Group discussions are used in recruitment processes to assess candidates' skills in a short period of time. They allow companies to evaluate leadership, communication, interpersonal, problem-solving, persuasive, and conceptual skills. There are two main types of group discussions - topic based and case based. Effective group discussion participation requires observing other discussions, practicing discussion skills, and actively participating in discussions to improve. Key mistakes to avoid include emotional outbursts, dominating conversation, egotism, and insecurity. Strong discussion skills emphasize understanding topics, clear viewpoints, confidence, and open-mindedness without conflict.

1. by
Gopal Murali krishna
Syed Nahid
Shaik Shakeer Hussain

2. Group Discussion(GD)
• Exchange of thoughts and ideas among members
• GD purpose is to get an idea about candidate in a
short time & make assessment about candidate’s
skills

3. Why Group Discussions????
 Mass elimination of candidates.
 Choosing the socially suitable candidate among the
academically superior achievers.
 It is one of the best tools to study the behavioral and
attitudinal responses of the participants.

4. Types of GD
 Topic based
 Case based

5. Topic based
• Factual Topics
E.g:-The education policy of any country, Tourism
• Controversial Topics
E.g:- Reservations should be removed,
Women make better managers
• Abstract Topics
E.g:-Abstract topics are about intangible things

6. Case-based GD
• The case study tries to simulate a real-life
situation.
• The objective in the case study is to get you to
think about the situation from various angles.
• IIM A, IIM Indore have a case-based discussion.

7. Skills assessed at group discussion:-
Leadership skills
Communication skills
Interpersonal skills
Problem solving skills
Persuasive skills
Conceptualizing skills

8. Leadership skills
 Inspire the team.
 Ability to lead.
 To help the team achieve the given
objective.

9. Communication skills
Verbal Non-verbal
 Clarity of thought  Body language
 Optness of language used  Facial expressions
 Gestures
 Postures
 Eye contact

10. Interpersonal skills
 Ability to interact with other members of the group

11. Problem solving skills
 Ability to use his/her creativity to come out with
offbeat solutions is assessed.

12. Persuasive skills:
Ability to persuade others to see the problem
from several perspectives without hurting
the feelings of anyone in the group
Conceptualizing skills:
Ability to grasp the situation and apply it to a
macro level is considered

13. Why do we have GD?
 To understand a subject more deeply.
 Improves your ability to think critically.
 It helps in solving a particular problem.
 It helps the group to make a particular decision.
 It gives you the chance to hear other’s ideas.
 It improves your listening skills.
 It increases your confidence in speaking.
 It can change your attitudes.

14. 3 steps for improving GD Skills
 Observe
 Practice
 Participate

15. Observe
 How do other students make critical comments?
 How do they ask questions?
 How do they disagree with or support arguments?
 What special phrases do they use to show politeness
even when they are voicing disagreement?
 How do they signal to interrupt, ask a question or
make a point?

16. Practice
 Start practicing your discussion skills in an
informal setting or with a small group.

17. Participate
 Take every opportunity to take part in
social/informal discussions.

18. GD Mistakes
 Emotional outburst
ANGER
 Quality Vs Quantity
MAXIMUM TALK
 Egotism Showing off (SELFISHNESS)
FAKE FIGURES / INFORMATION
 Get noticed - But for the right reasons
WANT TO BE THE FIRST
 Managing one's insecurities
NERVOUSNESS

19. Tips:-
 Understand the topic and analyse it mentally before
speaking
 Be clear about the purpose and content of your
viewpoint
 Be clear in speech, audible but not too loud and
above all remain confident
 Be open minded but don’t allow others to change
your own viewpoint
 Starting the discussion is considered to be good
however it isn’t that important

20. Tips:-
 Never to lose your temper and never attack
anyone on a personal front
Your attitude should be one of
cooperation and not one of conflict.
 Don’t lose sight of the discussion listen to any
criticisms and give them a thought before
trying to defend your views