What is the term used for an interview designed to assess how an applicant reacts under pressure?

A stress interview is specifically designed to evaluate how an applicant handles pressure and unexpected challenges during the interview process. This type of interview typically involves posing difficult questions or creating a tense atmosphere to observe the candidate's behavior and responses under stress. Such interviews can reveal an applicant's resilience, problem-solving capabilities, and emotional stability, which are often critical in fast-paced or high-stakes environments.

In contrast, a behavioral interview focuses on understanding how past experiences influence future behavior by asking candidates to provide specific examples related to their experiences. A competency-based interview assesses whether a candidate possesses the specific skills or competencies required for the job through structured questions that target those competencies. A panel interview, on the other hand, involves multiple interviewers and is typically used for a broader assessment of the candidate by gathering insights from various perspectives. Each of these types of interviews serves different purposes, but the primary goal of a stress interview is to gauge performance under pressure.