a candidate used my experience as hers, when I was on the interview panel by Alison Green on March 30, 2026 A reader writes: This happened a few years ago, but I would appreciate knowing how I should have handled it in the moment as all my supervisor training was patchy and on the fly and definitely had gaps. We had an internal promotion opportunity and two candidates: Abby and Bella. Both were in the same […] Read the full article →
should we stop sending interview questions in advance since candidates are running them through AI? by Alison Green on March 24, 2026 A reader writes: I am conducting interviews next week, and normally my workplace sends interview questions to interviewees 30 minutes prior to the interview. This is in an attempt to provide a more accessible and equitable experience for our interviewees who may need additional time or feel more comfortable when they know the questions ahead […] Read the full article →
is it petty to hold small details against internal candidates? by Alison Green on February 25, 2026 A reader writes: I’m hiring for some new roles in my team and this has generated some excitement from internal folks looking to grow in their careers. That’s great! I’m always happy to meet with internal people before they submit resumes/go through the formal interview process, it’s very much a part of our team culture. […] Read the full article →
why are so many unqualified candidates applying for the job we advertised? by Alison Green on February 25, 2026 A reader writes: I am about to make my first hire. We posted the job a couple of days ago. The job is semi-specialized work with specific qualifications. The job description clearly says cover letter and resume. Of the many applications I’ve received, one, maybe two, indicate that they’ve read the application before applying. The […] Read the full article →
how to replace a beloved employee who died by Alison Green on February 18, 2026 A reader writes: Earlier this year, an employee of mine suddenly and unexpectedly passed away. He was excellent at his job and extremely well-liked by the rest of our department. His partner also works here. We are currently interviewing for someone to fill the now-empty role. At what point (if ever) is it appropriate to […] Read the full article →
a rejected candidate keeps demanding to know why I didn’t hire him by Alison Green on February 16, 2026 A reader asks: Last fall, I left a beloved job and assisted them in hiring two people to replace me. One was an internal hire, the other required an outside interview process. We received over 50 applications, narrowed it down to 13 phone interviews, then seven in-person interviews, and finally made a very satisfying hiring […] Read the full article →
how to respond when a candidate discloses a disability in an interview by Alison Green on February 2, 2026 A reader writes: A colleague and I were recently interviewing candidates for an entry-level position and, at the beginning of one of the interviews, the candidate asked if they could disclose something before we got started, then said that they were on the autism spectrum. My colleague jumped in and explained that while they appreciated […] Read the full article →
what to do when a job candidate treats men and women differently by Alison Green on January 14, 2026 A reader writes: I’m a professional woman in my early 50s hiring for a position on my team. My colleague (a mid-40s man) and I interviewed a good candidate for a junior position (a man in his late 20s) with whom we have each subsequently exchanged a few emails. In each email the candidate has […] Read the full article →
what to do when a candidate is using AI during an interview by Alison Green on November 19, 2025 A reader writes: We recently had an interview with a candidate who seemed very promising on paper. She had years of relevant experience and good recommendations from previous employers. Our team is remote, so this was a Teams interview and we expect everyone to be on camera. During the first few minutes, she claimed to […] Read the full article →
how much of a red flag is it if a job candidate was fired twice previously? by Alison Green on November 5, 2025 A reader writes: I am hiring for a position that is fairly entry-level office work. A candidate, who is fairly young, lists two positions in the past decade which they were fired from. They were post-college full-time positions, not high school summer jobs where turnover would be expected to be high and where the job […] Read the full article →