Ace Your Next Panel Interview

There's no need to be intimidated by interviewing with multiple interviewers at once.

Panel Interviews are simply an interview with more than one interviewer (Typically 2 :1) rather than the traditional one-on-one interview dialogue with a single interviewer.

The end game is the same.

Ultimately, its purpose is to evaluate your work experience and background to assess whether or not you possess the skills and abilities to do the job and that you also fit the organizational culture of both the department and company.

Additionally, it also serves as an opportunity for you to evaluate the potential fit of the specific role, the company and the team dynamics against your career aspirations.

Even after the Pandemic, as hiring continues to pick up pace and Panel Interviews are especially now becoming part of the candidate interview experience at most companies.

Here are a few tips to ensure you pass your Panel interview with flying colors.?

• Research the names of your interviewers to better prepare for the actual interview. This can be done by: reviewing their online bio?to gain insight into their role within the organization. Helpful resources include the Company website, LinkedIn and of course Google. This is crucial since the interviewers represent different roles within the organization, and each will evaluate your answer from the lens of their unique perspective.
• As you're answering questions and elaborating with specific details and examples,?remember to maintain eye-contact?with each, and?mention their names frequently. This will often distinguish yourself from among other candidates who fail to so.
• Answer your interview questions as you normally would on standard one-on-one interviewers, but?remember to acknowledge each interviewer?in the room to ensure that your responses were all understood.
• Build a strong rapport with each person on the panel.?Sieze the opportunity to take advantage of any shared unique commonalities ( past employers, schools, cities, former colleagues etc.)
• In as much as you are being evaluated,?use this interview to observe behaviors of the panel.?These first impressions can be tell-tale signs of how it's likely going to be there should you decide to accept an offer.
• In closing your panel interview,?remember to thank each individually (another time to use their names) and for taking time out of their schedule to meet with you
• Send each interviewer on the panel a personalized ‘thank you’ email. Address specific concerns or use it to elaborate on a question that you feel you could have answered better. I continue to be amazed, as a Talent Acquisition Manager, how many candidates fail to follow through with thank you letters after an interview.

Lastly, good luck and happy interviewing.