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Comment by bfwi | Hacker News Reader

So this guy invites people to interviews by saying: “You know what, I've really enjoyed this conversation. Is there any chance you have a couple hours in the next few days to come in and meet a few people on the team?”. Then, as stated under "PHASE 3", the process is not staying for a couple hours and meeting a few people on the team, but actually an interview lasting at least 50 minutes with hiring manager, a 90 minute session working on a problem, then a talk about culture, another technical interview and finally an interview about fit.

This might be an effective way to get people to accept the invitation, but it doesn't seem totally honest.

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There's no way a competent hiring manager would ask someone to come in for a "couple of hours" to meet the team, and then ambush them with a full-on technical interview. This would not lead to a successful outcome.

I think from the context of the entire article, you need to read between the lines and assume that it was obvious to both the candidate and the hiring manager that the next step was a full technical interview. The hiring manager was simply wording it in a way that sounded less intimidating.

Actually, this exact thing happened to me. I was asked to come in for a couple of hours to meet the team and see the office. When I arrived I was taken to a room where I was interviewed for 3 hours, by 3 different interview teams. Two of them were whiteboard interviews, then an interview with management.

Needless to say I rejected the offer, I was so unimpressed with the hiring process. Disgusted actually.

Did the disgust manifest after, or during, the 3 hour process? Curious to know whether there were other factors in play (perhaps curiosity?) that made you stay throughout the ordeal.

Afterwards. I was basically in shock at the start of it..

Wow, that's quite the misrepresentation. I can imagine it left a bad taste in the mouth.

Did you get the impression this was a deliberate strategy, or just an oversight?

That sucks.

I recently did some interviews which were described as "can you come meet with our engineering team in more depth". Which I read (correctly) as "technical interviews", but the description was certainly a bit coy.

I think people tend to use euphemistic language to try to preserve a "we're all buddies here" atmosphere, and out of sense of discomfort with the idea of interviewing.

(Though it's not such a huge deal, to me -- any time I'm talking to someone, if we're considering working together, it's fair game to get into technical questions, IMO.)

Yeah, I'd be pretty annoyed if I thought I was going to get a social introduction and a tour around an office and then unexpectedly had to do a full technical interview.

After the first time it happens, you know any invite to an office is a full on interview if it's related to a position.

If you're alone with a girl, it's a date.

"Coming to meet the team" is no different. You might expect a lighter grilling than if you initiated it.

"If you're alone with a girl, it's a date."

No, it is not. When you get older you will learn that women are people, just like you, and sometimes people just want to talk. Don't worry. Just talk to her like she was your sister or mother. After a while, it will become natural.

Assume a generous interpretation of lordnacho's comment.

In the real world, if you ask a girl you've been flirting with to get coffee together it's a date—even if you don't actually use the word "date."

Similarly, if an employer asks you to come meet a few people at the office, it's an interview—even if they didn't use the word "interview."

The point is that meeting a few people can be an "interview", which is really different than a hardcore structured technical interview.

In this analogy, its like showing up to that coffee and immediately start trying to make out with the person. Yeah, we both knew that might be where this is going, but that's not how the game was set up at this point.

>No, it is not. When you get older you will learn that women are people, just like you, and sometimes people just want to talk. Don't worry. Just talk to her like she was your sister or mother. After a while, it will become natural.

Of course I assume it isn't your sister or mother, or someone you can't date for whatever reason (you're married, she's married, seeing someone, homosexual, and so forth).

The fact is if you're in such a situation, there's always this question hanging over it. You (the two of you) can turn it to friendship if that's what you're after, but there's always this possibility, and you might as well acknowledge it and not question whether the situation allows it to become something else.

I don't think I've ever been misunderstood in such situations.

Anyway, the point is it's quite clear when you're being courted for a job. You might expect it to be slightly different when the proposer is not the usual one (if a girl asks you out, is it different? Yes.) Maybe slightly fewer of the trivial coding type questions.

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