[sillysaurus3]

This is explicitly meant to be informal and similar-level peers, but you can't help sharing data about who we are, how we interact with each other and the candidate, and learning/teaching whether there's likely a good fit.

A formalized process of informality. Interesting.

[sokoloff]

You can't take all the context away; we just try to make it as low-pressure and "normal" a lunch as is possible, given the obvious context. (And yes, we've had candidates "fail" the lunch slot. I'm sure we've "failed" the lunch slot for some of the candidates who ended up turning us down. Those are usually beneficial "fails" IMO.)

[sillysaurus3]

It was just amusing to see such a formal engagement labeled as the opposite. It can be a good idea, beneficial for both parties, etc. But if a candidate can fail it, it's certainly not normal or informal.

[sokoloff]

For clarity, candidates fail the lunch slot not by chewing with their mouth open, keeping their pinky on their cup, or putting elbows on the table, but rather by being overtly bigoted, racist/sexist, or otherwise extraordinarily A-hole-ish. (I can only recall two instances in 14 years; perhaps I should have not mentioned it, but I'm an engineer at heart... :) )