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Interviews provide a path for first hand information about many things of a company. The process, the way interviews are conducted, the questions being asked and the style of interviewers all reflect company DNA. Experiencing a company through on-site interviews provide solid insight to how well the company selects hire, which tells a lot about the “future” well being of the company.

When an applicant passes some rounds of phone interviews, the next thing is likely to be an onsite interview. If the phone interviews are like the early rounds of a tennis tournament, the onsite interview would be the semifinal or final. It is a day’s life at the campus meeting with a number of employees and Q&A. On that day, it shows the company in human form, and reflects what the company is looking for and how one stands in terms of fits.

Acing interviews are not only about an offer. Interviewing is finding answers to the “competence”, “compatibility” and “chemistry” between the two parties. An effective interview provides laser clarity, and minimizes ambiguity to those questions. I am lucky enough to experience this top notch onsite interview at this world famous technology company. It is revealing, energizing and opens up the window of learning.

The experience helps to check our perception of the company through conversations with real people who have worked there from less than 2 years to over 13 years. The responses to “how do you like the company?” are a repeating theme of “I want to retire with this company”, ” I cannot think of working for another company”, “I really like it here”, “I have a chance to work with so many smart people”, “this would be the last company I work in”. It is hard to imagine this company could fail, with this level of pride, loyalty and talent.

The kinds of questions being asked reveal the quality of people, how the company works and the day-to-day challenges. Great interviewers ask insightful questions to tie them to the profile that best fit the position and reveal the ability of the candidates. While answering the questions, not only the brain works in overdrive, there is also the experience of an ongoing flow of learning to become a better interviewer in situations of role reversal. On the day, there are quite a bit of questions on resolving disputes among technical teams, how to seek support from technical teams, how to use data/scientific models to solve problems, mostly around solving either a real business need or a day-to-day math problem on the spot. Those on-the-spot problem solving is toughest esp. in the latter part of the day, when the head is getting dense. It is truly telling how a person can meet the ambition of solving difficult problems. It is all about ability not so much about experience nor people skills.

An effective interview not only helps both sides to answer the “competence”, “compatibility” and “chemistry” questions. It is a learning experience, a chance to connect with folks and understand where one still can improve, all in one day. At the end, the question may be very simple “do you enjoy the day?”  That can tell if the company is a fit for you.

Posted in About Learning, Career Management