I first posted this little riff on LinkedIn, and wanted to share it here:

I’ve been interviewing new hires for the first time in a while. I have no idea if I’m doing it ‘right’ (very unlikely), but one new thing has made a big difference for both parties during the process:

Exchanging short voice notes. Here's why.

• Less pressure to 'perform'
• Less tiring
• More time-efficient
• More natural
• More responsive (especially in a small company where things change and evolve all the time)
• More space and opportunity for interesting ideas, riffs, and questions

In the interests of access and inclusivity, it’s worth noting (ahem) we’ve been offering this an option, not something that’s mandatory - but as a way to help create a more fluid, iterative approach it's been working well.