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?
This a wonderful write up and thanks for putting it together to share with us. I have been in HM role in my current job for few years and we also have similar approach on our side. Hiring process is time consuming, we want candidates to succeed and appreciate candidates being themselves in the interview and be present. However, when I started looking for a new job and got interested in FAANG companies, there is so much BS outside. In fact there are coaches and experts making living by selling that BS, I am a victim of paying to such asshead! While problem solving and frameworks help in giving effective answers, being natural yourself is the key. This post has helped me reset my approach! It’s a learning experience and I am up for it. Thanks
Hi I would love to hear more about the BS services so we can avoid them. I have also fell for those services
Thanks for the post !!
How much does diversity and inclusion play into your hiring choices? What about ageism and lookism? Are you trained to acknowledge and handle biases such as those? Does anyone take that seriously?
As a follow up to these: how effective is the committee / group review in removing the biases from the decision making?
Why would OP care about anything but finding the best person with the best skills for the job, that will best adapt to team culture
tl dr
Unsolicited insult: That's why your company is fuxed up!!
other than your statement its not an insult though, just stating a fact
You've "read a lot of posts" and no TC???
Thank you for sharing. I learned from you point of view.
Thank you for the insights. I failed an onsite interview about 5 years ago at Apple, and is much stronger professional now comparing to before. I have been trying to apply for similar roles lately but havent got the opportunities to land a phone interview yet. =(
+1 for the "please answer my direct question directly." The #1 reason - by far - I reject candidates after the first phone conversation is their inability to answer a question. Not that they struggle communicating - that's fine - just be able to answer the question.
What are your 10 weaknesses?
Your inability to articulate question is the problem.
Thank you for this!
Such a refreshing take on the other side of the table for the hiring process. Thanks for this post. It really alleviates a lot of concern and uncertainty about interviewing. This definitely is going to instill a new mindset in me personally when interviewing, and I hope others take away valuable insight from this post as well.