Debriefing

Based upon a true story!!

dramatis personæ

• J, a hiring manager
• L, an engineer in another group, who was drafted to interview the candidate
• M, a manager who reports to J; M also interviewed the candidate
• C, the author

Scene I: a conference room

J: Okay, L, how was your interview with her?
L: We had a long, rambling conversation...
J: Brilliant interviewing technique!

J: Not sure what else I could say to that.
C: How about, "No more interviewing any of my people ever again!"?
J: That would play right into his hands.
C [struck with a flash of insight]: Ah-HA! Nice try, L, but it didn't work!

J: What did you think of her technical skills?
L: Very good software skills.
J: Ah, which software skills?
[silence]
M [helpfully]: the ones that had to do with, ah... programming?
L: Yes! The ones that had to do with programming!
C [laughing hysterically]: You guys are killing me!
J [indicating me]: If he needs mouth-to-mouth, one of you guys will have to do it.

What it all means

After someone comes in for interviews, we get the interviewers together and compare notes. When such a meeting is held on Friday afternoon, something like the above may ensue.