How panel interviews work in Interview Signal
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A panel in Interview Signal is several interviewers on the same agency account, each on their own computer, sharing one role's questions for the same candidate. One person opens a panel and reads out a six-character join code, the others join with it, and "Split the questions" deals the questions between everyone, must-asks first. During the calls, each guide shows which questions somebody else has already marked as asked. Only question numbers cross the network; transcripts, quotes and the candidate's name never do. Panels are part of the Team plan, as of version 0.9.10 (October 2026).
Who can use panels?
- Team plan only. The pricing page says Free, Pay as you go and Solo have no panels. See the Team plan guide for seats and admins.
- The same agency account. A join code only works for people signed in to the same account, so it cannot reach another agency's panel.
- One seat each, one computer each. Every interviewer runs the app on their own machine, with their own audio and their own interview file.
- A connection. Opening or joining needs the network. Try to open one offline and the app says so, and that you can still run the interview on your own.
How do I set up a panel?
On the pre-interview screen, under "3. Interviewing as a panel (optional)":
- The first person presses "Open a panel". A six-character code appears with "Read this out to the others:". "Copy" puts it on the clipboard for a chat message.
- Everyone else types the code into "JOIN CODE" and presses "Join" (or Enter). Letters are turned to capitals as you type. Join from the same role's pre-interview screen, because the split is by question number.
- Check who is in. Members appear by initials, with "you" on your own. While you are alone it says "Waiting for the others to join."
- Press "Split the questions" once everyone has joined. Each person sees "Your share: N of M questions. The rest stay on your guide, marked as somebody else's." If someone joins late, press "Split again".
- Run the audio check and start as usual. "Leave" takes you out of the panel. Nothing about the panel blocks starting an interview.
How are the questions split?
Like dealing cards. The must-ask questions are dealt first, one to each person in turn, so no single interviewer carries every must-ask. The rest are dealt the same way, and the guide stays in the kit's original order, because that is how the interview was designed to run.
Example: three interviewers, ten questions, two of them must-asks. The two must-asks go to the first and second person, the eight others continue round the table, and each person ends up with three or four questions spread through the kit rather than one block at the end.
What do I see during the interview?
- A panel strip above the guide with everyone's initials, a chip such as "room 6/10 · 1 must-ask left" (it turns to "must-asks done" when they are), "yours" with your share, and the join code.
- "asked by" and initials beside any question another interviewer has marked as asked, with the question struck through and faded; hover to see who.
- Your share marked with a colored bar down the left of each line, with everyone else's questions still in the guide so you can reread them.
The strip refreshes about every six seconds. When you ask a question, click the mark at the start of its line ("Mark asked or not asked"); that is the tick the others see. The question guide also ticks questions on its own from the transcript, but in 0.9.10 those automatic ticks show only on your screen.
What is shared, and what stays on each computer?
The panel step in the app says: "Only question numbers and scores are shared — no names, no quotes, nothing anybody said." In practice, what the other interviewers see in 0.9.10 is the members' initials and email addresses and which questions have been marked as asked, and by whom. Your scorecard is not shown on their screens.
Everything else stays on your machine: the transcript, the scorecard and its quotes, your notes, the candidate's name, any CV and the submittal. Each interviewer finishes with their own review screen and their own submittal. The server keeps question numbers and statuses, never the text of a question. More on this on the security page.
What if the panel connection drops?
The interview carries on. A banner says once: "The panel is not reachable. This interview carries on; the others just will not see your ticks until it comes back." Transcription, follow-ups and scoring are not affected, and the next successful refresh catches up.
Limits
- Only questions you mark by clicking are shared; automatic ticks stay on your own screen.
- Questions you add during the call with "+ Add" are yours alone and are not shared with the panel.
- There is no combined scorecard or joint submittal. Compare notes in the debrief, or line up candidates with Compare.
- Panels need Team, a connection and everyone on the same agency account.
Questions people ask
Can several interviewers use Interview Signal on the same candidate?
Yes, with a panel. One interviewer opens a panel on the pre-interview screen and reads out a six-character join code, the others join with it, and Split the questions deals the role's questions between them. Each person runs Interview Signal on their own computer, and each guide shows which questions the others have marked as asked.
Does Interview Signal share transcripts between panel interviewers?
No. A panel shares question numbers and who marked them asked, plus the members' seats. Each interviewer's transcript, quotes, notes, scorecard and submittal stay on their own computer, and the candidate's name is never sent.
Do I need the Team plan for panel interviews in Interview Signal?
Yes. Panels are part of the Team plan, which costs $59 per seat per month or $49 per seat per month billed yearly, with a minimum of three seats, as of October 2026. Free, Pay as you go and Solo have no panels, and everyone on a panel must be on the same agency account.
What happens if I mistype an Interview Signal panel join code?
The join is refused and you are asked to try again; the app never guesses which code you meant, because a corrected guess could put you in another team's room. Codes are six characters and leave out letters and digits that sound or look alike, such as O and 0 or I and 1.