Don’t Tell Me About Yourself

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WRKdefined
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“Don’t Tell Me About Yourself” is where old-school hiring meets a modern reality check. Hosted by Expert Interviewers Co-Founders Lorna Erickson and Victoria Gates, this show blends their combined 40 years of real-world experience with the unfiltered commentary that made 340K+ people laugh, cringe, and rethink how interviews actually work. Each week, they tackle the biggest news in hiring, from chaotic interview moments to ghost jobs and questions that should have been retired decades ago. Whether you hire, apply, or just love a good interview trainwreck, this show is for anyone who’s ever sat on either side of the interview table. Real stories. Real data. Real talk about how to make interviews actually work for everyone. Because great hiring isn’t luck—it's a skill.

  1. Sep 23

    Is Your Interview Panel Just a Group Vibe Check?

    Episode Description:Interview panels are supposed to bring more perspectives, reduce bias, and lead to better hiring decisions. But adding more interviewers does not automatically create more structure. In this episode, we break down why panel interviews often turn into repeated questions, conflicting standards, loud opinions, and groupthink. You’ll learn how to prepare interviewers before a panel, assign clear areas of evaluation, improve the candidate experience, score candidates independently, and run a debrief that focuses on evidence instead of who liked the candidate most. Key Takeaways: Adding more interviewers does not automatically make an interview process more structured or objective. A successful panel should not be five people interviewing the same candidate. It should be five people collecting different pieces of evidence. Interviewers should know exactly which skills or competencies they own before the candidate enters the room. Repeating the same questions wastes interview time and prevents the team from evaluating other important job-related criteria. Candidates notice when interviewers are unprepared, distracted, contradicting each other, or unclear about their role in the process. A panel interview can become a candidate’s first preview of how meetings, communication, and decision-making work inside the company. Interviewers should score candidates independently before discussing them with the rest of the panel. The first or loudest opinion in a debrief can influence everyone else, especially when interviewers have different levels of seniority. Disagreement between interviewers can be useful when the team goes back to the evidence instead of averaging scores or trying to reach immediate consensus. Having a structured interview process is not the same as having a structured hiring decision process. Calibration means interviewers are using the same definitions and standards to evaluate evidence, not that everyone has to give the candidate the same score. Good panel interviews define success before the interview, focus on job-related evidence during it, and use independent scoring followed by an evidence-based debrief afterward. Timestamps 01:21 Why interview panels make companies feel safer03:20 Why more interviewers do not mean more structure05:09 Why a successful panel starts before the interview05:59 The problem with repeated interview questions07:21 How candidates know a panel is unprepared09:27 When the debrief becomes a group vibe check10:21 What hiring managers told us about debriefs11:29 Why interviewers should score candidates independently12:41 How seniority and loud opinions influence decisions15:09 Why disagreement can improve a hiring debrief16:48 Structured interviews versus structured hiring decisions18:22 What a good panel looks like before, during, and after21:28 Are panel interviews actually bad? Keywords panel interviewinterview panelpanel interview questionshow to conduct a panel interviewpanel interview best practicesinterview debriefhiring debriefinterview scorecardstructured interviewsgroupthink in hiringhiring manager interview traininginterview biascandidate evaluationinterview calibration

  2. Sep 16

    Did You Really Ever Have A Shot At That Promotion?

    Internal interviews can be harder to evaluate fairly than external interviews because managers already know the candidate, their reputation, their past mistakes, and their current performance. In this episode, we explain how to interview internal candidates fairly, how to avoid predetermined promotion decisions, why strong performance in a current role does not automatically predict success in the next one, and how to give useful feedback when an employee does not get promoted. You will also learn how structured interviews, clear job criteria, and neutral interviewers can improve internal hiring decisions. Key Takeaways: If the hiring decision is already made and no interview could change the outcome, do not put employees through a performative interview process. Having a frontrunner for an internal role is different from having a predetermined winner. Internal candidates can have both advantages and disadvantages because managers already know their strengths, weaknesses, reputation, and past performance. Being successful in a current role is not evidence that someone will automatically succeed in the next role. Internal promotions should be based on the requirements of the new job, not tenure, likability, loyalty, or whose turn it seems to be. Familiarity and personal chemistry can easily replace job-related evidence when managers evaluate internal candidates. Internal candidates need specific feedback when they are not selected so they understand what skills, competencies, or experience they need to develop. Feedback like “you are not ready yet” or “someone else was stronger” is too vague to help an employee improve. Internal and external candidates should still be evaluated against the same job-related standards and structured interview criteria. A neutral interviewer can help hiring teams separate familiarity, internal history, and bias from evidence about whether someone can do the job. Timestamps 01:22 Was the internal job actually open? 02:27 Frontrunner versus predetermined promotion 03:04 When an internal interview is already decided 06:09 Why internal interviews become awkward 07:22 Why high performance does not guarantee promotion success 09:11 Internal candidate advantages and disadvantages 11:29 How gut feeling affects internal hiring 16:45 Why internal candidate feedback matters 19:41 How to give useful promotion feedback 24:49 How to reduce bias in internal interviews Keywords internal interviewinternal candidate interviewinternal promotionpromotion interviewhow to interview internal candidatesinternal hiring processinternal candidate feedbackstructured interviewspromotion decisionshiring manager interview training

  3. Sep 9

    Can You Believe These Interview Questions Still Exist?

