There is the interviewer(s) who is trying to understand why you are the right candidate for the role but also it's you who is trying to understand why you should work for this employer - why you should spend X years of your life working for this company - what does this company has to give you in return for your skills?
For myself, I would add another point that's high on my list (and OP touched on it indirectly in some of theirs): "people".
Did you get any 'red flags' about the people you interacted with during your interview process (at any stage)?
Did you actually like any of the people who interviewed you? (You don't have to, but it's always a plus.)
What can you tell about the 'quality' of the people you'll be around, with respect to their ability and willingness to help you grow? Did any of them seem like they had an "every man for themselves" attitude?
If I'm going to be spending 50-60%* of my waking life for the foreseeable future being around and working with these people, they damn well better provide "good soil" for me to grow in.
Obviously, the format of a company's interview process has a direct impact on who at the company you get to interact with, and in what sort of capacity, so I find this point to be a challenge in most of my interviews.
But you can tell a lot about a person from a 30-minute extended interaction (which has been a format shared by the on-site interviews I've had). That's the main reason the companies do it, I think, though I'm sure they're only thinking about how much the interviewers can learn about the candidates and not the other way around.
*back-of-the-napkin math based on being at work 8-10hrs a day and being awake for only about 16, not counting weekends
As OP puts it nicely:
For myself, I would add another point that's high on my list (and OP touched on it indirectly in some of theirs): "people".
If I'm going to be spending 50-60%* of my waking life for the foreseeable future being around and working with these people, they damn well better provide "good soil" for me to grow in.
Obviously, the format of a company's interview process has a direct impact on who at the company you get to interact with, and in what sort of capacity, so I find this point to be a challenge in most of my interviews.
But you can tell a lot about a person from a 30-minute extended interaction (which has been a format shared by the on-site interviews I've had). That's the main reason the companies do it, I think, though I'm sure they're only thinking about how much the interviewers can learn about the candidates and not the other way around.
*back-of-the-napkin math based on being at work 8-10hrs a day and being awake for only about 16, not counting weekends
Good points indeed!