Planning to Conduct a Panel Interview? Upcoming retirement in your department? Reviewing the job description, submitting the employee requisition, and working with your company’s recruiter to interview and select? Think about the type of interview you want to do. If the position is one that will impact many people in their daily work, you may want to do a panel interview.

Many companies are changing their hiring practices to bring others into the process, and due to time constraints, this often means doing panel interviews instead of individual ones. The others that you involve should be familiar with the job description of the open job. The planning of this interview is more complicated than a routine interview. Planning to Conduct a Panel Interview? Here are some pointers:

  • Tell your recruiter that this is the type of interview you want to conduct.
  • Ask your recruiter to inform the candidates and that they will receive more information.
  • Determine who will be on the panel and the location of the interview.
  • Ensure that your recruiter relays to the candidates the names and positions of those who will be on the panel.
  • Meet with the panel to explain the process, provide the standard questions, and divvy up who will ask what. Stress that illegal and improper questions cannot be asked.
  • Provide them with a candidate evaluation form for each candidate.
  • Give the ground rules as to the length of the interview, who will sit where, and who will answer what questions from the candidates at the end of the interview.
  • Send the panel the applications, the résumés, and the dates and times of each separate interview. Send a schedule to your recruiter or work with that person to set up the schedule in conjunction with the candidates.
  • Educate the panel that this is not an inquisition. It is gathering of information, verbal, recording thoughts, and observing body language.
  • Be sure to thank each candidate and tell them what the next step will be.
  • Plan a 15-minute debriefing to gather final thoughts at the completion of each interview. Collect the evaluations.
  • Communicate with your recruiter after each interview.
  • Continue along this path until all interviews have been conducted.

At this point in time, you and your panel, along with the company recruiter should be able to determine whom to select for the position. The recruiter will follow the next steps in the process.

Performing this type of an interview is more work. But the rewards can be greater if the candidate selected proves to be the best choice for your company!

Human Resources Simplified is an experienced and full-service human resources consulting company providing clients with strategic people and team planning, recruiting, training, mentoring and facilitating using consulting and coaching. If you have staff, we have solutions. Win the game of business with our specialists. Our team is focused on serving our clients Human Resources services in Sarasota, Bradenton, Lakewood Ranch, Venice and all along the Suncoast!