Template

Panel interview template

Several interviewers meet one candidate together, each covering a different part of the job, so the candidate tells their story once and the panel sees the same answers.

60 minutesFor Two to four interviewers, each with a planned area, and the candidateAgenda room
Change the agenda first

The agenda, with a time for each part

  1. Introductions and how this works5 min
    • Who is on the panel, and what will each of us ask about?
  2. Area one15 min
    • Tell us about a time you…
  3. Area two15 min
    • What would you do if…?
  4. Area three15 min
    • Walk us through how you would approach…
  5. Their questions7 min
    • What would you like to ask us?
  6. What happens next3 min
    • When will you hear from us?

How the notes read afterwards

A made-up example, so you can see the shape. In a real call each line carries the words that were said and who said them.

Areas. Leading a team (Rosa); handling difficult customers (Ben); data and reporting (Jo).

Candidate. Strong on the team and customer examples; less on reporting.

Scores. Written separately before the debrief.

Next. Decision in the debrief on Thursday.

Running it well

Ways to change it

RemoteAgree who speaks when, and keep everyone's camera on.
Senior roleAdd a short presentation from the candidate at the start.

When to skip it. For junior roles where one well-planned interview tells you enough.

Questions

What is a panel interview?

An interview where several interviewers meet a candidate together, usually each covering a different area of the role.

How do you prepare for a panel interview as an interviewer?

Agree in advance who covers which area and which questions, and how each answer will be scored.

How many people should be on an interview panel?

Usually two to four; more can overwhelm the candidate and leave each panellist little time.

What happens in the room

Everybody joins from the link, with no account. The agenda sits beside the call and each item fills in with what was said about it, under the name of the person who said it.

More templates

Technical interviewCheck that a candidate can do the technical work of the role by working on a realistic problem together — and hear how they think, not just whether they get the answer.Reference callA call with someone who worked with your final candidate, to check what you heard in interviews and learn how best to support them if you hire them.Offer callTell the chosen candidate they have the job, walk through the offer clearly, answer their questions, and agree when they will decide — on a call, before the paperwork.Recruiting pipeline reviewRecruiters and hiring managers go through every open role: how many candidates are at each stage, where they get stuck, and what to change to fill the role in time.Campus recruiting debriefAfter a university hiring season or event: which schools and events found good candidates, how students experienced the process, who to make offers to, and what to change next year.Internship kickoffThe first proper meeting with a new intern: what they will work on, what they will learn, who helps them, and what a great summer looks like — so they can contribute from week one.Internship wrap-upAt the end of an internship: the intern shows what they did, gets honest feedback, gives theirs, and hears clearly what happens next — a return offer, a reference, or both.Job interviewA structured hour: their story, the job's hardest problem, and their questions.

All 162 templates →

Try Meetful

Meetings that take their own notes

Free video meetings in the browser: every line of the transcript under the name of who said it, and the summary and action items when you hang up. Nothing to install — guests just open the link.

Try Meetful freeSee what it does