Few people can say that they love the job interview process. Watching politicians being grilled during the (recent) general election campaign, amplified by difficult questions from combative interviewers, their discomfort was there for all to see in real time. For lawyer candidates, the tortuous experience of a formal interview, a series of formal interviews, and perhaps most of all, a forensic panel interview, can feel every bit as daunting and uncomfortable.
Law firms recognise this. So, in addition to – and sometimes instead of – traditional formal interviews, panel interviews, behavioural type interviews, and competency-based interviews, informal interviews have become increasingly prevalent in the recruitment process. Their popularity has increased in recent years, not least because law firms are increasingly keen to showcase their relaxed culture to prospective lateral hires.