Interviews: Preparing for and conducting a staff panel

How can a candidate prepare for a staff panel?

Request the names and job titles of all the people on the staff panel. This will give you the opportunity to understand the background of these people and help with predicting the type of question they may ask, pertaining to their specialism. It will also help you tailor your own questions directly to the relevant person. Panel members will appreciate noticing you’ve done your research by looking them up on LinkedIn.

Enquire about the structure of the meeting. Will one of the staff panel be chairing the meeting, or will you as candidate be expected to? Knowing this will avoid any awkwardness for both sides.

Have questions ready. These could include: What challenges do you face in your role, and how can the [insert title] help overcome these? How would you describe the team culture? What areas of fundraising do you feel present the greatest opportunity for growth over the coming year?

Ensure you engage with everyone on the panel. Potential colleagues will want to know that you are someone who listens to different perspectives and can bring people into discussions, particularly if they are introverted characters.