Some things are best done by a big group — and that goes for interviewing potential employees, too.

Traditional interviews are done by one or two people. But many companies also use a panel, sometimes made up of five or more individuals.

It’s not the best strategy for filling every position. But here are three situations in which you and the hiring manager might want to use a panel interview:

1. A bunch of people need to give input. For example, if HR, a direct supervisor, a department manager, someone who’d report to the candidate and one or two potential peers all need to conduct interviews, having all those folks conduct an interview together might be the best option. It saves time, and makes sure everyone has the same information.
2. The team comes first. The final say normally goes to the hiring manager. But in some cases, an employee’s hired to join a team, and every member gets an equal say in the decision.
3. There’s no clear hiring manager role. For many upper-level positions, it’s not clear who the candidate’s direct supervisor would be. Sometimes a panel of other upper-level folks is best suited for making the decision.

Tags: group interviews, panel interview, tips