Don’t mistake the roles of your interviewers There are general | Coding interview preparation

Don’t mistake the roles of your interviewers
There are generally three types of interviewers: HR, technical, and hiring managers. The HR representative is there to guide you through the process – meet you at reception, show you the coffee machine, give you a tour of the office, make sure the interviewers get to you on time, debrief you when all is done, and walk you out. Her involvement in the evaluation process will depend on the company, though she’ll almost certainly be watching for any HR-specific yellow or red flags.

Technical interviewers will make up the bulk of your interviewers. They’re there to determine if you have the technical chops for the job, and to decide whether you’re a good cultural fit. Some of them will be good interviewers, some bad. Some will have unconscious biases, others… will have stronger unconscious biases. Some will be in a good mood, others not. Some will be outgoing, others stoic. None will be able to tell you about your pay package, so don’t bother asking. It’s an unfortunate fact that your performance will likely be affected dramatically by who’s on the schedule the day you come in.

You’ll typically also meet the hiring manager at some point during the interview process. Some hiring managers will do technical interviews, some will focus on behavioral questions, and (if you’re doing well) some will focus mostly on selling you on the position. This is the person who will ultimately decide whether to fight for you – if you’re a questionable hire, she’s the one who can decide that you’re worth taking a chance on. If you’re an exceptional hire, she’s the one who’ll fight for a higher compensation package. A large part of her decision will be based upon feedback from the other interviewers, but ultimately she’s going to go by her gut.