Let's keep our interviews to say less than two hours
I recently experienced what I consider a failed interview process (as an interviewee). No worries, I love my current job and if anything this experience cemented that notation.
I'm keeping this public so that other employers (maybe even this company) will learn from the experience.
First interview was a HR screen. Pretty easy, like stupid easy. This only weeds people who slept through every computer science class and only passed because they outsourced their homework to India. One problem was the HR person wasn't really able to give me a lot of details about the position. Frankly at this point had I realized it was kind of a step backwards I would have not continued.
Second phone interview was a technical screen. As far as technical screens go, this was somewhere in the middle if not on the easy side. I had a brain freeze moment and messed up a basic concept, the interviewer let this go. Honestly I can't say the company went wrong at this point.
The onsite interview is where I think the process really falls apart. First, it was scheduled for four hours and no agenda. HR recruiter couldn't even tell me what was going to happen. The email instructed me to wear professional attire, bring extra copies of my resume and finally fill out a job application. The first two instructions were unnecessary. You're looking for professional candidates, if a potential candidate doesn't know the first two - do not interview the candidate. The person will only show up once in jeans and a t-shirt to an interview. Frankly, I'm starting to understand the piss poor "outfits" I see younger workers wearing to interviews now.
I interviewed with a few different engineering managers. All of them did technical screens. I'm not sure why. Did they not trust their colleague's earlier phone screen? Maybe they're very focused on a getting a technically sound candidate. Just a note, if the interviewee thinks you're being too easy on her and tells you so - then you are. No "soft" HR questions at all. These interviews only get you a candidate with average or above technical skills, and frankly you'll hire some massive d-bags in the process (since you're not making any effort to find out if this person plays well with others).
After hour three, I started to work on a skills test. They left me alone in a room. This gave me enough time to realize that what little I gleamed from my questions made me realize while this place works for some and is not a bad software shop that I needed to withdraw my application. I didn't like their process, and I really didn't see myself working with these people. I'm not saying they were bad people. No, just people I didn't see myself forming a good professional relationship with. At my current employer, I did this big interview with the team. I fell in love with the product, the company's software philosophy and most importantly I wanted to stop the interview and get in the code trenches with these people.
Was four hours really necessary for either of us to decide? No, it wasn't. As I write this, I doubt if an offer would have been made had I not mercifully stopped the interview myself. I think in the end I came off as someone who could do the job but would ultimately clash with the corporate culture. They seemed like straightforward people, I hope they would have had enough sense to have not made a job offer. Maybe they didn't want to hurt my feelings. I don't know what they were thinking but I knew that from what little I knew about them I didn't want to waste their time.
I'm keeping this public so that other employers (maybe even this company) will learn from the experience.
First interview was a HR screen. Pretty easy, like stupid easy. This only weeds people who slept through every computer science class and only passed because they outsourced their homework to India. One problem was the HR person wasn't really able to give me a lot of details about the position. Frankly at this point had I realized it was kind of a step backwards I would have not continued.
Second phone interview was a technical screen. As far as technical screens go, this was somewhere in the middle if not on the easy side. I had a brain freeze moment and messed up a basic concept, the interviewer let this go. Honestly I can't say the company went wrong at this point.
The onsite interview is where I think the process really falls apart. First, it was scheduled for four hours and no agenda. HR recruiter couldn't even tell me what was going to happen. The email instructed me to wear professional attire, bring extra copies of my resume and finally fill out a job application. The first two instructions were unnecessary. You're looking for professional candidates, if a potential candidate doesn't know the first two - do not interview the candidate. The person will only show up once in jeans and a t-shirt to an interview. Frankly, I'm starting to understand the piss poor "outfits" I see younger workers wearing to interviews now.
I interviewed with a few different engineering managers. All of them did technical screens. I'm not sure why. Did they not trust their colleague's earlier phone screen? Maybe they're very focused on a getting a technically sound candidate. Just a note, if the interviewee thinks you're being too easy on her and tells you so - then you are. No "soft" HR questions at all. These interviews only get you a candidate with average or above technical skills, and frankly you'll hire some massive d-bags in the process (since you're not making any effort to find out if this person plays well with others).
After hour three, I started to work on a skills test. They left me alone in a room. This gave me enough time to realize that what little I gleamed from my questions made me realize while this place works for some and is not a bad software shop that I needed to withdraw my application. I didn't like their process, and I really didn't see myself working with these people. I'm not saying they were bad people. No, just people I didn't see myself forming a good professional relationship with. At my current employer, I did this big interview with the team. I fell in love with the product, the company's software philosophy and most importantly I wanted to stop the interview and get in the code trenches with these people.
Was four hours really necessary for either of us to decide? No, it wasn't. As I write this, I doubt if an offer would have been made had I not mercifully stopped the interview myself. I think in the end I came off as someone who could do the job but would ultimately clash with the corporate culture. They seemed like straightforward people, I hope they would have had enough sense to have not made a job offer. Maybe they didn't want to hurt my feelings. I don't know what they were thinking but I knew that from what little I knew about them I didn't want to waste their time.