Mastering Group Dynamics During A Panel Interview

Join Isaiah as he explains what are panel interviews and discusses what is the best way to navigate them to ensure a a job offer

Here’s a quick rundown of this week’s episode…

• First, Isaiah tells what a panel interview is and when are you more likely to have one during the interview process
• Next, Isaiah gives some good practices that you should follow during a panel interview
• Finally, Isaiah points out the best way to close a panel interview to increase your chances of getting a job offer

From This Week’s Show… 

What Is A Panel Interview

During a site visit or a late stage video interview, you may be faced with a panel of interviewers.

Panel interviews are done because the company wants as many people as possible to see your face and interact with you before committing to bringing you on board.

Best Practices PhDs Should Follow During Panel Interviews

Once you are told you will face a panel interview, be sure to ask who will be on the panel so you can research each panelist on Linkedin.

During a panel interview itself, make sure you engage with all the interviewers, not just the most outgoing participant.

Make sure you keep track of each person’s name and job title and who asked which question. This is best done by starting your panel interview with a sheet of paper in front of you with each panel member’s name listed. Then you can write shorthand notes for each person’s question under their name as they ask it.

During a panel interview, you should also be prepared for any type of question because there will likely be people from different departments. You might be interviewing for an R&D position, but you’ll likely be talking to someone from human resources, R&D, sales, marketing, and perhaps one or two executives.

The interests of every panel member will vary, and you need to meet each person’s interests individually, as well as the collective interest, to build rapport. Keep in mind that every person on the panel will have a say in whether you move to the next interview round.

How To Close A Panel Interview To Ensure A Job Offer

To close the panel interview successfully, ask a question like, “Is there any other information you would like to hear from me?”

Look directly at the camera when asking this question (or when responding to any question). Try to avoid looking down at the panel members’ faces the entire time because this is a very negative posture and comes across as negative or like you’re fabricating your answers.

Another great question to ask at the end of a video interview is: “Do you still have any doubts that you would like me to address before we move on to the next phase of the interview process?”

This question encourages them to address any doubts they may have while you’re still present and can help them overcome these doubts or get them to confirm they have no doubts. Either way, if done properly, your interviewers will now feel a stronger pull to extend a job offer to you to maintain consistency with their acknowledgment that their doubts were resolved or that they didn’t have any doubts in the first place.

If you’re ready to start your transition into industry, you can apply to book a free Transition Call with our founder Isaiah Hankel, PhD or one of our Transition Specialists. Apply to book a Transition Call here.