The Hidden Struggles of Being a Senior Engineer and an Interviewer
When I first became a senior software engineer, I imagined my days would revolve around solving complex problems, mentoring junior engineers, and designing scalable systems. What I didn’t anticipate was the sheer volume of interviews I would be conducting – a responsibility that often consumed more time and energy than my actual work. In one particularly grueling year, I conducted over 200 interviews at times 4–6 back to back interviews.
It sounds impressive on paper, but in reality, it was an exhausting experience. I quickly learned that interviewing isn’t just about asking technical questions or evaluating coding skills – it’s about making judgment calls on a person’s potential, attitude, and fit for a role, all in a span of an hour or two.
The Emotional and Mental Toll of Interviews
The first few interviews were exciting. I enjoyed meeting new people, hearing about their experiences, and testing their problem-solving abilities. But as the number climbed, the novelty wore off. Interviewing became an emotionally draining task. Sometimes the process just made a cog spinning around until someone physically stopped it.
Imagine this: you’ve spent hours preparing for a high-stakes project review, but before diving into that, you have back-to-back interviews. You try your best to give each candidate your full attention, to be fair and unbiased. But at the end of a long day, your brain feels like mush, and you can barely muster the energy to finish your own work.
Then there’s the guilt. Every “no” feels personal. You see candidates who are trying their hardest, and yet, for various reasons – be it skill gaps, communication issues, or simply a mismatch with the role – you have to pass on them. And for the ones you’re excited about? Well, that opens up another can of worms.
The Heartbreak of Budget Cuts and “Reprioritization”
One of the most demoralizing aspects of this process is watching good candidates get rejected for reasons entirely unrelated to their abilities. I’ve had candidates who aced every round and seemed like a perfect fit for the team, only to be told later, “We can’t afford to hire anyone right now.”
It’s heartbreaking. These are people who’ve invested their time, energy, and sometimes their hopes in this process, only to be met with disappointment. And as an interviewer, you’re left wondering if all those hours spent evaluating candidates were for nothing.
Even worse is when priorities shift mid-process. A role that seemed urgent a week ago is suddenly deemed unnecessary. Or leadership decides to hire someone internally instead. It’s frustrating to see good talent walk away because of factors beyond your control.
Being the “Bad Guy” in the Process
As an interviewer, you’re often the one blamed when things go south. Candidates who didn’t make it through might label you as harsh or biased. They don’t see the hours you spend advocating for the right ones or how you fight against vague feedback like “they don’t seem like a fit” to ensure fairness.
I’ve had friends and acquaintances vent about their interview experiences, often bad-mouthing the interviewers. And while I understand their frustration, I also know what it’s like on the other side. I know the pressure of trying to be fair while juggling a dozen other responsibilities.
What Companies Don’t Acknowledge
Here’s the truth: many companies fail to appreciate the toll interviewing takes on their senior engineers. They treat it as a side task, something you can squeeze in between your regular work. But interviewing well requires focus, preparation, and a level of mental clarity that’s hard to maintain when you’re already overburdened.
Moreover, companies often underestimate how much time and effort go to waste when hiring decisions are delayed or reversed. It’s not just the candidates who lose out – it’s the teams, the interviewers, and the projects that suffer too.
Conducting over 200 interviews in a year taught me a lot – not just about evaluating talent but about the broken systems many companies use to hire. It’s a thankless job, but it’s also a crucial one.
So, to my fellow engineers who’ve been in the hot seat as interviewers: I see you. And to the candidates who’ve been on the receiving end of a long, frustrating process: I hear you. Both sides deserve better, and it’s up to companies to make that happen.
