Interview Panel Meaning: What is a Panel Interview
When two or more people interview a candidate at the same time, it’s called a panel interview.
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Who Typically Makes Up an Interview Panel
Typically, in an interview panel, you’ll find multiple individuals from the organization hiring the candidate. Here are some of the common members that it includes:
1. Human Resources (HR) Professionals: They bring expertise in the hiring process, ensuring it aligns with organizational policies.
2. Hiring Managers: Those directly responsible for the open position, bringing insights into the team’s needs.
3. Team Members or Peers: Colleagues who may work closely with the new hire, providing a team perspective.
4. Supervisors or Department Heads: Leaders overseeing the department where the vacancy exists, offering a managerial viewpoint.
5. Cross-Functional Representatives: Individuals from different departments or functions, ensuring a well-rounded evaluation.
Even though, the specific composition will vary depending on the organization’s structure and for which position are you interviewing the candidate, you’ll find some of these individuals in a panel interview.
How is an Interview Panel Different from a One-On-One Interview
Both types of interviews differ from each other in several ways.
| Category | Panel Interview | One-on-One Interview |
| Number of Interviewers | Involves a group of interviewers, often comprising professionals from different roles within the organization. | It involves a single interviewer interacting with the candidate. |
| Diversity of Perspectives | Provides diverse viewpoints, with panel members bringing different expertise and experiences to the evaluation. | Offers a more singular perspective, usually that of the interviewer. |
| Questioning Dynamics | Multiple panel members may take turns asking questions, providing a range of inquiries. | A single interviewer leads the questioning, maintaining a more direct interaction. |
| Comprehensive Assessment | Allows for a broader and more holistic evaluation of the candidate, considering various aspects of their fit for the role. | Provides a focused assessment, often delving deeper into specific aspects of the candidate’s background and skills. |
| Decision-Making Process | Decision-making involves group discussion and consensus among panel members. | Decision-making rests primarily on the impressions and evaluations of the single interviewer. |
| Time Efficiency | May take longer due to multiple interviewers and discussions. | Tends to be more time-efficient, with a direct interaction between the candidate and the interviewer. |
| Candidate Experience | Can be more challenging for candidates due to the varied personalities and perspectives of panel members. | Provides a more intimate setting, potentially making candidates feel more at ease. |
See, both formats have their own advantages. But which one of them you choose for which role depends on the preferences of your organization, the nature of the position you’re hiring for, and how much in-depth assessment is required for the job.
How is the Composition of an Interview Panel Decided
Who will sit in the panel interview depends on several factors, and this process can be different in different organizations. Let’s understand what you should consider while deciding the panel members of your interview.
- The panel members should be relevant for the opened position—for instance, for an opening of a content writer, it’ll be better if content manager is one of the panel members instead of the accounting manager.
- Most organizations also prefer the diversity of perspective. So, you can add certain people from your company in the panel interview for that reason as well.
- Another essential thing to consider is the hierarchy in roles for making a final decision—hiring managers or department heads would be the right people to include for this reason.
- You, as an HR professional, should also be there to bring your expertise in the hiring process.
- Depending on the nature of the position, you can also call other department heads to assess whether the candidate would be a right fit.
Besides that, you should always consider the availability and schedules of your panel members, consistency across interviews, experience of interview panel members, training and familiarity with the role, and other legal and ethical considerations to ensure the whole process goes smoothly.
What Roles Do Different Panel Members Play During an Interview?
During the interview, different panel members play different roles. For example,
- You will ensure the fairness throughout the interview.
- Hiring managers will assess fit and skills.
- Team members will evaluate collaboration.
- Supervisors will consider growth.
- Cross-functional reps will provide an organizational perspective.
Other things that will be taken care of will be the expertise-based questions, non-verbal cues, and other details. Based on all of these, the decision-makers will collectively decide for the candidate and the timekeeper will make sure the interview stays on track.
What Are the Benefits of Having an Interview Panel?
It offers diverse perspectives to the interview and gives a fair chance to the candidate.
Interview Panel Questions
Some of the interview panel questions to consider are:
- Tell us about a challenging situation you faced at work and how you handled it?
- How do you contribute to team success and maintain positive working relationships with colleagues?
- Describe a specific project where you demonstrated key skills required for this position.
- Tell us about a time when you had to adapt quickly to unexpected changes. How did you handle it?
- How do you approach problem-solving, and can you provide an example of a complex problem you successfully resolved?