A panel interview primarily serves to achieve what outcome?

• A. Gather multiple perspectives and reach a consensus evaluation to reduce individual bias.
• B. It increases the risk of groupthink in decision making.
• C. It speeds up the process by shortening the interview.
• D. It eliminates the need for objective criteria.

Answer: (B)

Panel interviews bring together several interviewers, creating a setting where multiple viewpoints must be reconciled into a single evaluation. This social dynamic encourages discussion and consensus, which can be valuable for a well-rounded assessment. However, it also introduces pressure to align with the group's view or a dominant voice, which can dampen dissenting opinions and critical challenges. That tendency toward harmony and quick agreement is what elevates the risk of groupthink in decision making within panel settings. Recognizing this helps you design the process to counter it—for example, by using structured scoring criteria, gathering independent assessments before discussion, and ensuring all perspectives are surfaced. In short, the key takeaway is that the panel format inherently increases groupthink risk if not actively mitigated.