Red Flag: Lack of Interview Preparation

Sharing three of the interview skills that are most important to me as a hiring manager, because they help candidates give me the right information--and they actually matter on the job: 1. Understand the specific question being asked, and respond to that question. Don't just force fit the most relevant of the stories you wanted to share. Pause if you need to. Ask clarifying questions if you need to. 2. Choose the right points of context, and share them clearly and concisely. Don't explain everything about the situation. Reflect on what pieces of information communicate why it mattered (why the decision was right, why the problem was hard, why the impact was significant), and share only those so we can spend more time on what you did. 3. Show how you've learned from your missteps. Don't hide or redirect from your mistakes or gaps in experience. Be direct about what you haven't learned yet. Share your reflections on what you could have done better. Demonstrate not only what you already know, but how you'll go about learning what you don't know yet.

If you can’t answer “What does this company do?”- you’re not ready for the interview. It sounds obvious, but it happens all the time: candidates show up to interviews (yes, phone screens count) without a basic understanding of the company they’re speaking with. Applying to dozens of roles? Totally fair. But once an interview is booked, the bar changes. It’s time to do your homework. You don’t need to know everything, but you do need to know enough to hold a thoughtful conversation. Start with the basics: What does the company actually do? What industry are they in? Then go one level deeper: What about the company interests you? What stands out? And please - don’t stop at Glassdoor. Reviews can be helpful, but they’re only one perspective. If you really want to stand out, spend a few extra minutes on recent news, press releases, or announcements. Are they growing? Acquiring? Launching something new? And always come prepared with questions. Always. This isn’t about going above and beyond—it’s the baseline. It shows respect for the interviewer’s time and signals genuine interest in the opportunity. Preparation doesn’t mean perfection. But it does mean effort and that makes all the difference. What’s your go-to research strategy before an interview? 👇

Back again with another lukewarm take: We should probably stop pretending interview questions need to be a surprise. Giving candidates 24–48 hours to think through their answers just… makes sense. A lot of these questions aren’t trivia, they’re about real experiences, reflection, and connecting dots. That takes a minute. Unless the role is all about quick decisions, why are we cranking up the pressure on people who are already nervous? If we’re trying to hire folks who can think critically, draw from experience, and bring others along with them, wouldn’t we want to see their best version of that? Feels like an easy win.

Not everyone realizes this before an interview… If a law firm invites you to interview, it’s because they already see potential in you. Your resume stood out. Your experience caught their attention. You made it through dozens, sometimes hundreds of applicants. You’re already qualified in their eyes. Now the interview isn’t about proving you can do the job. It’s about showing how you’ll do it, who you are, and how you’ll fit into their team. So the next time you feel nervous before speaking with a partner or hiring manager, remember this: You’ve already cleared the hardest filter. You’re not trying to earn a seat at the table. You’ve already been invited to sit. Now walk in with confidence, trust your experience, and show them why they chose you.

Ever walked out of an interview wondering what just happened? You're not alone, and often the format itself holds the clue. Interviews come in many shapes: one-on-one chats, panel line-ups, multi-round processes, even the relaxed lunch interview designed to draw out passive candidates. Knowing which you're walking into changes everything about how you prepare. Then there's the structure itself. Structured interviews ask every candidate the same questions for fairness. Semi-structured allow for follow-ups. Unstructured feel more like a conversation, but the assessment is still happening. Our tip for candidates: lean on the STAR method. Situation, Task, Action, Result. It gives interviewers a clear window into how you think, solve problems and deliver outcomes, without you rambling off course. For hiring managers, it's the same coin, flipped. Structure protects fairness. STAR reveals genuine capability. Preparation isn't about scripts. It's about clarity on both sides of the table.

He completed 4 interviews. Delivered a detailed presentation. Then came the email "We’ve decided to move forward with another candidate." No explanation. No feedback. Just... rejection. He followed up politely asking for insight. Silence. Ghosted. 💭 This is someone who showed up fully prepared. He researched. He practised. He gave his best. And still no response. Absolutely shocking. 🛑 Hiring teams, I get that you're busy and sometimes have to rely on automated rejections being sent to the huge amount of applications you receive. But if someone invests hours into your process, and engages in rounds and rounds of interview, the least they deserve is feedback. Even if you’ve chosen someone else. Even if it’s just one helpful sentence. Let’s raise the bar. Follow the golden rule. Treat candidates the way you’d want to be treated. Because you may one day find yourself in their shoes. ____ Who Agrees?

The continued existence of organizations operating unethically is a significant concern. The challenges within the job market could be addressed through straightforward adjustments, which would necessitate the closure of such entities. The manner in which a company interacts with prospective employees often reflects its internal operational standards. It is reasonable to infer that such organizations may be prone to numerous internal issues and scandals.

Working as a department of one in HR has given me perspective on both sides of the process — balancing business needs while also recognizing the importance of timely, respectful communication with candidates. This post highlights an important conversation HR professionals and hiring leaders should continue having around candidate experience and organizational reputation. Candidates often invest a tremendous amount of time and energy into the hiring process — multiple interviews, presentations, preparation, and emotional investment in the opportunity itself. While not every candidate will receive an offer, every candidate deserves communication, professionalism, and respect throughout the process. As HR professionals, we understand there are often factors happening behind the scenes that candidates may not see — shifting business needs, internal approvals, changing priorities, and compliance considerations. But even within those realities, transparency and timely follow-up matter. Candidate experience is more than a recruiting metric. It directly impacts employer brand, reputation, future talent pipelines, and how people talk about an organization in their communities and networks. In relationship-driven industries like community banking, those interactions carry even more weight. The way candidates are treated during difficult moments often becomes a reflection of an organization’s culture and values. Sometimes a thoughtful update, realistic timeline, or simple acknowledgment can make a meaningful difference in how someone experiences the process — even if the outcome isn’t the one they hoped for. People may forget the exact details of an interview process, but they rarely forget how they were treated.💙