I’ve been in charge of my team for a while now and have to conduct my first ever yearly assessments soon. Never done that. It’s a small team and I know it’s gonna go well with most employees apart from one that’s close to her retirement, fed up with everything and quite a nightmare to work with. Oh well, doing my best, can’t do more really. 
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I ran an interview a couple of days ago and it was a no, but the person doing the interview with me (two people interviewing one candidate) is a bit of a liability at best of times. Toward the end of the interview, I passed over to him to see if he had any questions for the candidate whilst I formulated some notes, and he ended up asking two completely off topic questions, that I’ve asked in very specific contexts in the past, in a very rote manner, even though they weren’t appropriate in this interview at all. The candidate basically choked from that point onward and completely closed down. It was very awkward. Thankfully I wasn’t going to progress the candidate anyway, so I didn’t need to unpick the situation, but in the midst of a very stressful day with other things, it was not an hour of my life that I enjoyed.
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I love interviews (on both sides), but I’m always super casual about it. I’d hate working somewhere where I was forced to ask scripted questions or scorecards or anything like that.
I always find it’s easier to hire the personality and build the skills afterwards. I’ve hired people who were shit-hot coders but absolute weapons personally, it never worked out. That makes interviews easier because you can spend the first few minutes setting the scene, make some typical british self deprecating jokes to bring their guard down, then the rest of it is just a chit chat to figure out their vibe/hunger etc.
I’m in tech though, so usually by that point the coding test has weeded out all the chancers, just need a baseline to work with.
That said, the first time interviewing was dreadful. Had pre-canned questions, decided after 5 mins that this candidate wasn’t getting the job and naively thought it would be better to just end the interview right away. My then boss went “hang on a minute let’s pivot” so we spent the next 25 mins just interrogating this poor defeated soul. He told me afterwards he did that to punish me for giving up too easily, ha. I sweat just thinking about it.
Good luck lads!
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Good advice.
Last guy I hired, the interview felt like a nice chat, they took feedback well, pushed back on a few things. Just one of those nice constructive conversations you might have around an ongoing project.
Literally couldn’t hire the guy fast enough and he’s worked out really well.
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Culture fit is a huge factor in the interview process. In the Cyber Security world that I work in, nearly all of the interviews are informal style conversations. Normally 3 or 4 Interview Stages (aka informal conversations) at most. And these are for sales jobs earning well above £200k!
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I went through this once and got the job but my goodness did I feel stressed at the last stage, I managed to keep it together but I was very close to respectfully saying I couldn’t continue.
I had 3 interviews for my cleaning job. An initial telephone interview then 2 interviews in person.
I don’t usually worry too much about a first interview - they’re usually just feeling you out to make sure you’re not a dickhead or annoying. When I was interviewing for Converse they flew me over and I had five, or maybe seven(? it was ages ago now, can’t remember) interviews, back to back, but it was much the same, just being introduced to people and making sure you’d fit culturally
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Two for my current job, semi-technical with the data modeller and Head of support, then an “informal” culture fit phone call after DBS etc.
I had one interview which, in hindsight, I wish I’d walked out of, let alone actually drove to. I’m far less inclined to put up with any bollocks these days.
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Mate, seen this, wow…. Fucking Oxford dude, knew his technical stuff inside, outside and backwards but he was a total bellend and impossible to work with.
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Can’t remember mine, but the the final interview I had to do a presentation for.
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I was like Spud doing an interview on speed in Trainspotting yesterday. Think they liked ‘the energy’ at first then it got a bit wearing. Kept waving my hands around too much as well, full on Tony Blair hand-chops going on so I sat on them in the end. I don’t mind interviews but doesn’t stop me losing the plot a bit in them.
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You realise that getting a job based on an interview is relying on emotional humans making biased decisions based on imperfect data about you and therefore a bit of a lottery really.
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As long as you didn’t accidentally fling your shit over the interview panel I reckon you’ll be ok 
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There’s no way I could do that, and I’m generally impressed by people who can (my Mrs does that kind of stuff).
Mate I get very nervous and anxious before things like that, but once I start talking I’m usually quite good then I can’t fucking shut up. Haha.
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I find with interviews it helps to have a bit of ‘ironic distance’. Ie we both know this is a bit of a pantomime, it’s not normal behaviour to list your abilities and achievements etc but we’re going to play our roles here.
I’m probably not we explaining very well or maybe I’m tapped but it just means not taking it too seriously and almost watching yourself acting it out
Ok maybe I’m weird
Edit, just looked it up, it’s called ironic detachment, if you did it all the time you’d probably be a psycho
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Went skating again tonight and did a few bits that I’m happy with. Starting to gather a little crew at the local park on Thursday evenings. Fun times.
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I’m so tired and sunburnt.
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Annoying that it’s Thursday, the main day I can’t get ha
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