Interviews go both ways, so why does it feel like all the pressure is on one side?

Let’s talk about the stage where a company has already screened dozens of applicants and narrowed it down to the final 3 for onsite interviews.

At that point, most of us still go in with the mindset of trying to please the interviewers and say the “right” things. But the company has also invested a lot of time to get those final candidates. It’s not just us trying to earn the offer anymore, they should also be making an effort to show why we’d want to join them.

The benefit is mutual at this stage.

I’ve noticed in some onsites that interviewers spend the entire time grilling candidates with low value or repetitive questions, then leave like 2 minutes at the end for us to ask anything. That feels backwards, especially this late in the process.

Also, as much as we’re afraid of saying the wrong thing, I’ve never seen an interviewer worrying about messing things up on their side.

Was there ever a time when candidates actually had the upper hand in the job market?