The Most Random and Most Reliable Interview Signal I’ve Ever Seen

Over the years, I’ve interviewed thousands of people in coffee shops.

Not because I’m trying to be quirky, but because it’s practical. It’s informal. And it removes a lot of the artificial theatre that comes with boardrooms and video calls.

What I didn’t set out to do was collect behavioural data.

But after enough repetitions, patterns become hard to ignore.

I haven’t formally measured this, but I can say without much hesitation that there is a direct link between how someone treats wait staff and how they show up in a new job.

People who are dismissive, impatient, or rude to service staff rarely switch that behaviour off at work. They might mask it upward, but it leaks out sideways and downward. Into how they speak to peers. How they deal with junior team members. How they react when things don’t go their way.

The common thread is not manners. It’s entitlement.

If someone treats people they perceive to be “below them” poorly, that is the energy they bring into an organisation. It shows up as friction, blame, and quiet toxicity. Often not immediately, but inevitably.

And to be clear, this isn’t about nerves or social awkwardness. People can be shy, anxious, or introverted and still be respectful. What stands out is contempt, however subtle.

The reason this matters is simple. Skills can be developed. Experience can be added. Behaviour is much harder to shift.

So yes, this might sound like a throwaway observation. A coffee shop anecdote. But in practice, it has proven to be one of the most reliable early signals I’ve seen.

The resume gets you to the table.
Character shows up before the interview even starts.

And once you’ve seen it enough times, it’s very hard to unsee.

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