How to run interviews that lead to better hires
What to ignore, what to test, and how to spot real fit
If you’ve decided how many people you need, and you’ve written clear job specs, interviews are easier to do.
They stop being about instinct. They stop being about chemistry. And they stop being about who you vibe with.
At that point, interviews are just a tool. A way to check fit.
These are the things you should watch for.
Confidence is not the same as capability
People who interview well tend to speak easily. They sound certain. They explain things smoothly.
That’s comforting. It’s also misleading.
Confidence tells you how someone talks in a room. But it tells you very little about how they work when the pace picks up, when rules apply, or when they’re told no.
Don’t treat confidence as proof of capability.
Likeable is not the same as suitable
It’s natural to gravitate toward people you enjoy talking to. It’s human nature. But liking someone doesn’t mean they’ll enjoy the work you’re offering. And it doesn’t mean they’ll handle the limits that come with it.
Interviews work better when you stop asking “do I like this person” and start asking “can this person handle this role without pushing against it.”
Those are very different questions.
Talking about coffee is easy, doing the job is not
Many candidates can talk confidently about coffee, service, or hospitality values. That’s not a rare skill anymore.
What matters more is how they deal with repetition, routine, and structure. How they respond when something is done a specific way. How they behave when flexibility runs out.
An interview that never tests those things isn’t really testing the job.
Interviews should describe the job, not sell it
A common mistake is trying to make the role sound appealing. Smoother. Broader. More flexible than it really is.
That might get you a yes. It won’t get you a good match.
A useful interview does the opposite. It describes the work clearly, including the parts people usually struggle with. Pace. Limits. What doesn’t change. What’s not negotiable.
People who lean in after hearing that reality are far more likely to last.
Watch how people react to boundaries
One of the most useful parts of an interview is watching what happens when you introduce limits.
Do they accept them calmly. Do they ask practical questions. Do they immediately try to negotiate around them.
None of those reactions are wrong. But they tell you a lot about fit. Someone who pushes back on boundaries during an interview will do the same on the floor.
Trial days should test listening, not speed
Trial days often focus on how fast someone works or how much they already know. Those are the easiest things to observe. They’re also the least predictive.
What matters more is how someone listens. How they respond to correction. Whether they try to improve within the setup or work around it.
And you can only see that if the job has been clearly explained first.
Interviews are a filter, not a gamble
Interviews aren’t meant to predict the future. They’re meant to filter out poor matches before they cause problems.
Does this person fit this job, as it exists today. That’s all an interview really needs to do.