Panel Interview

In a panel interview (also called committee interview), you will meet with several individuals at one time, typically sitting around a conference table. Many of these interviewers will be your supervisors and colleagues, they may take turns asking you prepared questions. And generally, other candidates will be asked the same questions so that their answers can be compared. Panel interviews were first used in academia and health care industries, but are becoming more popular in corporate sector nowadays.

The advantage of panel interviews is that they are more reliable and job-related since panel members are accountable to each other, and interviewer can make their decisions on the same sample of behavior. To the applicants, the panel interview is less time-consuming, and can give you an opportunity to see how the staff works together. However, it can be more stressful since several interviewer are involved and the interview questions may be more rapidly paced.

The following are some tips for panel/committee interviews:

Be prepared. Get familiar with the organization and the industry. Bring a list of highlights that you'd like to mention during the interview. If possible, call the organization or do your own research to get basic bio information on each of the panel members.
Relax and focus on your responses. Don't be afraid to use interviewers' name throughout the process, people love to hear their names during a conversation.
Keep eye contact with each person, with special attention to the individual who asked the question.
Take note during the interview, it can help you memorize each panel member's name, his/her specific concern, and the facts mentioned in each questions.
Send a separate thank you note to each panel member after the interview.

More readings and help on job interviews:

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Panel Interview