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Well that's an odd interview process!

Plus some reflections from RecFest!

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Bonnie Dilber
September 18, 2024

Resources of the Week

  1. 550 jobs on the job board here!

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  3. For my educator friends: Respondent is a platform that offers compensation for sharing feedback on various products, and I just got an invite today to weigh in on an ed tech tool! I’m a bit removed, but thought some of you might be a good match. This study pays $65. (They have studies that range across just about any field so highly recommend anyone interested in a little side hustle check it out!

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Reflections from RecFest

Last week, I attended RecFest USA - the largest conference for recruiters in the country (and cousin to the original RecFest which takes place in the UK and is apparently the largest recruiting conference in the world!!)

Y’all this was such a fun time!! I made a fun lil video on LinkedIn about the adventures on day 1 (which is when the bulk of the event took place!)

Here are a few of my observations:

  1. This space is even more crowded with AI-powered tools that I imagined. Everyone was pushing their newest product using AI. But what those tools do? Well, I walked away thinking we’re still a ways away from needing to worry about losing our jobs to these tools. But I do think we all need to get comfortable using them if we want to stay relevant, and I think jobseekers should probably expect to have more interactions with these AI-powered tools.

  2. A lot of recruiters are overwhelmed. There was ongoing conversation around everyone seeing off-the-charts application numbers. As challenging as this is for jobseekers, it’s also challenging for recruiting teams.

  3. One of the challenges many teams are grappling with are unrealistic expectations from hiring teams. Recruiters were often having discussions around how to help them see the value in hiring people who are stretching into roles. More than anything, this underscores the importance of making a clear case for how your experiences align with the jobs you’re applying for. At the same time, please know that a lot of recruiting professionals ARE trying to figure out how to advocate for jobseekers in these processes!

    Nothing revolutionary here of course, but that’s a lot of what the side conversations were around!

🙋Answering Your Questions🙋

Each week, I’ll answer one (or more!) of your questions in this section. You can submit your questions here.

I recently participated in a third and final round in-person interview with a panel of 8 people. For context, this is an entry-mid level position at a non-profit organization. I have 10+ years of experience, trying to make a pivot out of education. In addition to traditional questions, the interview also consisted of two activities to be completed in front of the panel. The first was drafting an email on a pad of paper and reading aloud. The other consisted building a bridge with office supplies. I have experience with participating in real time presentations and case studies, but these activities felt awkward and I’m a bit turned off given the professional experience I have. What is your take on incorporating such into the interview process?

Congratulations on getting to the final round, and pivoting out of education!

I have some mixed feelings on this, and ultimately find this a bit off-putting myself.

  1. 8 people is a HUGE panel and I can’t imagine asking someone to interview with such a large group unless the role perhaps involved public speaking or something. Perhaps a lot of people interact with this role, perhaps they want to see how candidates handle pressure?

  2. That bridge activity feels really irrelevant. My guess is that maybe they think it’s a fun way to see how someone exhibits creativity or something? But this also feels odd.

  3. The email seems a bit more aligned…perhaps they want to see someone’s writing skill on the spot. If this role involves a lot of fast-paced communication, I could see this making more sense.

All that said, I do agree it’s not the best process/experience. But I’d weigh that against how much you want the job. If it’s a good job, you like your future manager, and it gets you into a new field, it might be worth taking it. You can always ask more about why they use this process and suggest changes for the future. But if you have other red flags, perhaps this awkward experience could be enough to lead you to decline (should. you receive an offer).




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