Marie Raperto, The Hiring HubToday, employers are being very careful when hiring.As hiring is expensive, they want to insure they have the best fit possible.  Testing and using different forms of interviewing can help a hiring manager make that decision.  It also offers an candidate the opportunity to show all their skills and gain insight into a company.Over the last year, I've been seeing an increase in:

1. Psychometric Tests:  These are used to see motivation, opinions and values.  They can measure the ability of an individual to perform the job duties and measure how individual styles play a part in how they get things done.  Writing tests are still being used with more emphasis on free-form writing.
2. Presentations: With smaller departments, all levels of employees are making presentations to consumers, clients and senior management.  Asking a candidate to make a presentation can show a hiring manager your confidence, comfort level before a group, speech clarity and your ability to create a clear and impactful presentation.
3. Competency-Based Interviews:  The questions asked during this type of interview (also called behavioral interviews) will be based on the skills needed for the job.  Candidates will be asked for specifics about what they did and how they did it.
4. Group Interviews:  Time constraints are making the group interview very popular.  It is easier to get everyone together for one meeting then scheduling many.  This is often easier for the candidate as well.  A group meeting can show a hiring manager how you relate to different personalities and questions, how you make eye contact and how you handle stress.

Remember that as you are being interviewed, you (the candidate) have the opportunity to view the company culture and the type of people they have on staff.  It's your turn to see if they fit in with what you want.