Mealtime interviews
Mealtime interviews focus on assessing a candidate’s interpersonal and social skills in a social setting, typically over a meal at a restaurant or a corporate dining area. This type of interview is designed to assess how candidates manage themselves in informal, interactive scenarios that mimic real-life social interactions required for the role.
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Benefits and considerations of mealtime interviews
Benefits
- Real-life interactions: Provides a method to assess candidates social interaction skills in real life social settings, valuable for roles requiring social engagement with clients or teams.
- Assess soft skills: Provides the ability to assess communication, etiquette, adaptability, and emotional intelligence in a casual, real-life environment.
- Candidate comfort: Sometimes helps candidates feel more at ease, allowing their true personality and social competency to shine.
Considerations and solutions
- Sensory overload: A busy restaurant can be overwhelming for neurodivergent candidates sensitive to noise, smells, or bright lighting.
- Solution: Choose quieter venues or offer a more controlled environment, like a private dining room.
- Uncertainty: Candidates may become overwhelmed by the interview format, in addition to the highly social assessment method.
- Solution: Clearly communicate expectations and structure of the mealtime interview beforehand to help candidates prepare. Ensure that this is the best type of assessment method for the role e.g. are these the main skills required for the role.
- Dietary restrictions: Some neurodivergent individuals may have specific dietary preferences or restrictions that impact their comfort and focus.
- Solution: Ensure the setting offers a variety of meal options to accommodate different needs or consider non-dining alternatives.
What mealtime interviews are suited for
- Attributes showcased: Evaluates emotional intelligence, interpersonal skills, and the ability to adapt to social contexts. This format offers insight into how candidates manage themselves in professional yet informal settings.
- Roles and industries: Mealtime interviews are ideal for client-facing roles, including sales representatives, marketing professionals, consultants, and executives, where strong interpersonal and social skills are vital. Particularly effective in industries such as hospitality, marketing, business consulting, and wine and beverage sectors, where relationship-building and social interaction are central to success.
Example: A construction firm recruiting business development leads uses mealtime interviews to evaluate candidates’ communication and client-facing skills. Over lunch at a quiet restaurant, they observe how candidates discuss sale strategies, adapt to casual conversations, and interact with potential clients.
Mealtime interviews can provide a valuable assessment methods to evaluate candidate’s interpersonal and social skills, but the format may inadvertently create barriers for neurodivergent candidates. By carefully considering sensory needs, the need for information for planning and dietary restrictions, employers can create a more inclusive assessment process that respects everyone’s unique strengths. Emphasising clear communication, structured feedback, and continuous improvement ensures that mealtime interviews can better serve as a comprehensive and fair assessment tool, ultimately allowing companies to discover and welcome diverse talent into their workforce.
Conducting neuro-inclusive mealtime interviews
Mealtime interviews focus on assessing a candidate’s interpersonal and social skills in a social setting, typically over a meal at a restaurant or corporate dining area. While informal in nature, they still require careful planning to ensure inclusivity, to ensure all candidates can show their potential. Employers can implement neuro-inclusive practices to create a fair and accessible process.
Pre-interview preparation
Unstructured interactions and high sensory spaces can be overwhelming in a dining environment.
Neuro-inclusive strategies
- Neurodivergent awareness training: Ensure interviewers understand neurodivergent characteristics and how they might present in social settings.
A neurodivergent employee shared, “Social situations are exhausting for me. Knowing exactly what’s expected helps me manage my energy and focus on the task.” - Detailed interview information: Provide comprehensive details about the interview well in advance. This should include:
- Venue details (location, parking, public transport)
- Sensory details such as expected noise level, lighting, and seating options.
- Dietary accommodations and available menu options.
- Schedule, including start and end times.
- Expected format of the conversation (e.g., casual chat, structured questions).
- Contact details of a dedicated support person from the organising to answer any questions or queries.
