3 Simple Tricks To Help You Ace A Panel Interview

By Ruoro Kairu 

Whether you are a seasoned professional or a fresh graduate, you’ll agree attending an interview can be one of the most petrifying process of the job search. At this point, you’ve already sent your professional CV, the recruiter has seen it and matched your skills and qualifications to what the employer wants.

The next part is for you to now show the recruiter what is on paper is who you are. Sounds easy enough?

Purity called in two weeks ago; she had been looking for a job for two years. Before that, she had worked in the banking industry for four years. After we spoke for a while, she told me she had been invited for an interview a week from then.

The interview was in an international organization. As she was doing her research about the organization, she found an employee who had posted on one of his social media profiles. He spoke of how he had been interviewed by the organization. In the post, he wrote about how the interview was conducted by a panel, and how that had intimidated him. Purity too, was worried, which is why she called in. She wanted to know how to ace a panel interview.

Purity was right to be worried. One interviewer is more than enough to worry about, what about a full panel? Luckily, I spoke to one of the interview coaches here at Corporate Staffing Services on how to conduct yourself in a panel interview. Here’s is what the coach had to say;

1. Familiarize yourself with the interviewers

Being in an interview with strangers can be antagonizing. Beforehand, research all you can about the organization. Look up the different leaders who might be involved in the interview.

Once you have a potential list of the panel, you can look them up on LinkedIn. At this point, you’re trying to understand their interests, qualities, and the values they uphold.

Once you know what each recruiter is looking for, you’ll be in a better position to answer a question raised.

For example, the HR manager will have a different approach to their questions as from a technical manager. When asked a question by the technical manager, you can dwell more on the specifics and techniques. For an HR person, on the other hand, you should save them the jargon; be simple, and try relating your answers to soft skills.

Quick Read>>> What Are The Top Soft Skills That Kenyan Employers Seek?

2. Don’t ignore any panelist

During the interview, it is easy to focus on a single interviewer. For a panel though, there are certain challenges.

If you have prior information about the panelist’s roles, or if they introduced themselves before the interview, you might be tempted to look at the most senior member the whole time. This, however, is highly discouraged.

While the CEO may be part of the interview, they may not have direct involvement in who gets hired.

Ideally, you should maintain eye contact with any panelist who asks you a question –as they are talking. When answering the question, you should move your eyes along the panel and ensure you look at everyone.

Maintaining eye contact with the panel will make them feel you’re being personal. This will lead to a connection with each panelist and that could improve your chances of getting the job.

3. Follow up with each panelist

After you’re done with the interview, you can send each panelist a personalized thank you note.

This will help them remember you, and even as they are reviewing, you’ll likely be a subject to come up.

Do not annoy them with emails or start asking questions every day. If they do not respond to your thank you note, be content still.

When I shared this information with Purity, she found it very insightful. She used the above tips to prepare for her panel interview.

I gave her a courtesy call a few days ago, and she was very excited about the interview. In her own words, she felt she had “aced it!” Later that day, she received an email detailing she had gotten the job!

You too can use these tactics to ace your next panel interview. For more information on our interview coaching service or to speak with an interview coach, reach us on communications@corporatestaffing.co.ke or call us at 0722 735 216.