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If you can't read someone's resume without rejecting them based on age, gender, marital status, education or lack thereof, or for their non-sw work history, the

If you can't read someone's resume without rejecting them based on age, gender, marital status, education or lack thereof, or for their non-sw work history, then it sounds like you're not a very good person to be interviewing candidates. The concept of "unconscious bias" might be true in an academic sense, but in a very real way you should be treating people with respect regardless of their characteristics, especially during an interview process. Not reading someone's resume isn't just rude, it's supremely disrespectful. I take a completely different approach, because I have been on the receiving end of disrespectful interviews and I won't stand for it and I don't expect the candidates I interview to accept it either. I carefully read the resume and research the candidate far in advance to the interview. I only ask questions during the interview which are open-ended, not trivia questions, and are directly related to either the content of the candidate's resume or things we're actually doing day-to-day on my team. The dog and pony show interview style is intensely disrespectful and so is the idea that you won't even read a candidate's resume. I've walked out of interviews where both have happened, and I hope everyone on HN gets the personal confidence to do the same. I'm a professional, I expect to be treated like a professional, and I return that by treating those I interview like professionals. End of story.

bduerst 7y ago
Being cognizant of unconscious bias doesn't make someone a bad interviewer, in fact, it makes for the opposite. It sounds like you've had some combative interviews in the past (it sucks - I've had them too) but that's not the same as being aware of biases.
- tristor 7y ago
  There's a difference between being cognizant of unconscious bias and being disrespectful to your candidate. I am cognizant of unconscious bias, so cognizant that I know it plays a much smaller role in biased outcomes than conscious intended bias. I read candidate resumes and I treat candidates with respect. The parent is disrespectful to the candidates they interview and I am being charitable in taking their explanation about bias at face value.
avip 7y ago
>it sounds like you're not a very good person to be interviewing candidates We agree on that one, but the alternatives are worse. Would you like to take my place interviewing? It's a time consuming task I'd love to delegate to someone more experienced.
- GreenJelloShot 7y ago
  I would honestly love to take a job that was 100% focused on interviewing and hiring technical people. I have been through so many bad interviews (on both sides of the desk) that I think it really should be a dedicated position staffed by people who actually understand the major defects in the industry.
  - avip 7y ago
    You can always apply to triplebytes and get exactly such position :) <disclaimer: my affiliation with triplebytes is that they've rejected my application twice - possibly cementing parent suggestion that I'm underqualified to interview developers>
  - Aeolun 7y ago
    I hate interviewing (on both sides of the table), but I’d much rather do it than have someone else do it because I hope I can make it marginally less harrowing for the candidates. I guess I’m a terrible interviewer, but so far the candidates we hired have worked out.

bduerst 7y ago

Being cognizant of unconscious bias doesn't make someone a bad interviewer, in fact, it makes for the opposite. It sounds like you've had some combative interviews in the past (it sucks - I've had them too) but that's not the same as being aware of biases.

tristor 7y ago
There's a difference between being cognizant of unconscious bias and being disrespectful to your candidate. I am cognizant of unconscious bias, so cognizant that I know it plays a much smaller role in biased outcomes than conscious intended bias. I read candidate resumes and I treat candidates with respect. The parent is disrespectful to the candidates they interview and I am being charitable in taking their explanation about bias at face value.

avip 7y ago

>it sounds like you're not a very good person to be interviewing candidates We agree on that one, but the alternatives are worse. Would you like to take my place interviewing? It's a time consuming task I'd love to delegate to someone more experienced.

GreenJelloShot 7y ago
I would honestly love to take a job that was 100% focused on interviewing and hiring technical people. I have been through so many bad interviews (on both sides of the desk) that I think it really should be a dedicated position staffed by people who actually understand the major defects in the industry.
- avip 7y ago
  You can always apply to triplebytes and get exactly such position :) <disclaimer: my affiliation with triplebytes is that they've rejected my application twice - possibly cementing parent suggestion that I'm underqualified to interview developers>
- Aeolun 7y ago
  I hate interviewing (on both sides of the table), but I’d much rather do it than have someone else do it because I hope I can make it marginally less harrowing for the candidates. I guess I’m a terrible interviewer, but so far the candidates we hired have worked out.