What do you do if you're faced with a panel interview in Business Communications?

Here's a little secret: Read about the organisation's staff on the company website prior to the interview. If you know who will be interviewing you search them on LinkedIn to learn more about them before the interview. This will help you be more in tune with the interviewers including remembering their names and professional backgrounds. I was once interviewed by an executive who presented himself as a regular staff at the reception in a folded sleeves shirt and a tie to see how I would behave if I didn't know that he was the actual Hiring Manager. When interview time came, he was in a sharp suit. I was glad I had seen pictures of him online and knew exactly who he was the whole time - I was not fooled :)

Já estive muito mais vezes do lado de quem pergunta do que do lado de quem é entrevistado. Porém, recentemente passei por isso em um evento para mulheres advogadas, na região Sul do Brasil. Sempre recomendo estudar o mercado da empresa, pesquisar notícias e checar os perfis dos envolvidos aqui no LinkedIn. Tenha em mente que você foi selecionado(a) por um motivo importante. Agradeça pelo convite e prepare-se para contar mais sobre o que sabe. Tenha em mente que as palavras e o tom de voz que usar na sua apresentação fará toda diferença. E, como ensino meus alunos, lembre-se do tripé de Aristóteles: Ethos, pathos e logos (marca pessoal e sua história, dados e números sobre sua jornada, e a paixão com brilho nos olhos enquanto fala.)

In my opinion, checking the panel members are pivotal before starting the interview room. In addition, it is also important to understand their roles within the company and their potential field to support us tailor our reply. Moreover, showing respect, attentiveness is essential to make a smooth communication.

Before the interview, research the company, its culture, values, and current trends in the field of corporate communication. This will help you better understand the context in which you will be working. A tip I suggest is: connect with all employees of the company on LinkedIn, regardless of the department. You will receive updates on everything they post, observe past activities, and the recruiter will notice the number of mutual connections. It will truly seem like you are already inside the company, you will learn a lot from this, and make a good impression.

Em qualquer oportunidade de entrevista, é indispensável pesquisar sobre a empresa, seus principais líderes, valores institucionais, bem como distribuição geográfica. Pesquisando na Internet, especialmente no LinkedIn, podemos ter uma variedade enorme de informações, também podemos pesquisar no Glassdoor, para saber a opinião dos empregados sobre a empresa, como preparação prévia para a entrevista.

In my experience, our answering is very impactful so that we have to speak to multiple listeners with potentially different perspectives. Making practice leads to success to make a good communication. Thinking previous scenerios base on our past experience is good method.

Anticipate possible questions that may arise during the interview, such as your previous experience in corporate communication, how you would handle specific challenges, your strategies for building a strong corporate brand, among others. Also, prepare some insightful questions to ask the interviewers. This demonstrates your genuine interest in the company and the position.

For me, using body language is very effective because people concentrate on our movement. First, keeping eye contact with each panel member when replying to their questions. This method is key to procced communication smoothly in business communications.

Remember the importance of nonverbal communication. Maintain eye contact, smile, and demonstrate confidence through body language.

When responding to questions, it's important to direct your answers to all panel members, maintaining eye contact and addressing people by name. Additionally, when providing examples or situations, you can incorporate panel members into the narrative, making them feel more involved and included. It's also a good practice to encourage their participation by returning questions and encouraging them to share their perspectives and insights. This not only demonstrates your communication skills but also shows your ability to work collaboratively and engage all team members.

Facing pressure during a panel interview is a real possibility, but it's important to remain calm and stay focused. Be flexible and adaptable to changes during the interview. Be prepared to handle unexpected questions or unlikely challenges.