What is a walk-in interview, and how to crack it?
Walk-in interviews or open job interviews are one of the types of job interviews anyone can give. In India, walk-in interviews are popular among MNCs, big IT companies and PSUs. In 2022, TCS conducted walk-in interviews for roles like Automation Testing, Manual Testing, Dot Net Support, L1 Support, Java Support and ETL Support.
Similarly, NMDC conducted a walk-in interview for more than 100 vacancies in 2022 for the following roles -
- Fitter
- Welder
- Machinist
- Chemical Lab Assistant
- Medical Lab Assistant
What is a walk-in interview?
When a company decides to conduct a walk-in interview, they send invitations to many candidates. It is open to anyone interested in taking a job in the organisation.
Walk-in interview meaning: A walk-in interview is one of the methods of recruitment companies use to interview many candidates during a fixed time slot and days. It is a short meeting with each invited candidate to gauge if they are suitable for the roles and can be moved to the next round of hiring.
It is the best method for bulk hiring. However, it is less popular nowadays. In today’s candidate-centric market and amid talent shortage, good candidates are headhunted and hired through one-on-one interviews and assessments.
Walk-in interviews can still land you the job of your dream. So, if you ever decide to go for a walk-in interview, what must you do to crack it?
Difference between walk-in interview and scheduled interview
Walk-in interviews are totally different in nature from a scheduled interview. Following are some of the major
differences.
| Scheduled Interview | Walk-in interview |
|---|---|
| Candidate profiles are vetted in advance. | Candidates are vetted and shortlisted when they appear for the interview. |
| Candidates with the required qualification, skills, and experience are interviewed. | Walk-in interviews do not have specific requirements. Anyone can walk in with their resume. |
| Each candidate is interviewed during a time slot decided for each candidate. | Candidates are not given any specific time slot. All candidates are interviewed one by one at any time on the day the walk-in interview is conducted. |
| Generally, the interviewer knows about the candidates and their expertise. | The interviewer is unaware of the candidates' expertise. Hence, in a walk-in interview, an introduction or the candidate's resume is the starting point of the conversation. |
How to crack a walk-in interview?
Understanding how walk-in interviews work is the first step in cracking it. Follow the below tips to ace your next walk-in interview
1. Do thorough research on the company conducting the walk-in interview
It is the silliest mistake candidates do when they go for a job interview. 47% of candidates fail in a job interview because they have not done enough research about the company (Simplilearn).
It is especially crucial to do deep research about what the company does, its goals, missions, and every other detail about it published publicly. It will give you an edge over other candidates interviewing for the same position.
2. Dress up decently for the walk-in interview
The workplace dynamics have changed drastically. Today, companies refrain from asking candidates to dress up formally. Employees have the freedom to wear formal, business casual or casual. However, check for specific instructions about the dress code to avoid confusion when you go for a walk-in interview.
3. Be punctual and remain calm
“Better three hours too soon than a minute too late” -Shakespeare
It applies when you go for an interview. Hiring managers and interviewers are busy people, held up in making strategies, planning and taking meaningful decisions. They appreciate candidates who make it to the interview on time. Moreover, walk-in interviews are conducted at fixed timing. So, even a minute late can cost you to miss a golden opportunity.
4. Be confident and ask questions to engage in interesting conversation
When so many candidates interview for the same role, it is natural to get nervous. To prove that you deserve the role more than anybody else, you have to be confident and ask meaningful questions. It will give you brownie points. The interviewers prefer confident people who are curious over dull candidates.
Walk-in interviews could be difficult to crack. Follow the above tips while you prepare for a walk-in interview. Consider taking a mock interview to be confident when you appear for the real interview.
Commonly asked questions in walk-in interviews.
It is always better to be prepared in advance for questions that are obvious and asked in every other job interview. Following are some of the walk-in interview questions to get acquainted with before heading to the interview:
Tell us something about yourself.
How to answer: You might expect this question in almost any other job interview that you appear in. Most candidates struggle to answer this question. Unlike most of them who go on to talk about their basic details like home town, family, and so on, you must talk about yourself, your personality, skills, and achievements.
What do you know about our company?
How to answer: Most candidates fail to answer this question because they have not researched well about the company. Again, more than some regular information like when the company was established and the size of the company, the interviewer will be happier to hear what you know about the business of the company and how you will fit into the team, aligning your vision and mission with that of the company.
Can you work under pressure?
How to answer: When the interviewer asks this question, they look to hear about a circumstance when you had to work under pressure, and you successfully dealt with it.
Do you have any other offers in hand?
How to answer: It is very likely that the interviewer likes you and wants to know how much it would cost you if they hired you. Hence, they want to confirm if you already have an offer. It is always wise to have a couple of offers, even if you don’t have one; being confident while answering that you are already interviewing for a few would mean you are a good candidate and might be taken soon.
Do you have any questions for me/us?
How to answer: Most people keep silent, saying they don’t have any questions. While it might not hurt you in most cases, throwing a few intelligent questions can earn you brownie points. So any question you might have while you research the company or something you come up with might make sense to ask.
