Panel Interviews
Panel interviews comprise of three or more people who interview candidates for a position within the company. Candidates who are unsure of themselves will generally find panel interviews quite intimidating but a strong candidate will perform well in a panel interview.
Panel interviews consist of a primary interviewer who leads the panel seesion and secondary interviewers who provide a support role.
Here are some tips on surviving a a panel interview:
Remember that panel interviews do have some advantages and one such advantage as opposed to a one-on-one interview is the elimination of the halo effect; when the interviewer judges a candidate based on one quality only.
Research the organisation well. This should include organisational culture, policies and procedures which can be available over the Internet or from company brochures.
Check the date, time and venue of the interview. Arrive on time or at least fifteen minutes early to the venue. Dress appropriately. Men should wear formal suits and women should dress in business suits with a formal jacket or a skirt and formal jacket.
Breathe deeply and slowly while waiting to be called into the interview room. Breathing reduces anxiousness and helps calm the mind making it easier to concentrate and answer questions properly.
When called into the interview room remain calm and greet the panel. Maintain eye contact at all times and speak when spoken to. Take a seat when requested to do so. Do not fidget with any objects but try and sit upright and listen to what the panel has to say.
The primary interviewer will introduce himself and the rest of the panel. He will thereafter explain how the interview shall be conducted or how many questions will be asked. Generally questions by the interviewee can be asked at the end of the interview. Never ask any questions before the interview has begun.
Once the interview has started take some time to think about questions before answering. Maintain eye contact and sit up straight at all times. If unsure about a question request, in a polite tone, that the question to be repeated.
The interviewee should answer the questions to the best of his/her ability and try to demonstrate that he/she has a good grasp of job tasks that will be performed.
After the interview is over the interviewee shall be given the opportunity to ask any questions. The interviewee should never ask about compensation like the salary that will be offered or act like he/she has already been accepted. Once the interviewee has finished he/she should thank the panel for providing him/her the opportunity to attend the interview and politely leave.
Panel interviews can be intimidating to any candidate however confidence is the key to getting through these kinds of interviews. The candidate has to have faith and a strong belief in him/herself. Remember that members of the panel are also human and will try as much as possible to make the candidate feel comfortable throughout the interview.
