Diverse interview panels – are they worth it?

Many companies have experimented with having diverse interview panels but what are the benefits? Inclusive recruitment is a phrase often used but diverse panels are a great way to make the interview process much fairer. I worked as part of a diverse interview panel at Sky Sports and I learned of its many benefits straight away.

Here are the top five from my experiences:

1 Firstly, having someone external involved helps to avoid any unconscious bias and adds integrity. Those who are part of the process will have more confidence that a particular person isn’t already earmarked for the role, and the interviews are just ‘going through the motions.’

2 Giving each interview a chance. Having a diverse panel – either using someone internally or having someone from the outside – means the whole panel will be fully focused for each interview. There is likely no assumptions made about the strength of candidates in diverse interview panels as that kind of bias is much harder to display in this format.

3 Benefits to the candidate. Especially for external candidates, if they see someone who looks like them, then this can make the company and role a more attractive organisation. They could also perform better and be reassured that the company is diverse, inclusive, fair and a place where they see their future. They will also be reassured that there is no favouritism to internal candidates already doing similar roles.

4 Being part of an interview panel as a staff member improved my own chances of being successful at interviews. Sitting through a range of interviews I could see and learn from those that did well, and how some could have improved. Crucially, you could see what the interviewers were after and the best answers which scored the highest marks. And of course there are always overlaps in interviews so a similar style of interview questions could come up in future recruitment.

5 Feedback. Having a diverse interview panel meant the candidate could get feedback from someone “brought in” to be part of the panel. Offering this feedback is not only useful to the candidate but also reflects well on the business. It also saves the employer’s time I help businesses by being on their diverse interview panels, helping set the interview framework and also providing feedback. Please do contact me for a chat or if I can help in any way.

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