Interviewers, do you prepare for interviews?

When we think about preparing for interviews, we often think from the perspective of interviewees. But it is equally important for interviewers to be well-prepared. As an interviewer, you have very limited time gather enough data to make a hire/no-hire decision.

For the interviewee, the interaction with interviewers is arguably the most reliable indicator of company culture. They are evaluating the company as much as the company is evaluating them, so making the interviews a delightful experience for them is an important way to attract good candidates.

Here are some ideas to do so:

• It is not about you: Your goal as an interviewer is to gather as much data about the candidate's skills. Your questions should be designed around this goal, and not based on what you know. For e. g, do you know an obscure fact about Python's syntax? Don't use the interview as a way to show off your skills by asking them about it. It will give you exactly 0% information about the candidate's ability to do the job.

• Planning is key: Have a list of data points to be collected ready before the interview. Even better if you have a script ready with specific questions to make the most efficient use of your time.

• Put the candidate at ease: Interviews are stressful, and the candidate is likely to do their best in a calm, supportive environment. Start the interview with the following:

  • ask whether it is still a good time for them to interview

  • set the scene for what types of questions they can expect (e.g. 15 minutes of scenario-based questions followed by a 25 minute coding exercise)

  • if you can spare the time, start off with a simple ice-breaker question (e.g "what are you working on currently?") to get them talking

• Interrupt if necessary: Some candidates tend to be verbose. Feel free to politely interrupt them ( "I'm so sorry to interrupt you, but in the interest of time, could you please tell me...") and help them get to the point by asking specific questions. This is in the interest of both the candidate and the interviewer.

• Demonstrate your interest: There's nothing worse than talking at an interviewer who couldn't care less. Show the candidate you're engaged by making frequent eye contact (for remote interviews try to face the monitor that has the cameras), ask relevant follow-up questions and summarize their answers back to them before moving on to the next question.

• Make it feel good: If the candidate is struggling even after you've given them a reasonable amount of hints, and it is unlikely that the result will be in the candidate's favor, it's highly likely that the candidate is frustrated. Help ending the interview on a positive note by discussing the solution like you would with a coworker. The candidate can walk away having learnt something interesting from the interview, which is likely to be a better experience than simply having bombed the interview.

• Beyond the interview: Try to get back to the candidates with results or next steps within a week after the interview. If this isn't possible, make sure to set expectations for your timelines up front. And whatever you do, please do NOT ghost the candidate if the result is a no-hire decision.

What else would you add to this list? I'd love to hear about your best or worst interview experiences, please leave a comment!