Last week I took part in an interview for a new member of our team. It was the first time I'd been involved in this process since joining, and it was equal parts stressful, interesting, and instructive.
Some context. I'm the most recent addition to my team, and since I joined we've grown significantly in terms of workload and responsibility. Just before Christmas it became clear we were stretching ourselves too thin on the data side, and we managed to get approval to bring in a new analyst.
My involvement up to that point had been zero. The early stages go through the recruiter, the team lead, and the more senior people in the company. Candidates then face a series of technical interviews with the data engineers on the team. If they make it through that, they reach a panel interview with a broader group, tasked with assessing cultural and team fit.
That's where I was asked to join.
I won't go into the details, but I will say I was nervous. I remember this stage of the process vividly from the other side. You've already cleared several rounds and passed hands-on technical assessments. You're far enough in that you start to believe it might actually happen. And then comes a two-hour panel with people you've never met, the last hurdle before the finish line.
The flashbacks were immediate. The tension of being in that seat, the fear of saying the wrong thing when you're so close. I felt for the candidates more than I expected. You could argue I was more anxious than they were.
What struck me most, watching from the other side, was how well-designed processes tend to produce well-designed teams. Something I've always noticed about my team is how well we fit together, good harmony, compatible ways of working, complementary skills. Sitting on the interviewing side made it clearer why that is.
Each round filters for something different. Weaker CVs, technical gaps, personality mismatches, these all get addressed before the final stage. By the time someone reaches the cultural interview, you can reasonably assume they're capable. What this step does is make it harder to bring in someone who simply won't fit. Asking how they work, what genuinely matters to them, how they approach problems, and listening carefully across the whole panel, you build a real picture of whether you'd want to work alongside this person. Over time, that compounds. Teams with shared values and compatible ways of thinking move more smoothly and with less friction. Do it consistently across the whole company and you're laying a strong foundation.
The other thing I took away was more personal, and I wasn't expecting it.
Seeing how rigorous and deliberate the process is made something click that I'd never quite let myself think before. I've been that candidate. My CV was scrutinised. I went through every one of these rounds. People assessed my personality, my way of thinking, my approach to work, and they chose me. Not because they needed to fill a position, but because they believed I was the right person for it.
It sounds obvious written out. But it hadn't fully landed until now. And it's changed something, not just in my confidence, but in my sense of responsibility. They saw something in me worth betting on. I'd like to live up to that.