- Accommodations and adjustments: Encourage candidates to request accommodations, such as what time of day the interview takes place, a quieter dining area or specific seating arrangements.
Preparing the dining environment
Dining environments can create sensory overload due to noise, smells, or lighting. These distractions may hinder a candidate’s ability to focus and present themselves effectively.
Neuro-inclusive strategies
- Venue selection: Choose a quieter, accessible restaurant or private dining space to minimise sensory distractions.
- Communicate setting details: Share information about the venue, including noise levels, seating arrangements, and lighting, so candidates know what to expect.
- Menu options: Provide menu options in advance to accommodate dietary restrictions or preferences.
- Break spaces: Identify a quiet area nearby where candidates can step away if they need a sensory break.
During the interview
The mealtime assessment method relies significantly on unstructured social interactions and interpreting conversational cues in an informal setting. By providing as much structure and support as possible during the interview process, employers can help candidates demonstrate their true potential.
Neuro-inclusive strategies
- Welcome and orientation: Meet candidates upon arrival and explain how the interview will proceed, setting clear expectations.
- Room acclimatisation: Allow candidates time to get comfortable in the setting and address any potential distractions or causes of anxiety before starting.
- Structured yet flexible approach: While maintaining a casual tone, guide the conversation to cover key topics relevant to the role.
- Direct and clear questions: Avoid abstract or ambiguous queries, opting for straightforward questions. For example, instead of asking, “Tell me about your strengths,” ask, “What professional skills do you excel at in the workplace?”
- Concrete vs. open-ended questions: Use situational questions like, “What strategies have you used to sign up new customers?” rather than vague ones like, “Tell me about yourself.”
- Avoid ambiguity and hypotheticals: Focus on past experiences rather than speculative scenarios. For example, instead of asking, “How would you handle a tight deadline?” ask, “Can you describe a time when you had to meet a tight deadline? How did you manage it, and what was the result?”
- Simplifying language:
- Be mindful of literal interpretations; avoid idiomatic language and jargon.
- Avoid double-barrelled questions (where multiple questions with different responses are asked at the same time) that may confuse candidates.
- Use specific prompts to guide detailed responses (e.g., “What steps did you take to mediate the situation?”).
- Additional Support: Allow candidates to bring notes or use prompts during the interview. Offer clarification or rephrase questions if needed.
- Contingency Planning: Be prepared to adjust the interview approach if unexpected needs or situations arise.
After the interview
The informal nature of mealtime interviews can leave candidates unclear about their performance or next steps.
Neuro-inclusive strategies
- Clear feedback: Provide specific, constructive feedback about the candidate’s strengths and areas for improvement.
- Next steps communication: Clearly outline the timeline for decision-making and when and how candidates should expect to find out about the outcome.
- Process improvement: Collect feedback from candidates to refine and enhance the inclusivity of future mealtime interviews.
Example of a neuro-inclusive mealtime interview
Scenario: A law firm recruiting a client-facing paralegal uses a mealtime interview to assess communication and relationship-building skills.
Actions taken:
- The candidate is provided with detailed information about the venue, menu, and interview structure beforehand.
- The interview is conducted at a time of day that the candidate has identified.
- The restaurant is quiet, with adjustable lighting and private seating.
- The candidate receives sample questions in advance, such as, “How do you build rapport with new clients?” and “Can you describe your approach to handling sensitive client matters?”
- The interviewer guides the conversation, ensuring all key topics are covered while maintaining a relaxed tone.
- Breaks are offered as needed, and dietary preferences are fully accommodated.
Outcome: These accommodations allow the candidate to focus on demonstrating their interpersonal skills and professionalism without unnecessary stress or sensory challenges. The employer gains valuable insights into how the candidate interacts in a client-facing role.
By implementing neuro-inclusive strategies, mealtime interviews can become a fair and effective way to assess candidates’ interpersonal and social skills. These adjustments foster an inclusive recruitment process that values diversity and ensures every candidate has an equal opportunity to succeed.
