The Panel Interview
Launch library · evergreen read
A panel interview places a single subject in front of several questioners at once, each bringing their own angle and priorities to the conversation. The format tests a subject's composure under a kind of pressure that a one to one sitting rarely creates, since the questions can arrive from unpredictable directions.
Coordination among the panel matters as much as any individual question. Without it, questioners can duplicate ground already covered or leave important areas unexamined entirely, and a subject skilled at reading the room can sometimes exploit gaps between panellists who have not aligned their approach.
Done well, the panel format can cover more ground in less time than a single interviewer working alone, drawing out different facets of a subject's thinking as each questioner pursues their own particular interest within the shared conversation. Coordination beforehand, more than any single clever question, tends to determine how well the whole panel actually performs together.