Today’s blog looks at how to interview with more than one person. The panel interview for the sake of time and expediency is once again becoming more popular. The reason for this new phenomenon is obvious: it is to save time for the hiring managers and for the candidates. However, I think the true reasons are to ferret out candidates who are not qualified and not to move the candidates forward at this time in the year.
Bonus Season & All
We are at the time of the year when bonuses start looming. Firms know that someone that they may be very interested in earlier in the year may delay them now. Even those who are exceptionally good because the firm doesn’t want to pay someone else’s bonus for the remainder of the year. Yet this does present a quandary to firms as they don’t want to lose some “rock star” candidate who wants to make a move and fits the quality of a truly desired candidate. With time of the essence, it’s easier to present a panel interview to determine if the candidate is worth using political capital as well as financial capital to get him or her onboard.
Who Is Who In A Panel Interview
So, how best to negotiate a panel interview? The first thing anyone should do is to determine who is on the panel. After knowing that, like any other interview, doing as much due diligence as you can to determine their style, background, interests, etc. This is to relate to them better. The next thing is looking at their respective roles as compared to the other members of the panel, this is to determine potential seniority. By knowing this you can try to relate best and address the senior member of the team. But beware that just because the senior member is on the panel does not mean that he or she will be leading the questioning.
What’s Really Happening Once The Panel Interview Begins?
Once the panel interview has begun interviewing you, note where the questions are coming from. Is there a pattern to the questions? Does it appear that one person is doing a majority of the speaking while the rest of the panel members are showing deference to one particular person? These are all the clues that you must pick up on. Here’s the trick – the one doing the questioning may not be the one that has the most say when you leave the room. Who might be the true decision-maker? What I have found from candidate feedback by the manager is that they tend to let the others talk as they pretty much have made their mind up, and now they are looking for confirmation of their initial thoughts. If the remaining panel members (those you have interacted with or even new people who have never met you) have issues of any sort, the candidate will not move forward to the final steps in the process. It is extremely important to remain fully engaged with everyone, even the panel members who may not be asking a significant amount of questions. Why? Because at the end of the day, you may never be able to determine who had the real power in the room; so, work the panel, address everyone verbally and non-verbally, and be prepared for any questions that can be asked of you – especially as their assessment of your abilities will be needed with a high level of confidence to increase your likelihood in getting hired. Lastly, even though it is a panel interview, send thank you notes to everyone you have had the pleasure of sharing your interest in the firm with. Thank you notes, which may be old-fashioned, are so valued.
Conclusion
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About Harlan Friedman, JD & Founding Member, H. Friedman Search LLC. Harlan is a thirty-year veteran Public Finance Banker turned recruiter who specializes in the placement of all levels Public Finance Bankers, Healthcare Bankers, Municipal Advisors, Compliance Officers, Issuers, and Bond Counsels.