面接 and 面談: an interview and an individual meeting
Compare preparation for an interview with career consultation and individual meetings with applicants. Read the purpose of the encounter while allowing the words' scopes to overlap.
Preparing for and finishing an interview
面接 (めんせつ) means an interview. 「来週の面接に向けて自己紹介を練習した。」 reports practicing a self-introduction for next week's interview. The practice prepares for an evaluative or selection encounter; the interview remains next week's event.
「面接を終えた姉が喫茶店に入ってきた。」 describes the older sister entering a cafe after finishing her interview. Finishing the interview does not state that she was selected.
Career consultation and applicant meetings
面談 (めんだん) means an individual meeting or interview. 「担任との面談で進路について相談した。」 describes discussing career plans with the homeroom teacher. The other person and the topic of conversation are identified.
「応募者一人ずつと面談する時間を設けた。」 reports setting aside time to interview each applicant individually. 面談 can concern applicants, and arranging the time does not complete all the meetings.
Consider both purpose and participant
面接 emphasizes an evaluative or selection encounter, while 面談 emphasizes an individual conversation. Those perspectives can overlap in a conversation with an applicant, so hiring versus non-hiring is not a fixed division.
Practicing, finishing an interview, consulting about plans, and arranging meeting time are different actions. Knowing that the other person is an applicant does not supply every assessment criterion or a selection result.
Does arranging time to 面談する with each applicant make 面談 a conversation unrelated to hiring?
Show the answer and why
No. 面談 can describe an individual conversation with an applicant. Read its purpose and participant together; arranging a meeting does not establish a completed selection.