Panel Interviews

Securing an interview is always a positive step in your job search.  When you’ve been contacted by a recruiter, it’s important to ask what kind of interview you will be participating in.  Will it be a one-on-one interview or a panel interview?  Panel interviews are very different than one on one interviews, primarily because there are multiple interviewers attending the discussion at once.  Because of this variable, some people feel even more pressure to make a good first impression.

A business will use this type of interview to screen a candidate quickly, yet the panel includes all of the people who may have close contact with the person who fills the position.  Therefore, it’s important to realize that each participant in the interview will need to come to a consensus about the hiring decision.  There may be two people on the panel, or as many as ten or eleven interviewers.  It will depend on the culture of the company and their internal processes for hiring a candidate.

Panel interviews are usually composed of the hiring manager, prospective co-workers, and possibly senior members of the business.  It is important to realize that each member of the panel has a specific reason for attending the interview.  It is wise to ask for the names and titles of the members of the panel interviewers.  This does two things for you, it lets you know who your audience will be, and it will make it easy for you to follow up after the interview with each member.

You should continue to prepare for interview questions as you would prepare for a one-on-one interview.  The questions won’t deviate tremendously however you will need to be sure your answer meets the needs of the company.  When one interviewer asks you a question, it’s appropriate to direct your response to the person who asked the question, however, you should keep good eye contact with the group.  This demonstrates your ability to successfully answer the question, while facilitating the conversation with the group.

After the panel interview has been conducted, it is appropriate to follow-up with all of the participants in the interview.  Try to get their business cards, or contact information so you can follow-up with a “Thank You” note.  This follow-up will remind the panel of why you should be selected for the position.  This step can be a deal-maker!