TAKING PART IN A FOCUS GROUP

How to conduct yourself at a Focus Group

A focus group is a small group discussion guided by a focus group facilitator.
It is designed to obtain the opinions and perceptions of a group of people on a planned topic.
It is now being used more and more as a form of a group interview process during recruitment.

The purpose of this style of interview is to see how you:

  • Interact with others.

  • Demonstrate your skills in a crowd.

  • Solve problems on the spot.

  • Communicate your views clearly and succinctly

  • Persuade others

  • Contribute effectively to a team

  • Willing you are to listen to others' views

  • Can take others' views on board, analyse and reflect back

Your goals at a focus group interview are to:

  • Stand out (in a good way, of course).

  • Enter the room with confidence.

  • Be friendly and speak to others – your interaction will be positive if the interviewers are watching.

  • Listen carefully to the purpose of the focus group and the questions. Take brief keyword notes to remind yourself. Or take mental note of crucial purpose words.

  • You will most likely get a process guide for the focus group. Don't panic if you don't get one.

  • The facilitator will ask open-ended questions (what? How?) to gain big-picture insight into your ideas and opinions on the topic.

  • Find every opportunity to drill down on your ideas and your opinions when you have the chance to speak. Make every opportunity count.

  • The facilitator will also ask some probing questions (tell me more about? this is also a moment to shine, explain your opinion clearly and if you can remember any theory to back up your ideas, use it.

  • Build on the ideas of others. If you agree with someone's point, say something like, I agree with….so and so… on her point that she made… I want to build on that and tell that I think da da da…

  • Don't interrupt others but get your voice heard clearly.

  • Use the word, I think, more than you will use, I feel, when selling your clinical points.

Avoid these common mistakes:

  • Trying to dominate

  • Becoming irritated

  • Lacking patience

  • Ignoring others

  • Enforcing opinions