Fancy ass burger at the Capital Grille too, when they had an office right next to one. Was a great burger.
I love how I boarded that plane back home thinking I got it. I was a dumb gremlin.
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Prospective employer wants to meet for lunch after completing the interview process…
- Thread starter Furiousone
- Start date
Fancy ass burger at the Capital Grille too, when they had an office right next to one. Was a great burger.
I love how I boarded that plane back home thinking I got it. I was a dumb gremlin.
Lunches are the worst
One of the last lunch interviews I had, my contacts were two individuals that were obviously awkward and introverted (which is bad because I'm also introverted).
My most recent went well because the guy was a chatterbox and we set a start date like 5 minutes in.
It's a mixed bag. Not unlike actual first dates.
One of the last lunch interviews I had, my contacts were two individuals that were obviously awkward and introverted (which is bad because I'm also introverted).
My most recent went well because the guy was a chatterbox and we set a start date like 5 minutes in.
It's a mixed bag. Not unlike actual first dates.
Just remember: outside of a few weird people, most interviewers are rooting for you. They know it's a stressful situation for you, and on top of that they usually hate doing interviews because it takes time away from their deliverables/normal duties and it can also be hard to make good interview questions. Interviewing usually sucks for both sides.
You get a couple weird ego-driven types who just want to prove their superiority by beating down their interviewees but I just view that as a red flag.
If they're giving you lunch, chances are they're just trying to gauge your personality and you've already passed the technical challenges. They wouldn't spend that much money (combined cost of lunch plus employee time) if things weren't going well.
Before COVID, my company would do lunch with candidates as well and on top of gauging personality, they also used it as an opportunity to sell the candidate on the company. Outside of FAANG, where they get absolutely slammed with applicants, most companies have the viewpoint that they're also trying to sell the company to you. It's a two way process where both sides can say no, and these days companies really can't pretend they have the advantage during the interview process.
You get a couple weird ego-driven types who just want to prove their superiority by beating down their interviewees but I just view that as a red flag.
If they're giving you lunch, chances are they're just trying to gauge your personality and you've already passed the technical challenges. They wouldn't spend that much money (combined cost of lunch plus employee time) if things weren't going well.
Before COVID, my company would do lunch with candidates as well and on top of gauging personality, they also used it as an opportunity to sell the candidate on the company. Outside of FAANG, where they get absolutely slammed with applicants, most companies have the viewpoint that they're also trying to sell the company to you. It's a two way process where both sides can say no, and these days companies really can't pretend they have the advantage during the interview process.
Does your job require you to deal with other people either at or outside the office setting?
They may want to see if you are both compatible.
Other members from the team you might potentially be interacting with might be at the lunch to give their thumbs up.
Just act natural but remain professional.
They may want to see if you are both compatible.
Other members from the team you might potentially be interacting with might be at the lunch to give their thumbs up.
Just act natural but remain professional.
This is normal; they want to make sure you fit the team social dynamics. Never put the cart in front of the horse, but if this is after the in-person interview and they're dragging the SVP out to meet you, then it means the team are serious about bringing you aboard. Be casual and the same person you've been in the rest of the interview process and it's pretty much a done deal.
Normally I'd figure this would be to extend an offer, could just be one final personality fit and then maybe pass on for an offer from HR.
If it was a no they wouldn't be taking you out to lunch, they'd send you a "We're not interested at this time" form mail if you get an email at all.
If it was a no they wouldn't be taking you out to lunch, they'd send you a "We're not interested at this time" form mail if you get an email at all.
Thee SVP of Ops isn't going to waste their time and money buying you lunch, to waste your time with a mean nothing meeting.
Dress to impress and be ten minutes early.
Dress to impress and be ten minutes early.
The way I see it either they're still sussing you out as an individual or they like you enough to be up for repeat meetings. Either way is still good, and the latter's even better because it means you've already got a good foot in the door.
It's definitely part of the interview process. It's to gauge team fit and overall communication skills. We do these at my work for all candidates.
