Group Discussion

Video Lesson on Group Discussion

Group Discussion is a methodology or in a simple language, you may call it an interview process or a group activity. It is used as one of the best tools to select the prospective candidates in a comparative perspective. GD may be used by an interviewer at an organization, colleges or even at different types of management competitions.

GD evaluation is done by the subject experts based on the discussions. A report will be prepared on analyzing the facts at the end of the discussion.

Some of the personality traits the GD is trying to gauge may include:

Communication skills
Interpersonal Skills
Leadership Skills
Motivational Skills
Team Building Skills
Analytical /Logical Skills
Reasoning ability
Different Thinking
Initiative
Assertiveness
Flexibility
Creativity
Ability to think on ones feet

The reason why institutes put you through a Group discussion and an interview, after testing your technical and conceptual skills in an exam, is to get to know you as a person and gauge how well you will fit in their institute. GD evaluates how you can function as a part of a team. As a manager or as a member of an organization you will always be working in teams. Therefore how you interact in a team becomes an important criterion for your selection. Managers have to work in a team and get best results out of teamwork. That is the reason why management institutes include GD as a component of the selection procedure.

How to prepare for a Group Discussion?

Preparing for a group discussion requires immense practice, learning, studying which can be done through mock GD’s and certain Group Discussion Tips. A candidate must prepare by studying various useful GD topics which can help him/her to understand the group discussion structure and flow.

Company's Perspective:

Companies conduct group discussion after the written test to know more about your:

Interactive Skills (how good you are at communication with other people)
Behavior (how open-minded are you in accepting views contrary to your own)
Participation (how good an active speaker you are & your attention to the discussion)
Contribution (how much importance do you give to the group objective as well as your own)