Confessions of a FAANG hiring manager

I’ve read a lot of posts recently about confounding or failed interviews at top tech firms. As someone who regularly serves as an HM (direct and indirect) at one of the most selective, I’ve also been bogged down by a flood of them in the past 2 Qs. I want to shed some light from the other side.

First of all, because our brand stamp is so strong (for now), HR is a wasteland, nowhere more so than Recruiting (I’ve known exceptions but this is the rule). The standard at which they work is incomprehensibly low. In fact, on my team, doing 95% of the job ourselves is the only way to make the process run smoother and faster. This includes fixing the 5% they inevitably fuck up.

Contrast that with most other teams’ needlessly high performance standards and top down expectations. We are the poster child for getting a rocket scientist to do data entry (this is a real case, not a metaphor). And instead of a headhunter, an intern sourced him for us (again, recounting a real situation here). Now do you get a sense of why hiring is the way it is here?

This also contributes to why employee experience varies so wildly from team to team, geo to geo. Finding a good fit is critical and effortful, but the payoff is well worth it if you do (in terms of both money and personal growth). If you’re qualified and determined enough, it’s not as hard or complicated to ace the interview as people seem to think.

Best advice I’ve seen thus far is simple: “Each interview is learning experience, just focus at learning, results are byproduct.”

That’s it. That’s the mindset you need to have before, during, and after each interview. I glaze over when people describe how “pro-active,” “a team player,” or even “results-oriented” they are (and definitely don’t drone on about how you want to “add value”). All of that can mean a million things, which makes it meaningless.

What does get my attention is someone who’s 100% present in the conversation or on the task at hand. I’m not looking for timed monologues, I’m looking for someone who listens to the question being asked and understands what specific thing I’m trying to evaluate. It isn’t hard, but it requires focus and clarity in your thinking and communication.

For example, if I say, “Success in this role requires x and y. Can you share a past experience that demonstrates your capacity for x and y?” Address exactly that. If you don’t understand, ask me to clarify or provide an example. Don’t launch into a speech about something else, even tangential, or answer in a way that requires me to guess which part is supposed to demonstrate x and y.

For cases, I don’t care about the answer or outcome itself (unless it’s preposterous). Mistakes are overlooked if you can recognize where you went wrong and fix it. Again, being present is key because I’m coaching you the whole way. If nerves take hold—pause, deep breath and pay attention to where I’m directing you. Concentrate on solving only the problem posed but be prepared to mentally pivot and sanity check along the way.

It’s astounding how many people fail interviews not because they’re unqualified but because they miss every opportunity the HM gives them to shine. If I invite you to interview, I’ve already determined that you have the raw talents to work here (e.g., education, IQ, experience, etc.). All I’m assessing is if you’re the right fit for my team and how easy you are to manage/lead.

Trust me, I want you to pass with flying colors too and will set you up for that. Interviews are time consuming, and no one wants to spend hours (sometimes months) repeating the same routine with unprepared, disconnected candidates (who, in theory, should more than qualify). But on the other hand, it’s very hard for a major MNC to get rid of duds and no one has HC to waste/risk.

Thus, we do our due diligence when filling FT positions. There can be a staggering series of interviews to complete. Based on ones that go well, you might be considered for various roles. Even the role itself may be reconsidered based on how much potential you demonstrate.

And remember, if you find the process utterly exhausting, then that’s a red flag. The company culture, or that particular team, may be the wrong fit. We’re both putting our best foot forward here, so if I feel drained afterwards, can you imagine what 40+ hours together under pressure would be like?