What's more intimidating than an interview?
Well, how about an interview where several panelists are interrogating you? That's right, you have now entered the panel interview zone.
There's nothing to be afraid of. Think of the panel interview process as pulling off one painful bandage—instead of pulling off ten painful bandages.
In fact, the panel interview might be a great opportunity to make simultaneous impressions on several interviewers rather than relying on a single opinion. It also can be the key to streamlining a lengthy hiring process.
Let's dive into the job interview gauntlet, the panel interview.
- What is a Panel Interview?
- Why Companies Conduct Panel Interviews
- How To Succeed In a Panel Interview
- How to Answer Panel Interview Questions + Prompts
- After Your Panel Interview
What is a Panel Interview?
The panel interview is an interview with two or more members of a hiring team. The interviewing panel could include your direct manager, an employee who works in your department, and other decision-makers.
As a candidate, after being vetted through resumes, cover letters, and phone interviews, a panel interview is a great opportunity to meet the bulk of the team. This type of interview format benefits both the interviewer(s) and the interviewee.
As an interviewee, you'll likely get a better view of what the company culture looks like by meeting several potential team members. A panel interview can also protect you from falling victim to one person's hiring bias, whether or not it's unconscious. From the organization's standpoint, a panel interview allows several team members to hire collaboratively. While the CEO might not see a fit from one skill standpoint, another panel interviewer might see a huge opportunity.
Panel interviews create a group interview dynamic, which can help the entire team (and the candidate) enact a sort of mini-test of how in-person collaboration and teamwork might look.
From there, they can share their feedback and insights to make a hiring decision as a team. Are panel interviews actually a green flag that an organization prioritizes teamwork? Maybe!
Why Companies Conduct Panel Interviews
You are not alone if a panel interview sounds like one of your worst nightmare scenarios. So, why do panel interviews exist?
Isn't it a waste of time? Not necessarily. Do you know what is a waste of time? Requiring that a candidate spend eight hours in an office to meet every team member individually. Do you know what else is a waste of time? Coordinating seven different schedules to create a whole day of interviews for one single candidate.
Employers typically use panel interviews for several reasons:
- Tight deadlines. Panel interviews allow everyone to coordinate one time. It allows each individual to hear a variety of questions asked and answered.
- Accuracy + First-Hand Experience. Key decision-makers can form their own impressions. Everyone can see the candidate immediately rather than hearing secondhand information from another decision-maker. After a panel interview, they can discuss impressions.
- Candidate's Suitability. Panel interviews are also a good way to gauge how a candidate handles stressful situations, multiple priorities, and diplomatically speaking to several people simultaneously. These kinds of problem-solving skills are great for high-stress jobs.
How To Succeed In a Panel Interview
Like other interview preparation, the panel interview tips will also include reflecting on your skills, matching your experience from your current job to the job you're interviewing for, understanding your biggest weaknesses, determining what you like/dislike about your current company, and more.
Plus, you'll want to research the company and people you'll be interviewing thoroughly.
Let's dive into this more.
Let's dive into this more.
As a candidate, a panel interview might require a little more legwork upfront—but it gives you more chances to dazzle the interviewers with your preparation and know-how. Here's our four-step process to take the dread out of a panel interview—and replace it with well-researched conversation.
Step 1: Know the Room
Research everyone who is going to be on your interview panel. If you're not sure who will be on the panel, reach out to your contact and ask. Find everyone's LinkedIn profiles and use the company's site to learn about each person.
This tip reminds us of that moment from Bridget Jones's Diary, where our literary heroine is instructed to introduce people with thoughtful details. When creating your thoughtful details on each interviewer, write them down and memorize them.
Try always to find a "commonplace" detail to connect on a personal level with an interviewer. It can be a city where you both lived, a conference you both attended, or a hobby you both share.
Example: Lauren is the CEO of Career Contessa. After starting the company in 2013, she developed CC into a leading resource for women at work. She recently wrote a book called Power Moves. Bonus common personal detail: She attended the University of Oregon, like me!
Step 2: Go Old School and Bring Materials for Everyone
Most employers will print a copy of your resume and cover letter to show to the panel beforehand.
However, do not count on that. Bring extra copies of your resume and your cover letter to every interview—and for every interviewer. This is a pretty old-school requirement in this digital age, but you do not want to miss out on an opportunity because you didn't bring the printed materials.
