I’ve had my fair share of interviews, and honestly, some were pretty awkward and others felt surprisingly genuine. One memory stands out to me. A few years ago, I applied for a part time job and the manager made the whole thing feel like we were just grabbing coffee rather than having a proper interview. We talked about sports and weekend plans, but he never asked about my actual work skills. I left thinking, “How will he remember if I’m a good fit, or just remember I like the Ducks?” In hindsight, the interview had zero reliability, it was so inconsistent that I doubt he learned much about any candidate, except maybe who could make him laugh.
Compare that to another interview I had for my internship last summer. The HR person had a list of questions, and she stuck to it for every applicant. Each was focused on real situations, like how I’d handle deadlines stacking up, or how I’d solve a miscommunication. I felt nervous at first, but quickly noticed she was actually trying to see how I approached problems, rather than just grilling me. That gave me space to share stuff I’d actually done and it made sense when she later told me that was their way of “removing bias.”
If I could go back, I’d tell the first manager to get real: use the same set of questions for everyone, and think hard about what actually matters for the job. Forget gut feelings and ask for real life examples, and let people show you what they’re made of. Honestly, standard questions plus some follow ups get you closer to the truth and give every candidate a fair shot. That should be the goal, let real talent shine, and put bias in the trash where it belongs.