So your business is growing, and you’re conducting interviews, big congrats. Here are some tips to improve the job interview process over the standard “so tell me about yourself” line of questions. Following these tips should help you hire the best candidate and avoid resentment from all the candidates who don’t get an offer letter. Founder’s of anything from, a cafe to crypto exchange are typically protective of their venture, and they want the best people in pivotal roles. The search tactics from the job listing to the interview are often counter productive to the goal of hiring the best people for the venture. Treat People Like Their Time Has Value The question “so tell me about yourself” is asked way too often in situations where it hurts the company asking. It’s often asked because the interviewer didn’t look at the candidate’s resume before the interview. If you’re interviewing for entry-level or associate positions, this can be okay, but for more senior roles, it’s not doing anyone, including your firm, any favors. With cattle call interviews for positions that are not pivotal to a company, you may not have the capacity to review every resume. You’re probably also batch-interviewing candidates with similar summaries, “I did X, went to law school, and here I am”. As you interview for senior roles, this approach to questioning signals to candidates that your organization is chaotic or does not value the function of the position for which you’re hiring. Interviews work both ways, and…Conducting Job Interviews Without Creating Enemies