Step 3: Talk to Everyone
Even if one of the interviewers is very intimidating, make sure you engage with everyone.
If possible, make sure you can find at least one point of connection with everyone on the panel by the time the interview is over. This is much easier to do when you have done your research upfront. If you can speak about their work, experience, or how you'd envision working with/for each member, communicate this to each member individually.
And don't forget about body language, like making eye contact!
Pro Tip: Names are important. When answering a question from a specific panel member, address them by name. For example, "Well, that's an interesting question, Sarah. Here is how I would navigate this problem."
Step 4: Show Your Personality With a Conversation Starter
Never underestimate the power of a statement piece or a physical conversation starter.
Consider wearing a bold-patterned sweater, your "lucky" earrings, or a statement necklace. It may sound frivolous (especially if you're not interviewing for a fashion or accessories job) but a conversation starter can do just that—get the interview started on a positive note.
You can even start with a fun fact if the mood seems right. You might even invite each interviewer to share their own fun fact. Depending on the job you are interviewing for, taking command and loosening up an entire room might be a huge plus for your candidacy. We have some fun facts you can share, a few icebreakers, and some small talk questions to get the ball rolling.
How to Answer Panel Interview Questions + Prompts
Common panel interview questions are likely to be pretty similar to the most common interview questions and interview prompts you'd hear in a regular interview. The one main difference might be questions around collaboration or teamwork, so make sure to prepare your answers for those types of questions.
Tell Us About Yourself.
Just like you gathered "thoughtful details" on everyone interviewing you, make sure to come with details about yourself, too. It can be difficult to talk about yourself—especially at the very top of a nerve-wracking interview (which is when they tend to ask this question!). We have more advice on how to answer "tell me about yourself" to get you ultra-prepped to wow with your answer.
Tell Us About a Time You Collaborated Successfully.
The panel interview is usually used to gauge an applicant's skills in collaboration, teamwork, communication, and problem-solving. Come to the panel interview prepared with success stories about teamwork or collaboration. Have you led a team on a certain initiative that was successful? Are you a natural-born project manager?
How Would a Colleague Describe You?
This question requires candidates to self-reflect and discuss their interpersonal working relationships. Think about the people you work closely with and have a good relationship with. How would they describe you? Use this opportunity to showcase your greatest strengths and showcase your communication skills.
Why Should We Hire You?
To answer this question, we've got two words: mission statement. Before you walk into the interview, make sure you understand (and are aligned with) the organization's core values and mission. From there, draw out how your unique strengths and experience directly complement these values.
Have You Ever Had a Disagreement With a Boss or Co-worker?
When asked this question, remember that the panel wants to know how you handle challenging situations. The interviewers also want to see how well you can reflect on your actions in real time.
To answer this question, think about a time when your reaction to a problem was different than that of your boss or coworker. Did you two disagree on how to respond to a client? Did you disagree on ways to spend your budget?
Next, describe how you overcame the disagreement and found a way to create better communication moving forward. And keep things positive when you speak about your colleagues or bosses and focus on what you learned from the experience. You can use the STAR method to make sure to demonstrate your abilities. When you use the STAR method, you describe the:
- Situation: Provide a brief description of the situation.
- Task: Describe your role in the situation.
- Action: Describe the actions you took to resolve the situation.
- Result: Describe the result of your actions, using quantifiable data whenever possible.
Do You Have Any Questions for Us?
Here's our pro tip: if you have enough time in the interview, prepare an end-of-interview question for each individual.
Since each panel member has a different role in the organization, they will each have a unique perspective. Have a pointed question for each member of the panel. If you're running low on time, prioritize your most important questions. You may also follow up in an email to ask questions should time run out, which brings us to our last point...
After Your Panel Interview
If you're familiar with Career Contessa's advice, you already know what we're about to say!
Write a post-interview thank-you note. Write a post-interview thank-you note to each member of the panel. Your follow-ups play an important role in your overall interview process. You can even use this thank you note as a place to ask any follow-up questions.
If you don't have their emails because you don't have their business card, find them. Use LinkedIn, the company website, or contact the hiring manager to share each interviewer's contact information.
Last but not least, don't hit copy and paste on these notes. Assume that each panel member will share their note with the others. Include small customizations in each note. This small gesture shows your attention to detail, your thoughtfulness, and your enthusiasm.
Always write a thank-you note.
