What’s your approach to the interviewing process?

We usually have two interviews with a candidate, including HR. After a succesfull first meet&greet interview, the candidate have to solve a case for second interview. When we do the second interview we use the case to elaborate on the candidate problemsolving skills.

My approach is to make sure there is a 2 way fit for the organization and the candidate. What does the candidate want in their career and can we provide it, and what do we need from a candidate. I like to get through the process quickly. I start with a phone interview to assess fit, then we have the candidate meet with their peer team, and other managers. This is done in 1 day. We try to get all candidates interviewed close together and close the process in a few weeks once we start interviewing. Recently, we have used consultants looking for a permanent placement. This has worked out well for us. The consultant gets to know the organization, team, and work, and we get to see if they work well with the team. Our last 5 team members were hired this way. Also, in the last year we have worked to focus on a sense of belonging and inclusion starting at the interview process.

It's hard, but we try to get the interview process done in one day. It takes about three to four hours, including one hour of craft demos, in which we give the candidate a small task for the role they'll play. Then they have about 45 minutes to present their work and discuss it with the hiring panel. And I usually know whether I want to have another conversation with the candidate or not within 10 to 15 minutes.

We usually have four to five interviews with a candidate, including HR. When I interview people, it's usually an employee from one of my direct reports and I always ask: am I in sell mode or am I in selection mode? I want to know whether I need to sell the organization and team to this person, or if there is something my direct report isn’t sure of and wants me to probe a little deeper.