What I’m seeing in interviews right now

Across industries, hiring hasn’t simply “slowed” or “sped up”—it’s becoming more selective and more role-specific. Many companies are still cautious on headcount, but they’ll move quickly when a role is tied to revenue, risk reduction, or operational efficiency.

Below are practical, interview-ready insights you can use to choose targets, tailor your stories, and predict the process before you step into a screening call.

5 hiring trends shaping interview processes

• More “proof-of-skill” steps: Expect take-homes, case prompts, live exercises, or portfolio reviews—especially in product, data, engineering, and growth roles.
• Fewer generalists, more specialists: Job descriptions are narrowing. The winning candidates show depth in a specific stack, domain, or customer segment.
• Finance-style rigor outside finance: Even non-finance roles are getting asked about ROI, unit economics, prioritization trade-offs, and resource constraints.
• AI literacy is becoming baseline: You don’t need to be an AI engineer, but you should articulate how you use AI tools responsibly to improve speed/quality.
• Culture + resilience checks are back: After waves of reorgs, interviewers probe adaptability: “Tell me about a time priorities changed overnight.”

How to tailor your interview strategy (actionable)

1) Rewrite your stories in “business impact” language

Use a simple structure:

• Problem (what risk/opportunity existed)
• Constraints (budget, time, compliance, headcount)
• Actions (what you did and why)
• Results (numbers, customer outcomes, risk reduced)

Tip: If you don’t have metrics, estimate ranges or proxy metrics (cycle time reduced, fewer escalations, improved conversion).

2) Predict the hiring manager’s real question

Most questions translate to:

• “Can you do the work here?”
• “Will you ramp fast with our constraints?”
• “Will you make my team’s output more reliable?”

Prepare two versions of each story: one for a scrappy environment and one for a structured environment.

3) Watch for green flags in the process

You’re likely in an “active priority hire” when you see:

• Interview steps scheduled within 7–10 days
• Clear scorecards/competencies shared
• A recruiter who can explain decision timelines and criteria

Red flags include vague role scope, shifting requirements, or long gaps without feedback.

Quick self-check: are you positioned for today’s market?

• Do you have 3 impact stories with numbers?
• Can you explain your work in two levels (executive + technical)?
• Do you have one differentiated niche (industry, domain, toolset, segment)?

Your turn

Which industry or role are you targeting right now, and what’s the hardest interview step you’re encountering (case, take-home, behavioral, technical, or hiring-manager screen)?