> *The solution? We told them the first booking was just a "practice" interview. And then if they did well, surprise, it was a real interview all along. (If they didn't, we'd let them try again, though it almost never changed the outcome.)

Honestly, saying it's a "practice" interview, and then saying "Oh, you did so well we're just going to let you skip the real one" isn't lying. Some people might need to believe there's a safety net in order to join. Other people might really need practice.