We Can Interview Better

I forgot how much interviewing for jobs SUCKS.

Just like golfers forget they were once shitty and treat new players like ass, interviewers forget they were once on the other side of the transaction. Now that they have to speak to candidates, they do all the things they hated when job searching.

They live long enough to see themselves become villains.

It doesn’t have to be this way, though. Let’s interview better.

Here’s how.

1. We should only conduct 2-3 interview rounds

When hiring, time is valuable. Not just for the company but the candidate, as well. Treat it as such and have a 2-round interview process.

Drawing out the process doesn’t teach us more about their skills. On the contrary, it pushes good hires to drop out of our pipeline and take other jobs. We should only have the direct manager and a higher-up interview. That should be enough to determine if the candidate can do the work.

If it isn’t, we should look at how we can be more efficient with the questions we ask candidates.

Speaking of questions…

2. We should review the candidate’s materials BEFORE we talk to them

As hiring managers, we’d HATE it if a candidate showed they’d done little research on our company and the job. It would show a lack of interest and seriousness about the opportunity.

We should then do the necessary research on each candidate to make interviews more efficient. This will help limit interview rounds.

Because we’re pressed to do other work for our company, we sometimes wait until we talk to the candidate to look at their resume. Therefore, we need to research their materials before, just as you’d like a candidate to prepare before they interview with us.

Speaking of materials…

3. We should assess candidates during our interview process

I don’t give a shit if we call them “assessments.” We’re asking candidates to do free work. We should be assessing them during our interviews. We should ask candidates probing questions based on their experience, looking for any areas we’d need to give them additional training and places where they can add knowledge and value to our internal team. If we feel any further assessment is necessary, we can pay them to do it. Again, their time is as valuable as ours.

Candidates aren’t in school: there shouldn’t be homework.

All we’re doing is checking off boxes, trying to fit everyone into the same experience. For example, some digital marketers are better at handling data than others. Some are better with code, while others are better with writing.

But we can all learn. And we, as hiring managers, should always have the time to teach someone instead of looking for the perfect, fully-formed candidate.

Speaking of time…

4. We should be on time for the interview

Yes, this needs to be said.

We wouldn’t take a late candidate seriously, so why should they take our company and us seriously if we’re late? But, again, we have to value their time. So we should budget our day to finish work and be on time for our interview commitments.

Speaking of budgeting…

5. We should know our budget BEFORE we conduct interviews

We shouldn’t reach out or post about an open role unless we KNOW we can afford to fill it. Simple as that.

After years of interviewing candidates, these are the most critical facets of our interview process. The most prominent theme is ego. Companies and interviewers feel candidates need to prove why they should be hired. Both parties should try to impress the other, especially if there is a potential fit. Interviewing should be ponderous. Let’s make some changes, so it isn’t ponderous.