I have had this happen, and I blew it. Went through all thr interview rounds, then was offered a lunch with prospective manager and someone else. They want to see how you treat work, behave outside of strict interviewing mode. Basically, if you badmouth anyone, talk about people behind their back, and how you approach the business. My mistake was I went off on a tangent about how service management/intake process was crap in my current role. This was very early in my career, like 2nd job in my career.
OP, basically do not talk about anything negative in your current role. Relay everything in positive context. Be normal, talk about sports, walking the dog, etc. Do not talk about anime.
OP, basically do not talk about anything negative in your current role. Relay everything in positive context. Be normal, talk about sports, walking the dog, etc. Do not talk about anime.
Getting rejected after going through several interviews (and thinking you did well) really stings, I've been through that too. I hope things have worked out better for you since then, though.
Nope! Could be limited to sales, success, and other client facing jobs. "Sell me this pen" still happens too.
It's not that strange. At my current Art Director position, I interviewed then a month later met for lunch(with someone else there) at a Panara before officially getting an offer.
OP
OP
Unless they bring up anime lol. Then you stick to relatively safe classics like Cowboy Bebop and Ghibli movies. Don't talk about Oreimo or PreCure 😆
Sounds like this. They might ask you some more interview type stuff, but I imagine it's probably more of a "Let's get to know them and see if this person is okay" kind of thing. The last time I had to do a lunch after interviewing I at least got to do it with a group of other potential new hires, so the awkwardness of the whole thing was kind of blunted.
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OP
The timeline doesn't bother me so much, I just feel that they have had plenty of time to get to know me at this point. I also feel like if I had not requested an update, then this lunch would have never happened, but perhaps I'm being short sighted and reading too much into it.
There is a difference between a formal interview sort of setting and a more real world one. I'd imagine it's just furthering the feeling out process.
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OP
I should add(and I edited the OP) there was a brief on-site lunch during the 4/1 interview that was just myself and the SVP of Ops(who I'm meeting again tomorrow). So it feels a slight bit redundant. However, seems like the overwhelming feeling here is that it's an opportunity to meet in a less formal capacity.
This is really the only detail we needed before lol. Yeah, this is absolutely to get a sense of how you are as a person and whether you'll mesh with existing leadership. Hard to all command the ship together if they can't stand you. So while sure you've had a "lunch interview" with them already, the purpose of that wasn't the same as the purpose here. That first lunch was part of a larger day it sounds like, so it was someone getting in their "formal" interview with you when they could fit it in most likely. Even if not many questions about it, that still would've been about the actual job. This lunch really isn't. Just relax, order something that won't lead to mishaps, and like others have said, don't be a weirdo. You've got this, just need to show them you're comfortable around them like they're hoping to be around you.
Pretty sure you got it. Lunch is just to make sure you're serious if they throw an offer your way. This is what happened in my previous job that I landed. Another time this happened (coffee) it was the potential boss to give me a heads up he was leaving the company and if I accepted the role they were going to immediately move me to another department. Appreciated the heads up and declined the job later that afternoon.
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OP
Pretty standard. Bodes well, I'd imagine they want to hire you and this is just final vetting. Generally speaking, conversations over lunch aren't very formal so I wouldn't expect anything too intense. Keep us updated.
And of course they will pay.
And of course they will pay.
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OP
Thanks for all of the feedback, it has been helpful. I was going to walk in a bit skeptical, but the comments make me a bit more optimistic. I'll report back with what happens!
My boss took me out for drinks at a bar and made me the official offer there. Maybe this is their style to butter you up first.
That makes more sense. Remember to flex at the dessert phase by popping out a snickers and eating it with a knife and fork.
This is normal, OP. I had a bunch of interviews where I went out to lunch with two or three people.
Take the free food, don't order anything messy or anything that would get food stuck in your teeth, and don't order the most expensive item on the menu.
Take the free food, don't order anything messy or anything that would get food stuck in your teeth, and don't order the most expensive item on the menu.
Maybe the guy really wants to do the "slides proposed wage on piece of paper across the table" thing.