GROUP DISCUSSIONS

AT INTERVIEWS
Dr. G. Venkatraman
 What is a Group Discussion?
• "Group" is a collection of persons who have
regular contact and frequent interaction and who
work together to achieve a common set of goals.
• "Discussion" is a process whereby two or more
people exchange information or ideas in a
face-to-face situation to achieve a goal.
• The goal: increased knowledge, agreement leading
to action, disagreement leading to competition or
resolution or perhaps only a clearing of the air or a
continuation of the status-quo.
 Who holds a Group Discussion?
• GD - a popular methodology used by many
organizations (company, institute, business
school, etc.) to gauge whether the candidate
has certain personality traits.
• Traits tested: interpersonal communication
skills, confidence in public speaking, team
spirit, leadership abilities, social behaviour and
problem-solving skills.
• short-listing process for recruitment or
admission in a company or institution.
 GD…
• a test of your interactive skills and your ability
to communicate with other people.
• need to understand the other person’s point
of view while making your point.
• ensure that your team as a whole reaches a
win-win situation.
• GD is really a simulated managerial setting.
 GD…
• Groups of 8-10 candidates
• Leaderless group
• A specific situation to analyze and discuss
within a given time limit
• 20 – 45 minutes
• A case study - a solution for a problem.
• Or a topic
 GD…
• A moderator discloses the topic; 10 minutes
to prepare points - for or against the topic
• Starting the GD is great;
• but if you don’t how to start, listen actively
• a group of panelists will grade you based on
your performance.
 Skills assessed
Leadership Skills
Ability to take leadership roles and lead, inspire
and carry the team along and to help them
achieve the group’s objectives.
Communication Skills
clarity of thought, expression and aptness of
language.
listening skill - a willingness to accommodate
others views.
 Skills assessed
Interpersonal Skills
• People skills - important aspect of any job.
• reflected in the ability to interact with other
members of the group.
• Emotional maturity and balance
• To acquired better interpersonal skills: people centric
rather than self-centric
Persuasive Skills
The ability to analyze the situation and the people
and persuade others to see the problem from
multiple perspectives.
 GD…
• Essentially, the group discussion is a test of
your ability to:
- think on your feet
- analytical skill and
- ability to make your point in a team-
based environment.
 Tips for the Group Discussion
• A good level of general awareness will come in
handy so that you aren’t at a loss of words on
certain issues.
• be familiar with general knowledge, current
developments in all fields
• Topics - a wide range of issues.
• current events, business news, sports or anything
general.
• If you read widely, you will have better chances
of shining well in a GD.
 Tips…
• Take time to think of what you are going to say.
• a note pad and a pen.
• jot down as many ideas as you can before verbalizing
them.
• Think of various strategies before you enter the
discussion
• initiate the discussion or agree with someone else’s
point and then move onto express your views.
• Starting the discussion is considered to be good
however it isn’t that important;
• you speak for a period long enough for you to be able
to communicate your viewpoint.
 Tips…
• Be patient; don’t lose your cool if anyone says
anything you object to.
• The key is to stay objective: Don’t take the
discussion personally.
• The six C’s of effective communication
Clarity, Completeness, Conciseness, Confidence, Correctness
and Courtesy.
• Be responsive to ideas from other people and very
receptive and open-minded but don’t allow others
to change your own viewpoint.
 Tips…
• Employers are looking for a range of different
skills
• leadership is key, and want to demonstrate
this in a discussion,
• you need to be careful that you don’t
dominate the discussion as this may come
across as aggressive.
 Tips…
Quality and NOT QUANTITY:
- Often, participants think that success in
group discussions depends on their decibel
levels – i.e. how much they speak and how
loud they speak.
- Ironically, it’s the opposite.
 Tips…
• Rounding the discussion off –
when about 2-3 minutes are left, someone in
the group must take the initiative and
summarize all the issues discussed.
 Some Common GD topics
Current Affairs
• COVID-19: Impact on Global Economy
• COVID-19: Importance of spending more money
on Public Health Measures
• Online education, work from home: Have we
arrived in virtual world?
• Coronavirus and lockdown has exposed social
inequality in modern India
• Is India ready for Electric Vehicles?
 GD topics…
Technology
• Impact of technology on jobs in India
• Impact of Demonetisation
• What is the Future of Cryptocurrency?
• IT Industry - Will it create more jobs in the future?
• Will AI transform the future?
• Ban on Chinese Apps in India.
• Is Technology making us less human?
• Can Artificial intelligence replace Human intelligence?
• Big Data and Information Privacy – A future challenge.
 GD topics…
Abstract Topics:
• Hard work vs. Smart work
• Work-life Balance is Not Possible
• Ethics or Profit?
• Borderless world – a myth/reality?
• Food is more important than Ethics.
• Good things come from good thinking.
 GD topics…
Social Issues Topics:
• Social Media - Impact on humans and society
• Views on Current Education System
• Climate Change and Pollution
• Views on Retirement Homes
 GD topics…
• Knowing a few GD topics, keeping them in the
back of your head, and practicing them from
time to time could prove to be very useful.
• It's easier to speak about GD topics if you've
thought about it beforehand.
 What are the various skills judged in a GD?

• How good you are at communicating with other

• How easily you behave and interact with the other
group members
• How open-minded you are
• How flexible or rigid you are in accepting the
viewpoints of others in the group
• Your leadership skills
• Your analytical abilities
 Skills tested…
• Problem-solving & critical thinking skills
• Time management skills
• Your skills at putting forth your ideas in an
unbiased manner
• Social attitude and confidence
 Conclusion
• Various skills are tested in a GD
• These skills are necessary for an individual to
succeed as a manager or an administrator.
• Through GD, judging and eliminating
candidates becomes easier.
• Your problem-solving skills and team-player
skills will really make all the difference.