A job interview is a structured conversation in a hiring process. It helps a team assess a candidate, but it also helps the candidate decide whether they want to join. Treat it as a consequential first meeting, not a routine hour of questions: a nervous candidate may not immediately show their best work or personality. section 5.1.1 section 5.5
Set the format around the role and the team:
- For a direct report, lead the interview and bring in another person for a second perspective. section 5.1.1
- For someone reporting to one of your managers, let that manager lead. Join as a secondary interviewer or meet the candidate for 15–30 minutes near the end. section 5.1.1 section 5.1.4
- Choose between one interview with an individual or group and a series of meetings with team members. Team size and the position should guide the choice. section 5.1.4
Make the candidate comfortable without mistaking hospitality for evaluation. Greet them, guide them through the space, and begin with easy conversation. Give them room to ask questions, especially when they meet a leader who may not be their manager. Notice interactions before and after the formal meeting as well as answers during it. Afterward, use a methodical, repeatable approach to compare candidates rather than relying on an unstructured impression. section 5.1.4 section 5.5
Joining an indirect report’s interview
A hiring manager conducts the main interview. Rather than taking over, the CTO meets the candidate for a short final conversation, learns about their personality and work ethic, describes the team, and invites questions. The manager retains ownership of the hiring conversation while the candidate gets a chance to assess senior leadership. section 5.1.1 section 5.1.4
Practice and review your interviewing; no single technique fits every situation. Interviewing can also serve a different purpose during acquisition due diligence. There, a conversational meeting between technologists, supported by whiteboarding, code discussion, or a product walkthrough, can reveal how a prospective team works without turning the exchange into an interrogation. section 5.1 section 14.5.2
