Twilio CEO Says Job Candidates Who Ask No Questions or Overuse 'I' Risk Rejection
Twilio CEO Khozema Shipchandler said he considers it a significant warning sign when candidates ask no questions at the end of an interview. He also pays attention to excessive use of the word 'I,' which he believes can indicate poor teamwork or leadership. Shipchandler typically conducts 45-minute dinner interviews for senior hires and reserves the final 15 to 20 minutes for candidate questions.
Twilio CEO Khozema Shipchandler treats the closing portion of senior-hire interviews as a test of curiosity. His dinners run about 45 minutes, with the last 15 to 20 minutes reserved for the candidate to ask questions. A blank response, he says, counts heavily against them.
He also listens for how often applicants say “I.” To him, that habit can suggest weak teamwork or leadership, because real leadership often involves influencing people when you lack formal authority. Fortune also cites former Meta talent executive Jenn Bouchard, who calls interviews a two-way exchange and recommends preparing questions about team challenges, strengths, and employee-feedback-driven changes.
This guidance may shape how job seekers prepare for interviews, especially senior candidates, by encouraging more questions and team-oriented language. Hiring managers could use such signals as informal filters, which may reward candidates skilled at self-presentation while potentially disadvantaging those from cultures or communication styles less centered on individual framing. The story may also intensify pressure on applicants to treat interviews as two-way evaluations, though its direct effect on hiring outcomes remains uncertain.