Holding Auditions for Interviews

Over the past few years I have conducted a number of interviews. I take pride in having a robust process for interviewing and selecting the right candidate. I often say that 90% of the manager’s job is done if you hire the right staff. I look for great team fit, excellent problem solving skills and solid technical skills. We go through two interviews,  a technical assessment  and a final socialisation interview with the team.

I feel it’s important to include the team in the process. But thinking about it further the last step is a little informal. Ok, if you cannot chat about work, projects, code, social activities with someone then there is not a good chance you cannot work together. But you need something more solid that will start the bonding process between the team and the newcomer. A more robust process, something that challenges the candidate and gives the team confidence in the selection.

Reading through PeopleWare: Productive Projects & Teams (DeMarco & Lister) – I found the chapter Holding Auditions quite enlightening, here are some extracts:

“The business we’re in is more sociological than technological, more dependent on workers’ abilities to communicate with each other than their abilities to communicate with machines. So the hiring process needs to focus on at least some sociological and human communication traits. The best way we've discovered to do this is through the use of auditions for job candidates.

The idea is simple enough. You ask a candidate to prepare a ten- or fifteen minute presentation on some aspect of past work. The date is set and you assemble a small audience made up of those who will be the new hire’s co-workers.

At the end of the audition and after the candidate has left, you hold a debriefing of those present. Each one gets to comment on the person’s suitability for the job and whether he or she seems likely to fit well into the team.

Even more important, any new person hired is more likely to be accepted smoothly into the group, since the other group members have had a voice in choosing the candidate.

It soon became clear that the audition process served to accelerate the socialization process between a new hire and the existing staff members. A successful audition was a kind of certification as a peer.”

What I Like

You are assessing the all-round presentation skills and ability of the candidate. During the presentation the energy, enthusiasm and passion for what they do will come out. The keenness for the role will be self-evident. Telling a team in a monotone voice that you are “passionate about IT”, isn't going to cut the mustard.

You are assessed by your peers. We do this already. I like this idea. As a manager with a team of 24 people realistically you are not going to spend a lot of time working closely with your new hire. Others in your team will. During the presentation they may pick up and strengths and weaknesses that you did not notice. 

The last paragraph of the audition process is a great statement. A good presentation starts the bond between the existing team and the newcomer. The team are confident that the right person has been hired. They have had a say in the process. Come day one they – and the new person – will be less nervous, they will both know what to expect.

What I Don’t Like

Nothing. It might be the first time a candidate has been asked to present in this manner, so there might be some culture shock. This is good. A robust interviewing process is a sign of an organised and well lead team.

What’s Next

I have PeopleSoft Developer role I need to take to market, so test of all I can trial this new formalised process in the not too distant future.