Group Discussion

L-7
What is Group Discussion?

• A Group Discussion (GD) is a technique used by corporate companies, educational institutes, and other organizations to judge the
communication skills of the participant.
• Communication skill is a crucial factor than technical knowledge in any corporate environment.
• Hence, many companies are now making Group Discussion as to their first criteria for screening the candidates before the face-to-face
interviews. There indeed is a reason for giving importance to GD.
• This discussion in the interview process is used for mass screening. The GD selection criteria are based on the actual company requirements.
• Communication and GD are two relevant soft skills that are a must for anyone looking for a job in the IT or other fields.
Importance Of Group Discussions

• As it is said that, the first impression is the best impression. The way you communicate professionally
with your peers, heads and most importantly the customers is directly or indirectly an add-on to the
quality of services that your company offers to the masses.
• Hence, GD is a means of the strainer to strain the right candidate from a pool of applicants.
N.B: Making a good impression while speaking in the meetings or interviews is the basic skill that every
professional should possess.
What Skills Are Judged In GD?

• How good you are while communicating with others?

• How you behave and interact with a group?
• How open-minded are you?
• Your listening skill.
• How you put forward your views?
• Your leadership and decision-making skills.
• Your analysis skill and subject know problem solving and critical thinking skill edge.
• Your.
• Your attitude and confidence.
How to start a GD?
• Initiate The first and foremost step to come in light among the group is to be knowledgeable enough to  initiate the
discussion.
It is not necessary to have a thorough knowledge of the topic with actual facts and figures but at least the basic
information on the topic will be good enough to speak on it. In order to make your speech more interesting, you can start
with a quote which is relevant to the topic or can start with a short and simple incident/story.
• Lead: There could be a situation where you do not have enough information on the given topic. It’s wise to Wait,
Watch and Listen to what the other candidates speak until you get a chance to glide into the discussion. Take charge
and start your conversation forward.
Once you take charge of the discussion, make sure that you speak to the point without dragging the topic for the sake of
it. Always remember that less is more. The more you add to the speech, the more you may get prone to making mistakes.
Hence, being precise and leading the discussion impactfully is the key.
• To Summarize,
Just as initiating a Group Discussion helps to grab the attention of the GD evaluators. Similarly, summarization is an
opportunity to turn heads of the evaluators.
Putting together the whole discussion by highlighting the star points and concluding the results of the discussion is
summarizing the discussion. The summary should be short and to the point and no new points should be added for
further discussion. Make sure that the summary is not single-sided but an amalgamation of both sides of the discussion.  
 Certain skills that must be learned as a candidate in order to crack a GD successfully.

#1) Interpersonal Skills: It is a skill that helps to convert a normal conversation into an impactful conversation. When we
say that ‘you should sound confident’, it not only involves the way you speak but your overall appearance as a whole.
The soft skills required include using voice modulation, pronunciation and tone in an appropriate manner. One can take
proper training in soft skills or imbibe some tips of presenting oneself in the corporate world.
#2) Leadership Quality: Among the crowd of talented candidates there’s always a chance of getting overshadowed and
compressed.
It could be the case where even if the other candidate is less knowledgeable or mediocre in academics but his one quality
of putting forth his positives and ability to control the situation ( here discussion) will make him/her earn a brownie point.
#3) Listening Quality: A good listener is a good Problem Solver. A good listener helps to build the other qualities that are
required in GD such as analytical skill, critical thinking, communication, decision making, etc.
Listening not only helps to understand the topic from others point of view but also helps to think accordingly and reach the
solution to the problem or discussion.
It is also a good gesture and a communication building block with the other candidates, as it gives a sense of respect for
other views. Listening also makes one approachable and most importantly being listened to in return. In simple terms, if
you want to be listened to by everyone then you should also listen to others. 
#4) Convincing Power: The ability to convince others by means of your speech is a great skill that is useful for any
company. The candidate should be able to impact the other candidates through his thought process and indeed one must
learn this skill. 
#5) Knowledgeable:  In order to be active in a discussion session, one must have an overall knowledge from all the
sectors of the world. One should be reading newspapers, various fictions, non-fiction books, etc.
Latest updates in different fields such as current affairs, education, sports, travel, arts & science, etc. Again it is not
necessary to have all facts and figures of the topic but it is enough to speak with confidence on the given topic.
Certain essential pointers that are very important to get noticed and selected in a GD.

