A panel interview has more than two people on the panel and typically has two or three interviewers on the panel. Typically, a panel interview includes the immediate supervisor, one or two people from Human Resources and/or one or two people from the immediate business unit or work area. The panel of interviewers' are going to ask you questions about some situations and listen to how you handled them. Remember, there are no trick questions! Moreover, remember to frame your response in the following manner:
1) S - describe the situation
2) T - what was the task
3) A - what did you do; what 'action' did you take
4) R – what was the end result; what happened as a result of the action you took.
After you have identified an event in your past that relates to the type of situation the interviewer has asked you about, the interviewer may probe further to gather more detailed information. This does not mean that you have not provided the correct answer. Sometimes interviewers ask follow-up or probing questions to make sure they have enough information to make a decision.
It is important that you recall the situation clearly and concisely and that your story reflects well on you as a potential employee. Interviewers at The City of Calgary are not interested in generalizations, how you would hypothetically handle the situation, or how you might behave given those circumstances. We want you to relate to us what you actually did – given the situation provided.
