By formal/informal are we discussing setting or interview style?
I've always preferred formal questioning (i.e. asking questions, working with whiteboards etc.) BUT informal setting (so jeans/tshirt, sat on the sofa's with the whiteboard, small talk and chit chat etc.)
This is partly because that is how the company is - and so we interview like we work - but also because I used to hate interviews where you sit over a desk from someone in a suit and tie...
Other good advice I can think of off the top of my head: go out to lunch with your potential candidates. I know the OP advises against that (and agreed, you shouldn't get too personal/involved) but an informal lunch with all the candidates together can be a great ice breaker and a way to judge their personality/interests etc.
By 'formal' I meant having a well defined, consistent list of technical (and possibly non-technical) questions that you will go through with every candidate. Hopefully the questions probe both breadth (various parts of math, computer science, coding ability, and beyond), as well as depth (drilling into an area the candidate is an expert in).
As an interviewer, I couldn't care less what the candidate is wearing or what he looks like (so long as he has basic respect for other people).
I'd be wary of having a big group lunch with all the candidates; that gets dangerously close into "group interview" territory (which, to be fair, is pretty common in some industries, but leads to candidates feeling pressure to "stand out" and act unnatural just to be noticed).
I'd much rather see (both as a candidate and employer) a group lunch with one candidate and a few members from the team they'll be working with - ideally after they've had at least one interview, and not including the person who'll be interviewing them right after lunch.
Agreed; there is that risk. We often do company lunches anyway - so to mitigate things what I say is "guys, today is actually a company lunch day so if you'd like to join us and chat to some of the current employee's then feel free - no pressure, it's not part of the interview. If anything we see this as your chance to ask questions."
Comments
By formal/informal are we discussing setting or interview style?
I've always preferred formal questioning (i.e. asking questions, working with whiteboards etc.) BUT informal setting (so jeans/tshirt, sat on the sofa's with the whiteboard, small talk and chit chat etc.)
This is partly because that is how the company is - and so we interview like we work - but also because I used to hate interviews where you sit over a desk from someone in a suit and tie...
Other good advice I can think of off the top of my head: go out to lunch with your potential candidates. I know the OP advises against that (and agreed, you shouldn't get too personal/involved) but an informal lunch with all the candidates together can be a great ice breaker and a way to judge their personality/interests etc.
By 'formal' I meant having a well defined, consistent list of technical (and possibly non-technical) questions that you will go through with every candidate. Hopefully the questions probe both breadth (various parts of math, computer science, coding ability, and beyond), as well as depth (drilling into an area the candidate is an expert in).
As an interviewer, I couldn't care less what the candidate is wearing or what he looks like (so long as he has basic respect for other people).
I'd be wary of having a big group lunch with all the candidates; that gets dangerously close into "group interview" territory (which, to be fair, is pretty common in some industries, but leads to candidates feeling pressure to "stand out" and act unnatural just to be noticed).
I'd much rather see (both as a candidate and employer) a group lunch with one candidate and a few members from the team they'll be working with - ideally after they've had at least one interview, and not including the person who'll be interviewing them right after lunch.
Agreed; there is that risk. We often do company lunches anyway - so to mitigate things what I say is "guys, today is actually a company lunch day so if you'd like to join us and chat to some of the current employee's then feel free - no pressure, it's not part of the interview. If anything we see this as your chance to ask questions."