Why scoring before discussion matters
The first person to speak anchors the whole panel.
When panel members discuss a candidate before independently scoring them, the first person to speak anchors the discussion. Subsequent panel members adjust toward the first opinion expressed, even if they would have scored differently in isolation. This is the anchoring effect, one of the most robust findings in cognitive psychology.
The fix is simple and well-evidenced: each panel member independently scores the candidate before the panel discusses the round. Scores are recorded. Then the panel discusses differences and reconciles.
This is not a trust issue or a panel dynamics issue. It is a cognitive design issue. The order of operations, score first, discuss second, is what makes the discussion productive rather than convergent on the first voice.