What I’ve Gained from Conducting Interviews

For the last three years, I’ve been interviewing folks who apply to join our Ann Arbor office. A lot of people think of this as something you do for the company. But, I think this has benefited me in many ways, too.

The interviewing process boosts my confidence in my own skills.

I think everyone can get in their own head during the day-to-day of their jobs. That’s no different for me. I work a lot with excellent colleagues at Atomic Object who contribute great ideas and constantly impress me. I’m surrounded by people with deep expertise in some areas, and I can feel intimidated.

Interviewing gives me the chance to take a step back and out of the brine of my job. When I do that, I’m often struck by how much I’ve learned and accomplished in my tenure at Atomic. I was initially surprised to find that the folks I’m interviewing often have questions that I’m able to answer, either about the company or role. Sometimes, folks also struggle with questions we present in the interview, especially programming questions. Being able to answer these forces me to confront my expertise and trust my own judgment in a way I don’t have to in the day-to-day of my work.

I’ve polished my own interviewing skills.

The interviewing process has helped me understand what interviewers could be looking for and evaluating. Observing others model how to do very well (or not well) has helped me see what success can look like. For example, hearing eloquent and thoughtful examples about things like conflict resolution, growth, and leadership will certainly benefit me in the future.

Talking through programing examples often shows me new ways or examples to communicate familiar concepts. This has even led to me being a better pair programmer when pairing with others.

I have increased my understanding of the distinct skills in my job.

Talking through programing examples also has demonstrated to me the distinct skills and tasks in my job. Identifying and naming the strengths and weaknesses of candidates has prompted me to detail aspects of the job, like “explaining technical concepts,” “pair programming,” “understanding requirements,” and “asking clarifying questions.” This has already been useful when I’m helping my colleagues think about the landscape of growth for themselves.

I have an increased feeling of ownership over the company.

Meeting candidates during the interview process means I’m often one of the first people they get to know from the company. Then, if they do take the job, they already know me. It’s really rewarding to have people I interviewed onboard and begin delivering high-quality work. It makes me feel like a core part of the office and that I’m working to grow it.

I have increased confidence in the equity of the interviewing process.

Finally, being a part of the interview process has given me the opportunity to learn from others about the equity and fairness they try to bring to the process. I have also been able to make some suggestions for improvement too. Fairness and equity are really important topics for me and I find it really rewarding to be advocating for those at a tech company.

Interviewing people has given me a lot of opportunities that have advanced my fulfillment in my job. If you’re feeling stuck, let me know what you’ve tried and gained from the experience.