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Panel Interviews: A Type of Interview
Recently,
a jobseeker asked a few questions regarding the panel interview process.
His questions were split into three categories: motivation, etiquette, and
preparation. Below are his questions along with my responses.
Motivation:
Why do employers use this format? Do they just want to save time by
eliminating redundancy or is there a more sinister purpose behind this
type of interview?
Some
organizations use the panel interview as a to save time and eliminate
redundancy, but I don’t think that’s the case for the majority. Panel
interviews have proven to be a more reliable hiring method than
traditional interviews. Mainly because the hiring decision is based on
collective input. Staff members from different departments are able to
share their perspective on the candidate’s candidacy.
Other
times there can be a more “sinister” purpose. Specifically, the
organization may employ stress interview related techniques where the
candidate is subjected to various forms of intimidation techniques. The
upside of stress interviews is that you know it when you are in one.
You’ll find that unusual situations occur out of the blue. For example,
the interviewer can get hostile or will make a phone call while you are
answering a question.
Etiquette:
Should the interviewee make eye contact only with the person asking a
question or should he address the entire group when answering one
person's question?
Interviewees
should make eye contact with the group. The perfect scenario is this: the
interviewee starts answering the question while looking at the person who
asked the question. Then he should look around to the other interviewees
and finish answering the question while making contact with the person who
asked the question.
Preparation:
How should a candidate prepare mentally for this type of
interview?
Keep
in mind that the panel interview is like any other type of the screening
process. Go in knowing your sellable attributes and answer the questions
posed.
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