Advice for folks involved in hiring (interviewers, managers, recruiters), because I see too many advice for candidates threads:
1. It's your job to make the candidate feel safe enough to shine. Candidates are always nervous; if it's a problem, it's on you to fix it 1/n
1. It's your job to make the candidate feel safe enough to shine. Candidates are always nervous; if it's a problem, it's on you to fix it 1/n
2. You have to work actively against your biases. Don't let yourself make decisions based on vague impressions. Interrogate them until you find evidence. Be willing to change your mind. Ignore anything that is not in the listed criteria for the job. 2/n
3. Assume the best in the candidate. If they misunderstood the question, maybe you didn't explain it well. Give them the benefit of the doubt. Guide them towards success, and give them the ability to show how great they are. 3/n
4. Don't test for knowledge, look for competency. Every job requires some knowledge, but there are few secret arts these days. It's easy to google for information, or ask someone in the company. Not knowing a thing off-hand is almost never a disqualifier. 4/n
5. If you can, don't test the candidate, simulate working with them. After all, that's the thing you want to check: will they be good to work with. Doing this is hard in a limited time, but never forget that this is your goal. 5/n
6. And finally, remember: they candidate is not you. This is basically the same as (2), but it's important enough to say twice. They might not do things the way you do. They might not know things you learned early on. You're not hiring a clone. This is not disqualifying. 6/6
You know what one more thing. Hire outside your networks. That's one of the best ways to guarantee diversity. Don't prejudge based on who you know. Work actively against that. It should be your work skills, not your networking skills, that get you the job.
