Talk about shaking up the norm. But I really liked it. Here’s why.
At USV, our interview process for this role was pretty standard: It included a series of progressive interviews with several of my colleagues. As the hiring manager, I was the first interviewer and met with most individuals (either in person or remotely), then determined who to move forward in the process.
But after two separate in-person meetings, two individuals sent me notes with an eerily similar ring to them:
“I love what you’re doing. I had a fantastic conversation. But after thinking it over, I don’t think this role is right for me at this time. Can we stay in touch?”
(Aka: It’s not you, it’s me. But let’s be friends?)
Let’s back up a minute to drop in a bit more context: I really enjoyed my conversations with each of those candidates. I found them to be energizing people who each brought fantastic ideas to the ways that I think about networks. Both gave me new ideas and we had a great time brainstorming and tossing out interesting approaches together.
But even given all this, when I received the first note, I instantly broke into a smile and a shout.
“Look at this!” I exclaimed to everyone around me. “Have you ever had a candidate turn YOU down after a fantastic meeting? It’s incredible.”
My colleagues were a bit confused as to why I was so excited to see a candidate voluntarily opt out of our interview process. But I didn’t see this as a failure in my ability to close a candidate — I saw it as a success in communicating the scope of the role enough to make someone realize it’s not the right fit for them. In the end this happened twice. And, to be perfectly honest, they were both right.
When going through a job search process, it’s easy to forget this simple fact: You’re interviewing the company, too.
This is so hard to remember — particularly when you’re in a pinch to find a new job. But the best interviews aren’t one-sided: They are mutual interactions to assess a “best fit.” As hiring managers, we aren’t hiring task-master robots; we’re hiring people with hopes and dreams and aspirations and needs of their own. As a candidate, you’re likely not just looking for a paycheck but for a team, a pathway, and an opportunity that helps get you where you’re going. If my needs don’t match your needs, it’s better for both of us to suss that out sooner rather than later.