Business Careers
A group discussion is not won by speaking the most
Students rehearse for a group discussion by arguing with friends, which trains them to be loud. Observers are looking for something else: who listens, who adds something new, who keeps the group on track. This session runs real discussions with observers taking notes, then tells each student what the observer saw.
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Most students have never been watched in a group discussion.
A group discussion is an unusual test. Several candidates are judged together, in minutes, on how they behave in a group. Students who are fine one-to-one can go silent; students who talk easily can talk over others and score poorly. Neither knows until someone tells them.
Not every employer or institute uses a group discussion, and some use a different format, such as a written ability test or a case round. Where it is used, it is usually used to narrow a large group quickly, so a clear, courteous, structured contribution matters more than being the loudest.
What observers look at
31 topics across 7 areas. Seven things, each noted for every participant.
ListeningThe skill most students leave out.4
- Waiting for a point to finish
- Referring back to what others said
- Not repeating a point already made
- Noticing when the group has drifted
A participant who builds on another's point is usually remembered more than one who only argues their own.
Starting and EnteringSpeaking first is optional. Speaking usefully is not.4
- When opening is worth it, and when it is a risk
- Defining the topic in one sentence
- Entering after someone else with a short link to their point
- Making the first contribution early enough to be counted
Content and StructureA clear point beats a long one.5
- One point per contribution, with a reason or example
- Looking at a topic from more than one angle: economic, social, practical
- Using facts only where you are sure of them
- Saying “I am not certain of the figure” rather than inventing one
- Avoiding memorised openers and statistics
Handling Other PeopleWhere most groups go wrong.5
- Disagreeing with the point, not the person
- Interrupting politely, and only when needed
- Bringing in someone who has not spoken
- Staying calm with a dominant speaker
- Not raising your voice to be heard
Formats You May MeetTopic, case, abstract and online.5
- Topic-based: current affairs, business and social issues
- Case-based: a business situation, with a decision to reach
- Abstract: a single word or an unusual statement
- Online discussions, where audio, turn-taking and chat behave differently
- Group exercises with a task, rather than a discussion
ClosingA summary is a contribution, not a conclusion.4
- Summarising what the group agreed and where it differed
- Doing it only if asked, or when time is nearly up
- Not introducing a new argument in the last minute
- Reflecting the group's view, not only your own
Feedback and PracticeA discussion is wasted if nobody reports what they saw.4
- An observer's note for each participant: what worked, what to change
- Picking the one habit to fix first
- Practising with a timer and a rotating observer
- Recording one practice round and watching it back
Rounds on offer
- Topic-based discussion
- Case-based discussion with a decision to reach
- Abstract-topic discussion
- Online discussion, where students prefer it
What the feedback contains
- Two things done well
- One or two things to change, in plain words
- A moment in the discussion that illustrated each
- No score and no ranking against others
How the session runs
A short briefing on what observers look for, then groups of eight to ten students discuss a prompt for fifteen to twenty minutes while an observer takes notes, followed by feedback to the group and to each participant who wants it. Students swap groups and observers between rounds. The number of groups running at once depends on how many observers attend, so we agree it with the college in advance. Feedback belongs to the student; the college receives a summary of common patterns only.
What your students leave with
- Experience of two or three timed group discussions
- Specific feedback from an observer, not general encouragement
- A simple structure for entering, contributing and closing
- Ways to handle a dominant speaker, and to bring in a quiet one
- Practice on topic, case and abstract prompts
- A short plan for the next two weeks of practice
Scheduled sessions
Nothing scheduled yet
Sessions are arranged with a college once a date is agreed. Ask us and we will find the right person for it.
A student rather than a college? See what is coming up, or ask your placement team to host this.
Be the person who made the discussion better.
Tell us who your students are and what stage they are at. Sessions are free for participants.