Blog Home RSS Kelvin Jackson

Interviews

2022-05-08

It really is worth it to participate in your company's recruitment process, if it is practical for you to do so. You will gain invaluable knowledge on the skills that truly make a good developer, learn how to recognize them in other people, and learn a lot more about people in general. You will also be giving yourself a significant advantage in your own future interviews if you have given interviews in the past — and you will be helping to shape your company's future work culture while you're at it.

Especially for developers interested in leadship roles in the future, interviewing people helps develop a sense for other people's skill levels and what makes a good programmer in general. You are forced to ask a relatively small number of questions over a short period of time, and then make (or at least influence) a hiring decision based on the answers, which forces you to learn to prioritize and ask meaningful, succinct questions — after all, if you ask something too easy or two general, you will not get an accurate picture of the candidate's skills, and you might fail to filter out candidates who are simply good at talking. Additionally, interviewing will teach you a lot about people in general, and help you develop a skill of your own that will make you more attractive to future employers.

Furthermore, interviewing other people will make your own future interviews significantly easier and less stressful. You will know what an interviewer is looking for and what types of things they evaluate candidates on, and be able to focus on those things and worry less about things that are not going to matter. It will also give you perspective on what a good interview looks like, allowing you to more easily forgive yourself if you are rejected from a job on silly grounds. Additionally, you will learn to gauge from the interview whether a particular company is focusing on the right kinds of things, and whether or not you actually want to work there.

Finally, by taking part in the interview process for new candidates, you will be giving yourself a seat at the table where your own company's future culture is determined. At the end of the day, a company is defined by its people, and choosing the right people to hire is ultimately the thing that will shape the culture of the company in the future — far more than any amount of training or internal events meant to instill values. Participating in hiring is an important part of making sure your company remains a great place to work.

If you are unsure about whether you would be a good interviewer, ask whether your company offers a training or other program to get you started. I can not speak for all businesses, but you likely will not have to interview someone alone the first time, and simply being present for an interview that someone else is conducting, in which you are not the person being interviewed, goes a long way towards learning to be a good interviewer. So if you get the chance, try it out — it is probably worth it!