Breaking Bread With a Finalist After an Interview Can Benefit Your Hiring Process

We always recommend taking all finalists to a lunch or dinner with a few members of the executive cabinet. For one, this allows you to observe candidates in a more informal lens, which is relevant because senior leadership work requires establishing human bonds.  Second, this action usually leaves a positive impression on candidates, who appreciate the extra attention.  But in an almost paradoxical way, a more relaxed environment allows you to broach difficult conversations and metaphorically put the fish on the table.  Thus, when you pass the salt and pepper might be the best time to ask, “Tell me what you truly thought of that last interview,” or, “So, why did you really leave that job five years ago?”  Breaking bread with someone is often the right time to break the silence on a topic that could matter a lot to you before making your final hiring decision.