How do you conduct a panel interview?

It would be good to have a diverse interview panel. This will help to eliminate conscious and unconscious bias. It will also help to bring a different opinion to the table.

Panel interviews are great to make the interview process more efficient for the candidates so that they don't have to go through multiple rounds answering similar questions. For panel interviews to be effective: - Each member of the panel should have a defined role and be assigned a specific area of the candidate's skills and experience they will evaluate - The candidate should know before the interview who the members of the panel are and profiles of each member should be sent to the candidate - Following the interview, the panel members should separately send their feedback to the hiring manager so that 'group-think' is eliminated as much as possible

First, we need to determine the purpose of the panel. For example, it is a professional interview or a job promotion interview. Interviewers are selected. In terms of human resources and specialized questions, there should be at least two to three people. There must be a supervisor from the human resources department. Before the panel, a mentor and trainer should be selected for the interviewee and the training should be done for several months. The above description is suggested for internal interview after a period of time after initial qualification.

It’s always best to let the candidate know ahead of time. They can be a little overwhelming so make sure to try to get this info up front. Give them the names & LinkedIn profiles of the panel members so they can do some research on all of them. Make sure when they answer a question, direct it to the person who asked if, but to also make eye contact with everyone in the room.

While you are correct in addressing the body language of the interviewee, remember your own body language and think about the non-verbal message that you are transmitting to the candidates. What they perceive based on what they see might send them into a world of self-doubt and bam, there goes the interview.

One thing to watch out for is the 'Interviewer's bias' in the interaction. One should be very careful not to nudge the bias of any one particular interviewer. The entire conversation might get diverted from the key agenda, giving some other agenda the spotlight. The rest of the panel would feel neglected and the interaction favoured. One in such cases should draw reference to other panellists but paraphrase what he/said earlier and move the spotlight.

Each team member should play a role in the interview process, with one acting as a facilitator, while others asking questions in a rotating fashion, allow others to follow up with probing questions when necessary. Each should take notes, and ensure that no one dominates the discussion. Finally - a debrief discussion should occur, in which panel members can share their thoughts and/or ratings of the applicant, and determine the candidates suitability.

Something to remember is to give the candidates a little bit of grace. Not only will they feel like they are on display, but they will also feel like they are in a competition (which to be honest, they are). It's a lot difference when your competition becomes a person and not just a name on the list.