Panel Interviews – How to Conquer Them

For the job seekers, panel interviews can be a real challenge.   In addition to quickly assessing how scenarios proposed by the panel  could be  managed, candidates in these  types of interviews  have to impress  and engage the panel members all at once as well as address situations that may directly affect prospective positions. Generally speaking, companies use the panel interview method  to get multiple viewpoints. This is because of their belief that one person making a decision is not always the best approach for the affected company since there are many cross-functional workplace relationships in this modern days. If you as a job applicant is nervous about facing an interview panel, the following advice can be useful.

The Panel’s Agenda

Do not forget that each person on the panel has his or her own agenda. Even though collectively, the objective is to review the applicant, each member of the panel has separate challenges and needs to address during the interview process. Hence doing your research on the committee/panel members and its departmental need prior to the interview will be helpful particularly in boosting your confidence level.

Prepare Good Answers

Preparing good answers also means tailoring your answers to reflect the expertise of individual interviewers. For instance, if any member of the interview panel is a finance manager , s/he may be more focused on your plans for cutting costs for the company and for the management of material resources.  If s/he is a representative from human resources department, then he will definitely expect an explanation of how you can manage employees.  Hence you will need to prepare yourself accordingly. It is also important that you examine how your departmental position  impact the overall function of the firm as well as examine the various strategic opportunities to present and discuss during your interview.

Making Connections

You will need to make a connection with everyone in the interview room. So try as much as you can to engage each person  via eye contact  and  a relaxed  but confident body language. In other words, you will need to orchestrate the interview session and make it your own. Offer sound information and perspectives that unites the group. It is equally important to demonstrate your ability to function as a member of a team since you will be in the presence of different department leaders with varying agendas.

            By adopting the approaches described above, you will definitely nail a panel interview. After all, such interviews are all about agility and adaptability. While you may not  prepare for every possible scenario or question, you can at least be able to manage change and expect the unexpected. The bottom line: Be confident and offer your authentic perspective based on the knowledge and on the insight you have regarding the position you applied for.