Six key tips for handling panel interviews

Panel interviews can vary in intensity

Many job interviews are held with two or three people plus a member of the recruitment team. At the BBC these are known as 'boards' but we generally call them 'panels'. When you do these interviews, online or in-person, they can be intimidating.

Here are some tips based on recent experience of clients and from recruiters.

Research, research, research

For job interviews research is of course vital and for a panel you should find out about each panelist’s role, career and area of specialism. You can then direct answers or specific questions to them using that knowledge.

If someone has had a similar career path to you then ask them about that and how the experience has helped them get to the role they are in now.

Be professional and prepared for the process

BBC boards have increasingly become quite mechanical as the corporation tries to make recruitment fair. The downside to this is that it can feel quite cold. The panel is ticking boxes as they talk to you and scoring you live. This makes interaction hard and definitely means with the BBC that humour is best avoided. Elsewhere there maybe a different feel for interviews but judge it carefully. It is better to be professional all the way through and not let your guard down after some nice 'banter'. That could go very wrong.

Examples

Prepare a few headline stories, not scripted answers from your career that demonstrate your experience and skills. Build a bank of concise STAR-style stories you can adapt across questions, instead of memorising full replies. If you don't get to use an example, you might be able to use it in a question instead.

Direction

Open each answer to one person, then include the room. Start by addressing the questioner, then share eye contact across the panel so no one feels ignored. If it is online you might need to use their names more often.

It is also good to ask one tailored question to each interviewer, if you have time.

KISS and concise

Keep your answers and examples simple and think of the answers like a broadcast bulletin. A shorter, better shaped and framed answer avoids those longer drifting responses that can put interviewers off. About 2 minutes is enough. Aim for clear, high-impact responses; long monologues lose panels and audiences alike.

Listen and respond

Build on what someone has just said (“To add to David's point…”) to show you’re listening, This also makes you look collaborative and someone who is effective in teams (something that will score you higher with a BBC board).

*BBC Boards specifically

Recent experience tells me that BBC boards will always start with an easy open question like "when you are not working what do you like to do with your team?". Often they will tell you this beforehand and also the themes for some of the questions. Any tasks during the interview should be explained in advance too.

When you answer do not let the fact all three people (often) are writing things down and seemingly not interested in what you are saying. Keep the momentum up and make sure you directly answer the question and give those STAR responses that are needed.

Gone are the days when BBC interviews were confrontational and looking to trip you up. They genuinely want to give you the space to answer the best way you can and get the information you need to across.