What is a panel interview?

Traditional interview processes may involve several stages of interviews. Candidates meet with the initial interviewer, who narrows the list of candidates before arranging a second or third round of interviews with the candidates with the best qualifications and who made the best impressions. The problem with the traditional interviewing process is that there may be unconscious bias at any stage when interviews are performed by a single person.

Some examples of unconscious bias include the following:

• Placing weighted importance on education and experience
• Preferring candidates who identify with the interviewer’s race, religion or gender
• Having a bias against individuals who don’t have the same sexual orientation
• Overlooking some important information about a candidate simply because they’re likable
• Giving candidates in a certain age group an advantage

A panel interview reduces the chances of unconscious bias. Interviewees meet with several interviewers in a single meeting, which may include the person who oversees the team the new role fits into. Having multiple people can make it easy to stick to the same process for every interview and to evaluate the results from more than one viewpoint.

Why creating a diverse panel interview helps your business

Equal opportunity isn’t simply about being fair to every candidate, even though exclusion can present ethical and legal questions. Businesses with more diverse workforces may benefit from a wider range of experiences and viewpoints, giving them an advantage in innovation. Creating an inclusive corporate culture begins with hiring a diverse staff that’s composed of people of all ages, genders, orientations, races and beliefs.

Businesses also benefit when their management staff is just as diverse as the rest of the workforce. One of the most important ways to show potential new hires that your company is inclusive is to create a diverse interview panel. It gives the immediate impression that the candidate doesn’t need to worry about whether they’re going to receive a job offer based on anything other than how well they fit the position.

How to create your diverse panel interview

A diverse interview panel can transform your hiring practices and help you retain top talent. There are a few steps you can take before forming your panel interview team to assess your company’s existing diversity level.

Create a standardized test

Maintaining data regarding your workforce composition can paint a clear picture of how diverse your business really is and where you may be slanted. Review whether all age groups, education levels, genders and races are represented and if the representation for each group is fair. You shouldn’t feel the need to hire new people simply to fill a diversity gap, but if you notice that one group is underrepresented, it could mean that you need to revamp your interviewing process to ignore unconscious bias.

Invest in diversity training programs

Diversity training is an ongoing process, and it’s great to continuously review where your business stands with these efforts. One good idea is to bring in a specialist who can act as a mentor or role model for your staff and promote awareness of issues such as discrimination, inclusion and how diversity promotes innovation. If your management staff receives diversity training, they have an effective tool they can use to make better hiring and management decisions.

Pay attention to employee retention

Another way to assess your diversity level is to review your recent departures and retention rate to see if your business is pushing certain groups out the door. If you notice that the people leaving your business have things in common such as age, race or religious beliefs, then this could mean some of your team members don’t feel your company is as inclusive as you think it is. If you identify a problem, you can review steps to make your work culture more open to diversity.

Create a diverse panel

Consider including interviewers from a range of backgrounds and lifestyles. For example, you may want to include someone on the panel who’s a member of the LGTBQIA+ community, a member of a traditionally under-represented community, a senior staff member and people with diverse educational backgrounds. Don’t discount the skills and talent each person on your panel should possess as these are equally important.

When considering a panel that respects your diversity endeavors, it’s a good idea to also evaluate what efforts your interview panel members have made within your company to contribute. Interviewers who’ve helped you create an inclusive workplace culture believe in your diversity efforts and are less likely to show bias.

Give each interview panel member something to focus on

Diverse interview panels are more effective if everyone can stay on topic, which is why each individual should be assigned a specific metric to grade. One interviewer could assess intangibles such as character traits, another could grade candidates’ education and experience, and a third could grade communication skills, work ethic and motivation. When you’re defining the roles for each panelist, create these expectations based on the ideal fit for the role.

Things your panel should avoid when interviewing candidates

Creating a diverse panel interview begins with the job listing, so review the language your recruiting staff is using to see if it’s inclusive. Using personalized wording doesn’t just make potential candidates feel your business is relatable, but it might encourage more people to apply to the position. The next thing to be wary of is being too rigid with qualifications. Instruct your panelists to consider whether the experience and training a candidate received through prior employers could be considered an equivalent to your education requirement, for example.

Avoid using agist language in your listing as well. Many businesses could be losing out when they post a listing targeting recent college graduates because applicants with decades of experience feel left out. When interviewing candidates, your panel should also be willing to overlook age and avoid calling candidates overqualified.

The bottom line

Even if your recruiters have the best intentions, traditional interviewing methods may be harming your diversity efforts through unconscious bias. Creating a diverse interview panel is one way you can address this problem and foster a much more diverse staff. The benefits of this strategy include increased innovation, improved retention rates and attracting better candidates.