A panel interview is an interview in which a candidate meets two or more interviewers at once. Panels are common for senior hires, public-sector and academic roles, and any job where several people will work closely with the new hire. Done well, a panel gives a fairer, better-rounded decision in less total time. Done badly, it is an interrogation by people who have not agreed what they are looking for.
This guide covers how to set up a panel, run it and score it, with sample panel interview questions split by panellist.
When should you use a panel interview?
A panel makes sense when:
- several stakeholders need a say in the decision (a hiring manager, a peer from a partner team, HR)
- you want to reduce the influence of one interviewer's preferences
- the candidate's time matters: one panel can replace three or four separate interviews
- the role involves presenting to or working with groups
It is less suited to very early screening, or to junior roles where one well-structured interview is enough.
Who should be on the panel?
Three or four panellists is usually the right size. More than that and candidates get fewer, shallower questions.
| Panel role | Typical person | What they own |
|---|---|---|
| Chair | Hiring manager or HR | Welcome, timing, introducing panellists, closing |
| Role expert | Senior team member or peer | Technical and job-specific questions |
| Stakeholder | Someone from a partner team | Collaboration, communication, how the role affects them |
| HR or recruiter | Talent partner | Motivation, practicalities, consistency of process |
Aim for a mix of perspectives and backgrounds on the panel. Brief everyone on the role and the criteria, even if they have interviewed many times before.
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How to prepare a panel interview
- Agree the criteria. Pick four to six competencies from the job description. Our job description template helps if the role is new.
- Assign questions. Give each panellist one or two competencies and two or three questions for each. Write them down; everyone asks the same questions of every candidate.
- Build a scoring rubric. Describe strong, acceptable and weak answers for each question. See our interview scoring rubric template.
- Share the CV and any test results with the panel in advance, with a reminder that the interview should test, not just repeat, what is on paper.
- Brief the candidate. Send names and job titles of panellists, the format, the length and whether there is a task or presentation. Ask about adjustments. Our interview invitation email can be adapted.
Sample panel interview agenda (60 minutes)
| Time | Section | Who |
|---|---|---|
| 0 to 5 min | Welcome, introductions, format | Chair |
| 5 to 20 min | Role-specific questions | Role expert |
| 20 to 35 min | Collaboration and stakeholder questions | Stakeholder |
| 35 to 45 min | Motivation and values | HR or chair |
| 45 to 55 min | Candidate's questions | All |
| 55 to 60 min | Next steps and close | Chair |
If there is a presentation, add 15 to 20 minutes and decide in advance who asks the follow-up questions.
Panel interview questions
These are illustrative; adapt them to your competencies. Ask for specific past examples and probe for detail. The UK Civil Service's candidate guidance tells applicants that interviewers may ask them to describe specific times they have shown a skill or behaviour, and suggests the STAR structure for answers.
Role expert (job skills)
- Walk us through a recent piece of work you are proud of. What was your part, specifically?
- Tell us about a time a project went wrong for a technical reason. How did you find the cause?
- If you joined and found [a common problem in the role], what would you do in your first two weeks?
- How do you decide when work is good enough to ship?
Stakeholder (collaboration and communication)
- Tell us about a time you needed something from another team that had different priorities.
- Describe a disagreement with a colleague about how to do something. How was it resolved?
- How would you explain [a technical concept from the role] to someone in our team who is not a specialist?
- Tell us about feedback you received that changed how you work.
Chair or HR (motivation and values)
- What made you apply for this role, and what do you hope to be doing in it a year from now?
- Tell us about a time you had to make a decision without all the information you wanted.
- What kind of manager or team gets the best out of you?
- Is there anything about how we work that you would want to know more about before deciding?
For more, see our structured interview questions and behavioural interview questions.
How to run the panel on the day
- The chair leads. They introduce everyone, explain the format, keep time and invite follow-ups.
- One person asks at a time. Avoid panellists jumping in with their own tangents.
- Everyone takes notes on what the candidate said, not just their impression.
- Leave silence. Candidates facing several people need a moment to think.
- Watch body language on the panel. Panellists looking at laptops or each other unsettles candidates.
- For video panels, agree who speaks when, keep cameras on, and have a backup dial-in.
How to score a panel interview
The value of a panel comes from independent judgement. Protect it:
- Score alone first. Each panellist completes their scorecard straight after the interview, before any discussion. Use the interview scorecard template.
- Discuss evidence, competency by competency. Start with the most junior panellist so seniority does not anchor everyone else.
- Resolve big differences with evidence. If one panellist scores a 2 and another a 5, ask each what they heard.
- Record the agreed outcome and the reasons.
Making panel interviews fair
This is general information, not legal advice.
- Ask every candidate the same core questions and score them against the same rubric.
- Offer adjustments. In the UK, Acas includes job applicants in the reasonable adjustment duty, with examples such as an accessible interview room.
- Avoid questions about personal circumstances (family plans, age, health, religion) that are unrelated to the job.
- Keep notes and scores; they are your record of why you decided.
Our guide to unconscious bias in recruitment covers more.
Panel interview checklist
- [ ] Three or four panellists, each with a defined role
- [ ] Competencies and questions agreed and assigned
- [ ] Scoring rubric written
- [ ] Candidate told who is on the panel and the format
- [ ] Adjustments offered
- [ ] Chair keeps time and manages follow-ups
- [ ] Independent scoring before discussion
- [ ] Decision and reasons recorded
FAQs
How many people are on a panel interview?
Usually two to four. Beyond four, each person gets too little time and the candidate faces a crowd.
How long is a panel interview?
Typically 45 to 90 minutes, depending on seniority and whether there is a presentation or task.
Is a panel interview better than one-to-one interviews?
A panel lets several people hear the same answers and saves the candidate repeated interviews. A series of one-to-ones gives each interviewer more depth. Either works if questions are structured and scoring is independent.
What is the difference between a panel interview and a group interview?
In a panel interview, several interviewers meet one candidate. In a group interview, one or more interviewers meet several candidates at once.