Your Culture is Showing: How to Create a More Inclusive Interview Experience

In light of my recent tweet (pictured above), I will share my story and some ideas to extend company culture to the interview process.

Recently I read a job description for a role at Stripe, and found their on-site interview guide. I was amazed by how they mentioned a mother room would be available. As a new mom myself, I cherished the foresight but also wondered why this was the first time I had seen this offered in my job search.

Earlier this year I had an all-day on-site interview when my son was 4 months old and nursing exclusively. I panicked trying to figure out how to make it all work. Would I have time to pump milk? Would I have access to a mother room? I ended up going the whole day without nursing because I was afraid if I asked for access to a mother room I would reveal personal information that could bias the team’s decision. Looking back I wish I would have asked anyway. I tell this story because candidates try to present their cleanest, most straightforward selves to a potential employer and sometimes compromise their authentic selves in the process.

The on-site interview is the first opportunity for a company to show its culture. Using a blanketed statement such as, “if you need any accommodations let us know” isn’t enough because asking for accommodations can be uncomfortable. When companies are first to mention specific accommodations for marginalized groups it shows foresight and can take a tremendous amount of pressure off of candidates. It communicates, “we see you and we welcome you.” Culture starts with the interview experience.

Here are some ways to demonstrate inclusive culture to candidates:

1. Offer nursing mothers short breaks and a private area to pump. This is the first opportunity for new employees to feel supported.

2. Offer to reimburse for childcare. Childcare is ridiculously expensive especially for someone with a limited or no income. If you truly value a candidate’s time, offer to help offset that cost. For me sometimes a job rejection stung more because I invested time AND money to get to know the team.

3. Provide options for candidates to demonstrate their talents. Some of your best candidates may not shine during a whiteboarding exercise but will rock a take-home assignment.

4. Schedule proper breaks. Scheduling on-site interviews can be hectic for everyone involved and candidates appreciate all the planning involved. However a day of back-to-back interviews with no break (I’ve been there) can be downright exhausting especially for introverts and individuals with social anxiety.

5. Provide any interview prep materials well before 24 hours in advance. Candidates have busy lives too and can appreciate adequate time to prepare for an on-site amidst other responsibilities.

On-site interviews are my opportunity to demonstrate excellence, and I expect the same from my potential employer by explicitly welcoming talent and potential of all backgrounds.