Comment by aashaykumar92 | Hacker News Reader

Comment by aashaykumar92 | Hacker News Reader

"Aside from the official interview, we often take candidates to drinks, dinner, or coffee to get to know each other in a more casual environment, and we make sure they have the chance to get to meet multiple members of the team."

I really like this one, mainly because it seems to be overlooked by so many companies today. Recruiting smart brains is one thing, but recruiting smart brains that will work well in your company's system, in and outside of the office, is just as important. Meeting in a casual setting is far different from having a business casual interview. Not to mention, taking interviewees out also shows them that the employees also have fun and that is something that everyone their cares about, not just says on their Jobs page.

Although as an add-on to that, many people abstain from alcohol for a variety of reasons (not because they're "no fun" or stuck up) so I'd leave that out to avoid making potential candidates feel uncomfortable.

At the same time, many events are still held at bars right? It wouldn't be a bad idea to see someone who abstains from alcohol in a bar-type setting...he/she wouldn't be forced to drink, of course, but it would be nice to see them at least remain comfortable and social.

Sort of controversial, I know, but it's important for everyone to be open IMO.

I don't drink (and for a variety of reasons), and I don't associate going to a bar with drinking alcohol. Yes, I understand that drinking alcohol is the main profit center of a bar. But if people want to go to a bar, fine we'll go to a bar and I'll have soft drinks or non-alcoholic beer (as long as it's not sucktacular O'Douls or the like).

I can see the recently-sober recovering alcoholic being the sticking point here, and I don't have a good answer for that possibility. So maybe you have a good point. But for the religious/philosophic/recovering-but-far-enough-along-to-go-to-a-bar I don't see a problem.

EDIT: now that I read the actual quote, it occurs to me that one can just throw out multiple options: drinks at a bar or coffee? The smart candidate picks coffee, drinker or teetotaler, to avoid the influence of alcohol in front of a potential employer. :-)

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