if these interviews are really worth the hype.
Current Trend
In 2009, most of the top notch B-schools (Read IIM’s and MDI - Gurgaon included) did not take stress interview. One off case might be there but it’s not a general trend, considering their reputation and the high pressure curriculum that they follow.
Much ado about nothing??
Well, this is not to say that stress interviews don’t happen. But, it’s a rare chance that you enter and you are bombarded with a question like:
‘How many auto rickshaws are plying in your city?’
‘If this be the third floor then how many stairs did you climb up to reach up to this place?’
Handling the stress interview
Most good interviewers will want you to verbalize your thoughts freely. The panel is interested in your thought process rather than trying to put you under pressure right from the word go. Unless there is some impetus or stimuli from the candidate’s side, there is little chance of a stress interview, unless instructed specifically to the panel. But, if you try to act smart in front of them, then let me tell you, the panel loves to get entertained by ‘youngistan’ which tries to build castles in air without getting their facts or rationale right.
Logic behind stress interview
The usual reason – the person would have to deal with lots of stress while on job, so let’s see how he/she deals with stress. This is a clichéd logic having lots of assumptions. If you try to put people under artificial pressure, more often than not, it would not reveal the actual strengths & talents of the candidate, which in turn, actually defeats the purpose of an interview.
So be rest assured, the panel is vastly experienced and they want you to be informative, rather than the panel displaying their own knowledge with stress related questions,as is normally thought.
Just bear in mind:
If you say, you play guitar, you have to show us how you stand out.
Goldman Sachs, for example, not only expects you to be aware about the firm; business and culture but also wants you to ask questions about the firm during the interview.
So, good luck with your next interview.
