Why Interview Decisions Feel Harder Than They Should
Wednesday, January 07, 2026
The Debrief That Went in Circles
Last month I sat in on an interview debrief with a leadership team I’d worked with in the past. Smart people. Good people.
But the conversation about how the candidate matched up to the role went in circles for almost forty minutes.
Not because the candidate’s background was confusing.
But because the team was operating from different definitions of success.
What the Team Couldn’t Agree On
Some said the candidate felt “strong.”
Others said he felt “off.”
Someone else liked him, but “wasn’t sure about his energy.”
And no one—not one person—could agree with another on what was most important to the role’s success.
The truth...?
Most interviews fall apart not because of the candidate, but because hiring teams rarely slow down long enough to talk through what the role actually needs and agree on what matters most.
It doesn’t mean the team is incompetent. This team was as sharp as they come. But in these situations, everyone tends to bring their own ideas about what criteria would make for the best hire.
What I’ve Learned Watching This Happen
After twenty-plus years watching hires succeed and fail, what I’ve advised is this:
You can’t judge a candidate accurately when the role is different in everyone’s head.
And yet, that’s exactly what most hiring groups are doing:
- Some interview for how the candidate would fit the culture.
- Some interview based on the résumé.
- Some interview for the “vibe” they feel in the room.
- Some interview based on the last hire who burned them.
And meanwhile, the candidate is trying to guess which version of the job is real.
When interviews feel chaotic, mismatched, or “off,” it’s almost always this:
No one agreed on the criteria.
So everyone created their own.
One Question Can Change the Entire Conversation
So before your next interview, don’t rely on your team interpreting what’s needed from a job description alone.
Get everyone together and ask one simple, grounding question:
“What does success look like in this role in the first 90 days?”
If the answers don’t match, you don’t have an interview problem.
You have a clarity problem.
And clarity is always a less expensive fix than another costly failed hire.
Final Thought
This is the kind of work that separates rushed hiring from intentional hiring
— and it’s worth getting it right.
If You Want to Strengthen This Advantage
I help companies elevate their recruiter-led candidate experience — from first call to final offer.
🔹If you want to significantly improve how your team represents your brand, book a call with me: Schedule a consultation →
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Great hiring doesn’t begin with interviews. It begins with first getting clear on what success actually looks like.
Chuck Windish
SVP, Managing Director, The Gerard Alexander Consulting Group
Founder, Unshakeable Recruiting
Helping leaders and recruiters make clearer hiring decisions — before great talent walks away.
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