#1) Appearance: It is the first thing to be noticed by anyone but still people/candidates ignore this aspect of one’s
personality. Always wear formal attire and be well-groomed.
#2) Eye Contact: Your confidence is seen in your eyes. Hence maintain eye contact with the evaluator while initiating
the discussion. Later share eye contacts with your peers in a consistent manner. During the session avoid looking at the
evaluator and concentrate on the peers.
Even when you are listening to the opposition candidate, make sure you are slightly turned towards the angle where the
candidate is present and use gestures such as nodding in appreciation in between the presentation.
#3) Avoid Dominance: Always remember that it is a discussion and not a battle.
In the heat of the moment never lose your control of speech and decency. You are there to share your point of view and
not to start an argument. Respect others views and do not try to dominate your views or point. Being patient and calm is
the key.
#4) Avoid Interrupting: It is considered mannerless to interrupt someone while talking. Everyone has a say and one should
respect and let your turn come for you to have your say. There could be a situation where you may need to cut short the
speaker, if so then do it politely with due respect and apologize for doing so.
• For Example, ‘ I am sorry to intervene but considering the time limit, I may miss to put forth my point so I would like to
say that…..’
#5) Clarity of Speech and Thoughts: Always maintain a medium speed and volume of your voice. Be prepared in the mind
of your thoughts that you are about to present and be clear. Avoid fumbling and jumbling with your speech. Be confident and
pardon if you make a mistake while speaking.
#6) Irrelevant Talk: Avoid deviating from the main topic and be on the same track. Quality is important than Quantity. Be
short and simple and refrain yourself from involving in irrelevant talks.
Do’s And Don’ts

1) Keep Eye Contact while Speaking: Do not look at the evaluators only. Keep eye contact with every team member while speaking.
2) Initiate the GD: Initiating the GD is a big plus. But keep in mind – Initiate the discussion only when you understood the GD topic
clearly and have some knowledge on the topic. Speaking without proper subject knowledge will leave a bad impression.
3) Allow others to Speak: Do not interrupt anyone in-between while speaking. Even if you don’t agree with his/her thoughts, do not
snatch their chance to speak. Instead, make some notes and clear the points when it’s your turn.
4) Speak Clearly: Speak politely and clearly. Use simple and understandable words while speaking. Don’t be too aggressive if you are
disagreeing with someone. Express your feelings calmly and politely.
5) Make sure to Bring the Discussion on Track: If by any means the group is distracted or deviated from the topic or goal then simply
take initiative to bring the discussion on the track. Make all the group members aware that you all need to come to some conclusion at the
end of the discussion. So stick to the topic.
6) Positive Attitude: Be confident. Do not try to dominate anyone. Keep positive body language. Show interest in the discussion.
7) Speak Sensibly: Do not speak just to increase your speaking time. Don’t worry even if you speak less. Your thoughts should be sensible
and relevant instead of an irrelevant speech.
8 ) Listen Carefully to Others: Speak less and listen more! Pay attention while others are speaking. This will make coherent discussion
and thereby you will get involved in the group positively. You will surely make people agree with you.
9) No need to go into many details: Some basic subject analysis would be sufficient. No need to mention the exact figures while giving
any reference. You have limited time only, so be precise and convey your thoughts in a short and simple language.
10) Formal Dressing: Do not take it casually. No fancy and funny dressing. You should be comfortable while speaking in a group.
Positive gesture and body language will make your work easy.
Thank You