Turned down the bigger name on my resume for a smaller company because the manager actually answered my questions
Final round for both landed the same week. Company A is one everyone's heard of. Company B has maybe 40 people. I asked both hiring managers the same question — what's something that didn't go well on the team in the last six months — and Company A's answer was PR-smooth, all upside, nothing real. Company B's manager paused and told me about a migration that slipped two quarters and what they changed after. Took the smaller name. Three months in, I'd make the same call again.
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AnonymousAnon Been on the other side of this as a hiring manager for a small team and honestly this checks out — candidates who ask the "what went wrong" question and actually listen to the answer are usually the ones who turn out to be easier to manage later too.
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AnonymousAnon This lines up with something I noticed too — the honest answer to the "what went wrong" question is basically the whole interview in miniature. If they can't admit a real miss they probably can't admit one to you six months in either.