Remember it’s the candidate’s interview too
A lot of interviews still feel heavily weighted towards assessment.
One side asking the questions.
The other trying to give the “right” answers.
But the strongest hiring conversations usually feel more balanced than that.
Not because the interview becomes less professional.
Or because standards disappear.
Usually it’s the opposite.
When candidates are given the chance to properly assess the role too, the conversation often becomes much more useful for everyone involved.
People ask better questions.
Expectations become clearer.
Concerns tend to come out earlier.
And both sides usually leave with a much more realistic understanding of whether the role genuinely feels like the right fit.
That matters more than ever just now.
Changing jobs has become a much bigger decision for many people over the last few years. Candidates are often trying to assess far more than salary or job title alone.
They’re trying to understand things like:
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leadership
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workload
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stability
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flexibility
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decision-making
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team culture
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and whether expectations feel realistic day to day
A job description rarely answers those things on its own.
That’s why some of the best interviews tend to feel more like proper conversations than formal assessments.
Not unstructured and not necessarily informal just more open, realistic and useful on both sides.
Sometimes the smallest things make the biggest difference:
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talking honestly about pressure points
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explaining why the role exists
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creating space for proper questions throughout
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helping candidates understand how decisions get made
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or simply giving people a better feel for the environment and team
Those are often the moments where candidates stop trying to “perform” in the interview and start properly thinking about whether the move genuinely makes sense for them.
And usually, interviewers get a much clearer picture of the person sitting in front of them too.
I pulled together a short guide covering 10 small things that can help interviews feel more useful, balanced and productive for both sides.
