The Hiring Team Member Nobody Prepared You to Be

You’ve Been Asked to Help Hire Someone. Now what?

Seriously, being asked to be part of a hiring team is a big deal. It might not feel that way, especially if it was dropped in your lap between two other meetings, but make no mistake, your voice in this process genuinely matters. The people making the final call need your eyes, your instincts, and your honest assessment. Without you doing your part well, the outcome will be weaker than it could be and possibly disastrous. 

Think of yourself as part of the pit crew. The hiring manager might be the one who waves the checkered flag, but if you don’t put the lug nuts on properly, and the tire comes off at 80 miles an hour – that’s not good! 

Your role is that important; and you deserve to know how to do it well!

So let’s get you ready!

Center Yourself

Before you sit across from a single candidate, do a little internal inspection. 

• Debiasing. You have biases. We all do. Some you know about and some you don’t. The ones you don’t know about are the ones that will quietly run the show if you let them. (Scooby sounds – ruh-row)  Before you start interviewing, take a beat and ask yourself what assumptions you might already be carrying into the room. A colleague’s offhand comment about a candidate (good or bad) can plant a seed before you’ve even shaken their hand. Recognize that and get it out of your head. Start clean.
• Being present. You know that feeling when you’re in a conversation but your brain is already three meetings ahead? Candidates feel that. Being truly present – phone down, mind clear, genuinely curious – is one of the most valuable things you can bring to an interview. They came prepared (hopefully). Match that energy!
• Listening. You think you’re a good listener. Most of us do. But real listening, the kind that actually allows you to observe who a candidate is, means asking open ended questions, resisting the urge to fill the silence, and staying curious about what they’re really telling you. The interview has two parts. The first belongs to them, you ask and they talk. The second belongs to you, they ask and you respond efficiently and fully. 

Get Clear on What You’re Looking For

You can’t assess a candidate against a fit you haven’t identified. Before interviews begin, get aligned with your hiring team on the criteria for the right fit. 

• What’s a good match – Make a list if you weren’t given one. What skills are non-negotiable? What does success in this role actually look like in the first 90 days? Don’t forget to be looking for a cultural match. How do you make sure how this aligns with the other hiring team members’ perspectives on a cultural match?
• Use a script – Work from an interview script. Not an interrogation, but a consistent set of questions that every candidate gets asked so you’re comparing apples to apples. That doesn’t mean you can’t ask follow up questions. Your curiosity is your best tool here! Your assessments need to be grounded in something real and repeatable, not just a gut feeling that someone seemed cool or that the conversation was energized.

Be Good in the Room

Here’s the part people forget, candidates are evaluating you too! Every interview is also a pitch. You are representing your company, your team, and the opportunity. So listen deeply, ask follow up questions, and be genuinely curious about who this person is and what they bring.

And don’t forget to conspire for success! 

• Speak up about their strengths – If you can already start to see how this person would thrive, say so. Paint the picture. Great candidates have options. 
• Set realistic expectations – Don’t hide that your company is imperfect.  Every company has things they’re working on. Be honest with candidates and how you see them helping on the journey to greatness.
• Own your Self-accountability. You’ve committed to being part of the team. Know what you are responsible for and do it.  Be honest in your assessments, even when it’s uncomfortable. Especially when it’s uncomfortable. Your team is counting on your real opinion, not the polite one. Bottom line? Do your best!

Your job isn’t just to assess them, it’s to make them want to say yes – you all win. You could be the reason the right person walks through the door.

Communicate Your Assessment 

When it’s time to report back to the decision makers, come prepared with two things.

• Assets you see – What specific skills or qualities does this candidate bring that you want on the team? Be concrete and specific even if it wasn’t on your initial list for the right fit.
• Investments they’ll have to make – What would the company need to invest to help this person grow into the role? Here’s a truth worth embracing, the perfect candidate, what recruiters call the purple squirrel, basically doesn’t exist. Every hire is a bet on potential as much as it is on current ability. Your job is to help the team understand what that bet looks like, clearly and honestly.

Are you ready?

You don’t have to get all of this right in one interview. This is a skill that gets sharper with practice, reflection, and a real commitment to showing up prepared. But walking in with intention, a clear head, and the tools to do it well is already ahead of most people in the room.

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Love to hear your comments: 

What processes or habits do you rely on to show up as a strong interviewer? 

Do you use a script? A rating system? 

A debrief routine with your team? 

Drop your thoughts in the comments. 

The best hiring practices are built from people like you sharing what actually works. And if you want to go deeper on any of this, The Hire Effect^TM is here for exactly that. Let’s build a hiring team and system that gets it right.