People have always fascinated me.
Physio is the easy bit. Get the people side wrong and woe betide you.
I used to interview almost everyone I worked with. Not because they'd be working for me - but because we'd be working together. That distinction mattered.
I kept interviews informal, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't form a view quickly. Thirty seconds, give or take.
The smile. The handshake. The way they carried themselves.
Admittedly harder to do online - but still possible. The cues are different, but they're there if you're paying attention.
Clinical skills can be taught. Mindset and desire are harder.
What I really cared about was how they thought under pressure. Everyone had to present a patient. I didn't care if the patient got better or worse - I cared about the clinical reason, the why.
If they said the diagnosis was X, I'd ask why not Y.
If they chose one intervention, I'd ask why not the alternative.
Not to be awkward. To see if their clinical reasoning flexed when nudged.
The stronger the first impression, the harder I pushed. Because if I was going to back them, I needed to know they could stand up to it.
Most rose to the challenge. A few didn't.
Those who got the job proved their value.
Those who didn't - I genuinely hope - learned something.
And I know there are a few people reading this who will have sat in the other chair. Whether you accepted the role or not, you earned your place in the room.
Being tested properly is a sign of respect. If nothing else, I hope it gave you a clearer sense of your own value.
Skills matter.
But people matter more.
And pressure has a funny way of revealing both.
For what it's worth - the physios weren't the only ones being quietly interviewed.