In the panel interview (also called a group interview), the candidate generally meets with an interviewing panel – the supervisors, HR representative and some other team members.

In most cases a group of candidates are interviewed together by the panel. During this panel interview the candidates are split into teams.
There are panel interviews where one candidate is interviewed, at a given time, in front of the panel – the last chapter of this article deals with this type of interview.

The panel interview is a discussion about a situation, most often a dilemma, which is presented to a team of candidates. The team is required to solve this situation.  

This article is the 2nd article of the panel interview and group interview series.
You may also be interested in reading the article – group interview.

Panel Interviews: Tips and Techniques for preparations  

In order to stimulate a fruitful discussion:
1. The team members receive an interesting situation, which is basically – a statement of conditions and practices that may exist in a real-life situation.

2. The interviewers purposely provide some, but usually not all, of the information in a manner that requires re-arrangement of data and analyses of the facts.

3. Some of the facts may be irrelevant and therefore require evaluation of opinions, ideas and intentions.  

4. Decisions have to be made without all the data the team would normally desire. It reflects the real conditions facing people in almost every real situation.

5. There may be several acceptable solutions to a case.
Refer to the article Group Interview Tips for Preparations.

About the panel Interviews: Sample Panel Interview Questions

The panle interview are conducted using a simulation of situations. Each simulation is conducted using the dynamics of a team meeting, where the goal is to determine the best course of action and its implementation. In the heat of the debate, the team members decide on “the right answer”.

Here are examples:
1. The candidates are role playing as managers in a company. The company is facing a complicated project which would increase the company’s bottom line extensively. The team receives a specific set of project issues to handle.

2. The team should invent a patent, establish a start-up company or design a new product based on a new technology.

3. The team members have to build a new business from scratch. Each member assumes a role in this new business. The business should be built upon specific market needs.

4. The candidates discuss a situation in which there is a need for a product change – dropping it or selling to a completely different market.
Refer to the article Group Job Interview for more information.
 

Panel interview – single candidate

In an interview in which a single candidate is interviewed in front of a panel, the questions asked may be very similar to those in a one-on-one interview.
The questions are selected to check the candidate’s performance in front of people. Below are examples of these panel questions:
1. An interview on some logic questions – conducted mainly for R&D, designers and programmers.
2. Professional work-related questions – “what would you do if” questions.
3. Professional Presentation – conducted mainly for marketing and sales managers.
4. Situational questions – refer to the situational interview article.
5. Behavioral questions – refer to the behavioral interview article.
6. Competency based questions – refer to examples of competency based questions article.