Group Discussion

Group
Discussions
Detailed Guide
What is group discussion?
Is a positive exchange of views on a particular topic given on the spot. You are usually
given around 2 minutes to structure your thoughts.
Is time bound and open to all present in the group.( Each GD lasts for around 25-30
mins)
Is not a competition or an argument where any one person wins ( The whole group
may be rejected or selected)
Is often used as a mass grading process.
All the participants in a Group Discussion are expected to present their opinion or
views ( Consider yourself not selected if you keep mum for the whole duration)

Why is GD a part of the recruitment process?

The objective of a group discussion is to evaluate certain attributes in a candidate
-
dates keeping in mind to groom them as future leaders. These days, a role isn’t limited
to individual work, often you are a part of a team. Recruiters want to assess deeper
aspects of your communication skills, i.e. convincing skills, logical thinking behind
supporting/ opposing ideas from other team members, how do you present your
ideas.

Basic etiquettes of a GD?

This is very simple, the objective of any team meeting is to come up with the best
practical solution to the given problem. To come up with the best solution, everyone
will give their inputs some of which might be feasible and others not. When the dis-
cussion is on ideas, feasible solutions need to be backed/ seconded and others should
be criticised logically and explained why it is not workable.

Also, when someone is speaking they should not be cut in between as that shows you
to be an autocratic person. Always be respectful towards your peers, avoid any
assumptions you have about them.

Often the winners in Group Discussions are the ones who are active listeners, empa-
thetic, non- judgemental and logical peeps. It’s a no brainer such people often shine
brighter than their peers as they have strong leadership skills.
 Areas of Evaluation in a Selection GD
Clarity: To be the initiator, you must be clear with the thought
process in order to take the direction in the right direction
especially if the topic is abstract. Your creativity of dragging the
conversation will decide the further path of the GD.
Content: Your content could really create a difference in a

Initiative perceptions and help the other members create theirs. Thus
you could be at an advantage if you know the world around you
and can frame it in a sensible form.
Creating a connection with other members of
the group is very important to achieve intangible support from

the members to gain their trust.

Your role in a group discussion may vary from:

If you hold the role of the leader, it is your responsibility
to keep motivating the members of the team and coordinate a
healthy conversation.
Rule The one who has the ability to add relevant
facts to the discussion to keep it active and alive.
If you are the one who steals the ideas of
others but is smart enough to make it seem sensible and pres-

Your ability to speak with a constant rate of speech

Your voice should be audible pleasantly and

clearly to maintain articulation.
Communication Your pitch should not go too high or too low.
Keep it constantly at a suitable rate.
Apart from this, eye contact, posture, energy and gestures are
evaluated

able to persuade any one of the other group members with your
argument..Persuasion can be divided by following approaches:

Ethos is persuading someone with trust and reliability.

Being the one who adds value to the conversation, you are
Persuasion trusted more and listened to.

This approach involves taking care of the emotions of

other members of the group. Make counter-arguments to sensi-
tive viewpoints at the correct time and in a decent way.
Be logical in whatever you speak. Logical arguments are
always received in a better way.
 How to Prepare Yourself?
Prepare: Prepare well in time on as many topics as you can, stay updated
calling out the person’s name is a good way
to get their attention. it also shows your people skills and presence of mind.

Your body posture reveals your state of

mind. At the same time, it conditions you to a particular way of thinking.
Don’t lean back or lean forward. Find the balance.

Take Charge: Take charge of the group discussion right in the begin-
ning. It shows your leadership capability.

Be to the point and intervene when another

candidate is taking all the airtime

Keep the domain in mind while projecting your

image. Let’s suppose you are facing a group discussion for a sales function,
you may have to take a more aggressive approach whereas a marketing
function could veer towards the creative and the practical approach in
assessment.

DO’s AND DON'Ts

Don't let a small group dominate the

Initiate the discussion- Brownie points
Maintain eye contact with all the group
members
Have a neutral tone of voice
Get the Discussion back on track if it
has gone
Listen to all the points made- You get
brownies points for summarizing GD
Keep your points crisp- speak not more
than 30 seconds at one go
Support your case with facts and
well aware of topic
If someone interrupts you, politely ask
them to complete your point. It
establishes you a winner
discussion
Don't let the discussion drift away from
the topic
Don't interrupt mid-sentence.
Never have emotional outburst- direct
Don't force others to think the way you
do, try to convince them with good
reasoning
Avoid agreeing with all points of view-
You come out as an easily agreeable
person
Don't keep looking at moderators,
assume they are not present in room
Never ask anyone else to speak since it
comes out as if you are forcing them
 Some Proven Phrases to Sound Professional

“
that…”

“
Starting GD
that….”

“ …”

“ ….”

Agreeing “ …”

“ ”

“ …”

“ …”
Disagreeing “ ….”

“ …”

“ ….”

Making “ …”
suggestions
“ …”

“ …”

“ …”
Interrupting
Politely “ ...”

