How to ace your panel interview
Typically a panel will include employees from different disciplines. For example, if you were being interviewed for an accountancy role, the panel could include the Human Resources (HR) manager, a team leader, the apprenticeship coordinator, a senior accountant and a current apprentice. You have to impress all of them! Read the guidance below to find out how.
Who’s on the panel?
It’s not unreasonable to ask who will be interviewing you - you need to do this. Obtaining this information will help you prepare for the interview: Thinking about the aforementioned accountancy example, if the panel consisted of the Human Resources manager, the apprenticeship coordinator and a senior accountant, you could assume the following:
The HR manager is likely to be there to ensure the interview adheres to UK Equality Act 2010 by avoiding questions that could discriminate (e.g. age, gender, religion, disability, marital status) and that the same questions are used for all candidates (to reduce bias and allow fair comparison).
The apprenticeship coordinator may be more concerned with your fit within the team, and may be more interested in your communication, team working and problem-solving skills.
The senior accountant, on the other hand, may be more interested in competency (e.g. your numerical skills) and your ability to learn on the job.
Inclusivity
If one of the interviewers asks the vast majority of the questions, you still have to make all the other panel members feel included. Make regular eye contact with all members of the panel and address your answers to the entire panel.