    Some interview questions refuse to die. We break down why hiring managers still ask questions like “Tell me about yourself,” “What’s your greatest weakness?” and “Where do you see yourself in five years?” even when they often provide very little useful evidence about whether someone can do the job. You’ll learn what these questions are actually measuring, what to ask instead, why structured interviewing leads to better decisions, and why the best interviewers focus less on finding the perfect question and more on asking better follow-ups. Key Takeaways Many outdated interview questions survive because they are familiar and easy to ask, not because they are effective. “Tell me about yourself” is often too broad to produce consistent, job-related information. Questions about weaknesses commonly produce rehearsed answers instead of useful evidence. Understanding what candidates liked and disliked about past roles can reveal more than asking where they see themselves in five years. “Sell me this pen” and other hypotheticals are weaker than asking about real past experience. Animal questions, brain teasers, and other non-qualifying questions add little value to hiring decisions. Structured interviews help hiring teams evaluate candidates more consistently. The best interviewers are not the ones with the most creative questions. They know when to follow up. When candidates speak generally, ask them to walk you through a specific situation. A good interview is about collecting evidence you can actually use to make a hiring decision. Timestamps  01:04 The interview questions that won’t die 02:21 Why outdated interview questions survive 03:55 What to ask instead of “Tell me about yourself” 06:50 Why the weakness question misses 10:04 The problem with five-year questions 12:25 Why “Sell me this pen” fails 15:31 Retiring animal and brain-teaser questions 18:35 Why structured interviews work better 19:27 The interviewing skill that matters most 20:59 How to ask better follow-up questions Keywords interview questions to avoid best interview questions how to interview candidates structured interviews behavioral interview questions hiring manager interview training better interview questions interview follow-up questions

  4. Sep 2

    Do Recruiters & Hiring Managers Need Couples Therapy?

    Season 2 is back, and we’re starting with one of the relationships that can make or break the entire hiring process: recruiters and hiring managers. We break down why the two sides so often end up frustrated with each other, where the partnership starts to fall apart, and how that disconnect impacts candidates. You’ll learn how to define success together, set clearer expectations, improve communication, clarify ownership, and turn hiring from a handoff into an actual partnership. Key Takeaways Recruiters and hiring managers often want the same outcome but blame each other when the process breaks down. Many hiring problems start in the initial intake meeting when expectations are vague or assumed. Recruiters and hiring managers need to define what success looks like before candidates enter the process. Changing requirements or scorecards mid-process makes hiring slower and less consistent. Candidate motivation matters just as much as whether someone can technically do the job. Candidates feel internal misalignment through delays, repeated questions, and poor communication. Clear boundaries and proactive communication build stronger hiring partnerships. Recruiters bring market knowledge, candidate pipelines, and candidate communication expertise. Hiring managers own interview quality, decision quality, and meaningful feedback. Hiring works best when recruiters and hiring managers treat success as shared responsibility. Timestamps 00:52 Why recruiters and hiring managers clash 01:44 The biggest recruiter frustrations 04:33 What hiring managers complain about 07:03 How candidates feel the disconnect 08:40 Where hiring partnerships break down 11:00 Why candidate motivators matter 15:26 Coaching hiring managers in real time 17:48 Trust, boundaries, and communication 22:35 What recruiters and managers each own 28:10 How to run a better kickoff meeting Keywords recruiter hiring manager relationship recruiter hiring manager partnership hiring process alignment hiring manager responsibilities recruiter responsibilities recruiting intake meeting candidate experience hiring process communication interview process alignment recruiting collaboration