“ ...”
 Types of GDs and Techniques to be used
1. Abstract:
Such topics are based on your perception. The challenge here is to put forth
multiple implications of the topic and then evoke a discussion on some of them.
Example topics:
- Pigs can fly
- And the clock struck 13!
- Black -

2. Fact Based: -
Such topics require familiarity with facts/information on static/dynamic
components of the environment (such as social, political, economical, etc.)
Example topics:
- The Corona crisis: issues and challenges
- Cricket and India
- Issues of managing diversity in a country like India

3. Controversial:
These topics are the ones that are argumentative in nature.
They are meant to generate controversy.
The noise level is usually high, there may be tempers flying.
You have to maintain calmness by keeping the temper in check, by rationally
arguing the point of view without getting personal and emotional.
Example topics:
- Reservations should be removed
- Women make better managers

Reservation system in India:

Social - Inequalities in rural and urban India like

SPHELTIR Untouchability, Reservations for socially and
educationally backward classes (Art. 15)
Techniques to be
Political - Caste based vote-bank politics Women
used for Factual Reservation Bill?
topics
Historical - Genesis of Caste System in India. Was
there a timeline
set by constitution?

Economic - Creamy Layer Reservations in jobs

and educational Institutes
 Reservation system in India:

Legal - Indian Constitution, Right to equality (Art. 14).

SPHELTIR However, ‘positive discrimination’ is allowed (Art. 15)

Techniques to be Technological - Reservations in the private sector

like IT/ITES. Is Reservation in IITs/IIMs killing merit?
used for Factual
topics International - Is Reservation making India less
competitive?
(Continued...) Similar policy of Affirmative Action in USA too

Religion - Reservations for Minorities; Sachar Com-

mittee Report

Black
People - Corrupt/ dishonest people
POPBEANS Objects - Black hole, manipulated balance sheet (commerce point)

Techniques to be Place - Historical monuments, graveyard, South or North pole

used for Abstract Behaviour - Rude and aggressive behaviour
topics
Event - 26/11, other tragic events
Actions - Honour killing, female foeticide , Negligent behaviour

Nature – Environmental degradation, catastrophic events

Society - Decline in values, morals

Black

Introduce the Topic.

IPFEPF Present Both Sides of the Issue.
Techniques to be
used for Facilitate Discussion.
Controversial
topics Express Your Own Opinion.

Present a Case Study.

Facilitate (More) Discussion

 Techniques to Practice
Have a good command on the language. Make sure you never fumble with words.
Train yourself to be a good listener. Develop the patience to listen attentively.
Acknowledge that everyone has something valuable to say.
When speaking in a GD, your job is to articulate your point of view in a way that is
easy for others to comprehend.
Inculcate the good habit of structuring your thoughts and presenting them logi-
cally
Writing Essays on a variety of topics is good practice developing thought struc-
ture and keeping in practice of alone preparation.
The only way to prepare is to read more, develop a keen interest in current affairs.
Have a proper awareness when it comes to Current Affairs, as most of the topics in
GD are from Current Affairs.
Learn to be open-minded and recognize the fact that people think differently
about issues.

List of Hot Topics to Prepare!

Friends, Enemy or Frenemies?

Hard Work Vs Smart Work

Innovation Vs Invention
AI’s future- Boon or Bane
Cryptocurrency

Success of Swachh Bharat Mission

Social Media: A boon or a bane for society?
Will Beti Bachao Beti Padhao abolish the orthodox mindset?
Dowry
Reservation

Coronavirus: Impact on Global Economy

COVID 19: Importance on spending on Public Health
Is social distancing the new world order?
Citizenship Amendment Act - What and Why
GD topics asked by different companies in various top
academic institutes over the years
1. Saint Gobain - Hillary Clinton vs Trump
2. Microsoft IDC - Develop some idea related to AI like converting text on pho-
tos(in any language) to words and then translate to convenient language
3. Ckb - Modi Government's report card
4. Alshaya - Online retail will take over offline retail in coming future
5. RIL - (Case based) How to expand petrol pumps/ petrol retail chain in India
6. Times Group: Advertisement of GE (unknown to the participants) was shown
and asked to comment on context, tone, company name
7. Kpmg - Ban on Ndtv for one day
8. Some company - Indo china commercial corridor through POK
<To increase the sales of electric stove in rural areas where ppl like the stove but
have issues with the size of the burner>
9. Reliance - (Case Based) Your company is launching 5g technology. As a part
of Digital India initiative, discuss measures to increase penetration in rural India.
10. Synergy Consulting - (Case Based) XYZ country is facing a power crisis and
has recently discovered oil reserves which they can harness after 5 years. Also,
there is growing concern about the environmental issues. Discuss the course of
action that the government should adopt to mitigate the power generation gap.
11. Alshaya - Should the top 100 richest people of the world uplift the people
living below the poverty line?
12. Vedanta - (Random topics from the internet) Is the marketing team role
important for the success of a movie?
13. Microsoft - (Case Discussion) Suggest a feature that could be embedded
into the web browser such that it may be useful for future generations.