Hiring manager biases.
I have been interviewing and searching for jobs for quite some time, and a few patterns in the current job market have stood out to me.
Many interviews no longer feel centered around a candidate’s actual qualifications or experience. Instead, they often feel designed to test composure under pressure or to catch candidates off guard with trick questions that have little connection to the real responsibilities of the role. In some cases, it can feel as though interviewers are more focused on seeing a candidate struggle than evaluating whether they are capable of doing the job well. I have also noticed an interesting dynamic around qualifications and hierarchy. When a candidate has stronger academic credentials or more specialized expertise than the hiring manager, there can sometimes be visible defensiveness during the interview process. Rather than viewing the candidate as an asset, the interaction can shift toward “humbling” them or asserting authority. At times, it feels as though a decision has already been made before the interview even begins, despite the candidate matching the requirements that HR initially identified for the position. In one recent experience, someone from a completely different department was brought into the interview process. It gave the impression that the hiring manager was uncomfortable evaluating someone whose background or qualifications might eventually allow them to advance quickly within the company. Ironically, the position itself existed because the company needed support and had an open role to fill, yet the process felt more focused on protecting internal dynamics than finding the best fit for the job. Of course, every company and interviewer is different, and there are many excellent hiring managers as well. Still, these experiences have made the job market feel increasingly shaped by office politics, insecurity, and power dynamics rather than by skill, potential, and contribution.