Some reposts from LinkedIn, in case you are anti-social network:
November 2024
How to become a great interviewer
Interviewing is a chore that we do because we want to work at a place with people we admire and like. However, that justification by itself is rather uninspiring. I found it difficult at Google to motivate myself to get really good at interviewing given that it takes a long time to just do the basics like have reasonable questions, conduct interviews, and evaluate results.
After conducting 200+ interviews in the last two years at Celonis, I’ve realized that being a great interviewer comes down to building a connection with the interviewee. Who are they as a person? What is unique about their background? Where do their strengths lie? Do we have anything in common? What do they want out of their job?
This connection doesn’t form in every interview but, when it does, it motivates me to go the extra mile - testing candidate solutions for edge cases, trying out new technologies, and sharpening my skills as an interviewer.
If you like this idea, please comment on this post and I’ll put in some of the best examples where I found unexpected connections with interviewees, along with sample questions that helped build them!
*On being unreasonable *
Change rarely happens by sticking to what’s comfortable. The most impactful strides I’ve seen come from those willing to be a bit unreasonable—
* pushing for what’s right, not just what’s comfortable, even when it hurts you personally
* setting goals 50% beyond what you’re comfortable with
* challenging the norms of how your teams operate
* questioning outdated processes even outside your domain
Sometimes the toughest part is simply believing that change is possible. So, try being a little unreasonable today. Shake things up. And if you want to chat about turning “impossibilities” into realities, I’m here for it. Let’s make some waves together.
August 2024
The biggest challenge I’ve faced outside of Google is the phrase “It is what it is.” I’ve encountered it many times - from people working in other business units, cross-functional partners, engineering teams I depend on, and occasionally even interview candidates (!!) and it’s a real bummer. The lesson I’ve learned from this is that the only way change actually happens is for someone (the champion!) to be unreasonable, say “This isn’t right!”, and follow through with the schlep needed to bring everyone else on board to fix it. Often, the hardest part is actually believing change is possible. Try being a little unreasonable today; take it on for size :). Or feel free to ask me about some “impossibilities” I’ve encountered: * adding users to a vital IT system * making simple changes to behemoth servers * providing realistic testing data * getting people to like each other who work far away from each other