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How To Make a Panel Interview Work For Your Hiring Process

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How To Make A Panel Interview Work For Your Hiring Process

There are many steps you can take to determine if a candidate is right for a position. Your goal is to decide whether or not they have the skills and experience needed to be successful in a role. Additionally, you want to understand if they will be a culture fit with your team. Arguably one of the best ways to do this is by holding a panel interview. In a recent study of performance and interview ratings, Google found that “averaging the ratings of a group of interviewers was by far a more accurate predictor of success than the rating of a single interviewer.”

By gathering company leaders or team members that a candidate would work closely with if hired, you add a variety of perspectives into your hiring process. Your employees get the opportunity to ask pointed questions during this time. Additionally, your candidate will get a glimpse at the team dynamics. But how do you add a panel interview to your hiring process successfully? Keep reading for our top tips on incorporating this crucial step!

Ensure that everyone is up to speed

If your panel involves employees who have not been involved in the hiring process thus far, it’s important to get them caught up. Before the interview, give everyone a copy of the candidate’s resume. This allows them to read about the experience and formulate specific questions. Let everyone know where this candidate is at with respect to the hiring process – is this their third interview? Have they already met with key leaders in the organization? Finally, lay out the goal of this panel interview. Is it to make a final hiring decision? Or is to determine which role on the team would be the best fit?

Give everyone a chance to engage

The main benefit of holding a panel interview is access to viewpoints. Ideally, your interviewers will ask different questions and focus on varied experiences and skill sets throughout the candidates’ past. That’s why each member of the panel must have the opportunity to engage with the interviewee! More than likely, the variety of questions will spark follow-up questions from other panel members, making for a much more dynamic interview all around.

Ask for individual feedback after the interview

To avoid groupthink, it’s important to let each member of the panel form their own opinion prior to discussing as a group. Before coming together to discuss the interview, have each team member submit their thoughts on the candidate separately. This allows you to get an unbiased view of the candidate from multiple perspectives.

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5 Tips on How to Prepare For a Panel Interview

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panel interview

Interviewing isn’t always everyone’s cup of tea, for me though, it’s the best part of the job hunt. But, there are tons of different interview styles. And the panel interview, in my opinion, is the one most people are least prepared for.

A panel interview can be extremely nerve-wracking. Especially when you have 3 – 12 people from different departments deciding if they could work with you. Most of them are more focused on what you bring to the table and what working with you will be like.

Will you be easy going, or someone that causes problems? Will you have good ideas that help move, not only your department forward but others as well?

A panel interview is a totally different style and it’s important you’re prepared, or the nerves will take over. So here are a few steps that’ll help you be ready to impress everyone on the panel.

Do your research about the people on the panel

LinkedIn will be your best friend! Using it to see their titles and what content they interact with will help you know a little bit more about them. You may even find that you went to the same college or are from the same town. These little details may not seem like a big deal… But familiarizing yourself with their names and who they are, will help you feel more comfortable in the interview. It will also help you interact with them and their questions on a more personal basis.

Interact with each person

They may not all ask you a question. But it is pertinent you include them with body language and eye contact. This way they feel like you’re still including them. And it helps them know that if you get the job, you’d be easy and comfortable to work with.

Body language and eye contact speak volumes. And it can show that you’re a person who wants to be involved and is ready to take on a new role. But it also can go the opposite way showing that you’re a person who will need a lot of coaxing and training. The good thing is, body language and eye contact can be practiced!

Memorize the Job Description

Memorizing the job description is a must! This will help you prepare for questions and give you time to really tailor your answers to the keywords and responsibilities that the position is looking for. The more you demonstrate that you’re the perfect candidate, the more likely you’re going to get the job!

Come up with questions to ask

In a panel interview, it’s very important to have questions ready to ask as well as jot some down during the interview. With there being so many people it’s important you take the opportunity to really ask questions you’re wanting to know. It gives you a chance to ask questions you may not have been able to if you were in a different interview.

Having questions prepared only shows the interviewers that you’re very interested in the position and that you came prepared to learn more about the job you’re wanting.

What to Bring to the interview

In a panel interview, you’re most likely going to be asked more questions and be there longer. So, bringing a pad to write down notes is essential. But you also want to remember to bring extra resumes too! The more prepared you are to help your interviewers get to know you, the better off you’ll be when it comes to getting that offer letter.

If you follow these steps you’ll be able to rock the interview with the confidence and knowledge you need to land the job you’ve been working so hard to get!

How To Survive A Panel Interview

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How To Survive A Panel Interview

It’s almost a rarity these days to get through a hiring process without sitting a panel interview. They are both wonderful AND terrifying. On one hand, it’s a great opportunity to get to know the members of the team and get a feel for the company culture. On the other hand, it can be unpredictable – filled with rapid fire questions that seem to come out of left field. Follow these 6 tips to prepare, and you’ll not only survive a panel interview, you’ll pass with flying colors!

  1. Know who you’re meeting

This is no different than a one-on-one interview, but it is more intense. It is essential to find out who you’re meeting before your interview. Take a look at everyone’s social media profiles and try to remember a distinctive thing about each. This will help you with name recognition and could provide you with some relatable talking points that will make you stand out amongst the crowd.

  1. Find & speak to the leader

There’s always a leader during a panel interview. Sometimes it’s your potential new boss, sometimes it’s their boss, and sometimes it’s someone in a completely different department who plays an integral part at the company. Once you’ve identified who it is, pay particular attention to them – the questions they ask, their body language, and how they interact with everyone else on the panel. Be sure to address them frequently throughout the interview, as they will probably have a significant amount of weight on the final decision.

  1. Make eye contact

Always make eye contact with each interviewer as they ask you a question. But when you’re answering, shift your eye contact to the different people in the room. A panel interview is a group effort, and they are all interested in hearing your story and getting to know you.

  1. Actively listen

While you are being asked a question, or told a story, or given the company history from one person on the panel, you have a number of other people simply watching you. This is a great opportunity to show off your body language A-game! Uncross those arms, nod your head, and slightly lean towards whoever is talking. It’s true that actions speak louder than words, especially when everyone is watching!

  1. Be ready for follow up questions

The variety of people in a panel interview are what makes it fun, but also challenging. Oftentimes, questions from one person will spark questions from another, and eventually, they’ve totally lost track of that list of standard questions they came in with. This makes it harder to prepare, but also much more exciting and authentic. Just don’t be afraid to take a moment after someone asks a question to formulate an articulate answer!

  1. Prepare unique questions

Due to the great research you did earlier, you should have a little bit of information on each person you’re interviewing with. Panel Member A went to your alma matter, Panel Member B has been at the organization the longest, Panel Member C used to work at a company you’re familiar with… use these tidbits to your advantage when asking questions. Target each of your post interview questions to each individual panel member. Then, at the end, ask them each to describe their favorite thing about working for this company. Not only is it a fun opportunity for them to reflect and share stories with one another, it’s the perfect chance for you to really understand what it’s like to work there!