  5. May 20

    You’re Losing Candidates and Customers with Daniel Birkholm

    In this live episode, you’ll learn why most companies are overlooking the biggest risk in their hiring process: candidate experience. Daniel Birkholm shares how focusing only on hired candidates ignores the majority of people interacting with your brand and why that can hurt both hiring outcomes and business performance. This is a practical look at how to measure candidate experience, improve hiring quality, and build a more sustainable recruiting strategy. Key Takeaways: Most companies reject 95% of candidates and ignore their experience Poor candidate experience can damage your brand and revenue Happy candidates are more likely to become customers Negative experiences spread faster than positive ones Candidate experience impacts quality of hire Feedback loops are critical to improving hiring Many teams focus too much on efficiency over experience Data-driven hiring leads to better outcomes Candidates can still have a good experience even if rejected Measuring experience helps create more sustainable hiring Keywords: candidate experience, hiring metrics, candidate NPS, recruitment feedback, employer brand impact, hiring strategy data, talent acquisition metrics, candidate journey, recruitment analytics, hiring experience improvement Follow Daniel at https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielbirkholm/ Sponsored by @shakerrecruitmentmarketing

  6. May 13

    AI Won’t Fix What You Can’t See with Tom McCarty

    In this live episode, you’ll learn why AI won’t fix your organization if you don’t understand it first. Tom McCarty shares how most companies struggle with fragmented, outdated data and why visibility into your organization is the foundation for better decisions. This is a practical look at how to prepare for AI, avoid costly mistakes, and refocus HR on higher-impact work. Key Takeaways: You need a clear view of your organization before using AI Most companies rely on outdated, static data snapshots Workforce planning requires real-time, accurate data AI should remove administrative work, not replace people Skills-based thinking is critical for the future of work Not every part of a role can or should be automated Missing small parts of a role can create major issues HR should focus more on strategy, not spreadsheets AI can help HR return to people-focused work HR must lead change management in AI transformation Keywords: workforce planning, HR data visibility, AI in HR, organizational design, HR analytics strategy, skills based workforce, HR transformation AI, people analytics, future of work HR, HR decision making Follow Tom at https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-mccarty-9709426/ Sponsored by @shakerrecruitmentmarketing

  7. May 13

    It’s Not Losing People, It’s Enhancing Them with Rosie Parra

    In this live episode, you’ll learn how AI is already reshaping HR and why companies need to act now to keep up. Rosie Parra shares how her team is approaching AI with a focus on education, guardrails, and protecting the human side of work. This is a practical look at what leaders should be thinking about as AI adoption accelerates and expectations shift. Key Takeaways: AI is already here, not something coming in the future Companies that delay AI adoption risk falling behind AI should enhance employees, not replace them Education is critical to help teams use AI effectively Guardrails are necessary to protect sensitive data AI adoption requires both internal and external learning HR teams must balance speed with responsibility Employee experience and retention still matter most Engagement and tenure remain key HR priorities Leaders need to proactively prepare for AI regulations Keywords: AI in HR, AI adoption workplace, HR technology strategy, AI and employee experience, HR leadership AI, AI data privacy HR, workforce engagement metrics, HR innovation strategy, future of work AI, HR digital transformation Follow Rosie at https://www.linkedin.com/in/rosie-parra-295aa831/ Sponsored by @shakerrecruitmentmarketing Learn more www.shaker.com

  8. May 6

    AI Isn’t Terminator, It’s Avatar with Peter Lynch

    In this live episode, you’ll learn how to use AI in your organization without losing your culture or replacing your people. Peter Lynch shares why AI should be viewed as a tool to enhance employees, not eliminate them, and how a human-first approach is driving real adoption across his organization. This is a practical look at how to scale AI responsibly while protecting what makes your company work. Key Takeaways: AI should enhance employees, not replace them A human-first approach drives stronger AI adoption The “last mile” of human interaction should not be automated AI works best when paired with company culture Usage rates are a key signal of successful adoption Skills-based hiring expands your talent pool significantly Hiring for skills is more effective than hiring for titles AI should automate tasks, not eliminate roles Leaders should rethink work as “reimagination,” not reinvention Expanding employee impact is better than reducing headcount Keywords: AI in HR, human first AI strategy, AI employee productivity, skills based hiring, AI adoption workplace, HR and technology integration, AI workforce strategy, talent acquisition skills hiring, future of work AI, HR leadership AI Follow Peter at https://www.linkedin.com/in/realpeterlynch/ Sponsored by @shakerrecruitmentmarketing

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About

“Don’t Tell Me About Yourself” is where old-school hiring meets a modern reality check. Hosted by Expert Interviewers Co-Founders Lorna Erickson and Victoria Gates, this show blends their combined 40 years of real-world experience with the unfiltered commentary that made 340K+ people laugh, cringe, and rethink how interviews actually work. Each week, they tackle the biggest news in hiring, from chaotic interview moments to ghost jobs and questions that should have been retired decades ago. Whether you hire, apply, or just love a good interview trainwreck, this show is for anyone who’s ever sat on either side of the interview table. Real stories. Real data. Real talk about how to make interviews actually work for everyone. Because great hiring isn’t luck—it's a skill.

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