While most graduates will face a one-on-one interview with an employer when interviewing for a graduate program or graduate position, interview panels are becoming more common. A panel interview is when you are interviewed by several representatives from the place of employment. A panel interview is therefore a more challenging form of interview as it requires you to impress and convince multiple interviewers that you are the right person for the role. This article will provide advice on how to effectively prepare for a panel interview.

What is an interview panel?

An interview panel is made up of two or more interviewers. This will usually include a Human Resources representative, senior or executive staff members, and the manager or supervisor. During a panel interview, each of the members will take turns asking questions. These questions will be similar to that of a regular interview. They will focus on your education, qualification, experience, and skills. However, the challenge of acing a panel interview is that each member of the panel will be assessing your suitability for the role. This means that you must prove to each member of the panel that you are better suited for the position than the other candidates. 

Why do employers use an interview panel?

There are several reasons for why an employer may choose to conduct a panel interview when recruiting for a position. As the graduate is being evaluated by a hiring team, a panel interview is able to increase the likelihood that the correct candidate is hired for the role. This is because bias is removed and multiple viewpoints can be provided on a candidate’s suitability. Another reason for a panel interview is that it allows the prospective employee to meet high-ranking and senior members of a company during the hiring process. This is especially important for highly technical graduate positions or for roles that involve inter-department collaboration. A panel interview is therefore efficient as it allows the prospective employee to meet all relevant company employees in one meeting. Panel interviews are also more challenging for graduates, so they serve as a tool for employers to assess a candidate’s skills in high-stress situations. 

How to prepare for a panel interview?

Interview panels can be challenging and intimidating, especially for graduates who are applying for their first job out of university. Here are some tips to help you prepare for your first panel interview.

Research

When the Human Resources representative or the hiring manager schedules your interview, they will typically include the names of the panel members in their email. You can then engage in research on the individual panel members. This can include information about their role within the company, which department they work in, their employment history, education, and key achievements or accomplishments. This can help you understand who will be interviewing you and the unique perspective they will provide when assessing your adequacy for the role. It might also help you prepare for the kind of questions they may ask. Researching the interview panel members will also help you remember their names so that you can address them directly during the interview. This will make a good impression as it shows the panel that you have taken the time and initiative to familiarise yourself with the interviewers. If the hiring manager does not provide the details of the interview panel, it is appropriate to politely request this information. 

Bring your documents for the entire panel

If your panel interview is in person, make sure that you bring a copy of your resume, cover letter, and any other relevant material, for each member of the panel. While the members of the panel are likely to have received this information prior to the interview from the hiring manager, bringing your own copies to distribute shows that you are organised and responsible. 

Engage with the entire panel

In a traditional interview with only one interviewer, it is easy to build a rapport as the conversation is one-on-one. However, in a panel interview where there is a group setting, this is more difficult to accomplish. It is important that you equally engage with each member of the panel as all of their opinions will be considered when determining which candidate should get the role. Do not centre your attention solely upon the most senior member of the panel, or on the hiring manager. Do not also presume who will have the most input in determining the successful candidate. Each member of the panel has been selected for a reason to conduct the interview and there is something of value that each of them will bring to the final decision. It is important that you do not alienate any members as this will drastically reduce your chances of being successful. Your ability to engage with the entire panel will demonstrate your skills in working in a collaborative environment. An easy way to engage the entire panel is to maintain eye contact while speaking with each member and by turning your body to face someone when they are addressing you.

Prepare for follow-up questions

As the interview will be conducted by multiple people, it is more likely that another member may have a follow-up question to a question their colleague may have asked you. With multiple interviewers, the nature of the interview is more fast-paced with different panel members jumping off each other to ask follow-up questions. Before you step into your interview, ensure that you have properly studied your resume, cover letter, response to any selection criteria, and the job description so that you can anticipate any questions that may come up and provide a detailed response that satisfies the interviewers.

Ask questions

It is important for you to ask the panel questions as well. Remember, the purpose of the interview is for the panel to not only judge your suitability but for you to assess whether the role and company is right for you. Asking questions also allows you to demonstrate your interest in the work being conducted by the company. In this way, the research you complete on the panel members can come in handy as you can direct specific questions about particular projects that a panel member may be working on. This will showcase your work ethic and initiative. Read our informative article about questions to ask after an interview here.

Remain calm

Panel interviews are challenging, stressful, and intimidating. While regular interviews may involve you talking to a hiring manager or a potential supervisor, panel interviews will most likely involve senior members of a company. As a graduate, this can be particularly daunting. However, it is important to remain calm and collected as the panel is assessing your ability to remain calm in a high-pressure situation. Take deep breaths before and during the interview. If you need a moment, you can always delay your response to a question by taking a sip of water or asking the interviewer to repeat the question. See more tips on how to remain calm in an interview here.

Thank the panel

Once the interview is over, make sure that you shake the hand of each individual panel member and thank them for taking the time to interview you. Do not neglect any of the members. You may also choose to send a follow up email to the panel thanking them once again. This can allow you to showcase your gratitude and sincerity, and will leave a positive impression.