Hiring for tech roles can be challenging, as it has become more difficult to bridge the gap between the company requirements and the talent available. That’s why recruiters need to find talent that’s agile enough to adapt to the company’s requirements.
But if you are wondering how to assess the candidates and find the right fit, then we have a few pointers that you can use to gauge the candidates and find the best fit for your company.
Tech Interview Skills Every Recruiter Must Possess
You can ask these questions during interviews and gain insight into a candidate’s approach to work.
1. What was the Most Technically Challenging Project you have handled so far?
The typical answer would be the candidate’s explanation of a time when a project had kept them glued to their computers. The answer should include how they rose to the challenge and solved it.
As a recruiter, your focus should be on the candidate’s approach to the problem.
Did they take time to research the project and get down to the root cause? Did they change their approach when they failed in the first attempt? Did they ask someone for help or proceeded to solve the problem themselves? Did they lose track of other projects while solving this problem?
Finding the answer to these questions can help you understand a candidate’s approach to a challenge which will help you decide which candidates fit in best in your company’s culture.
2. You have been given a problem to solve within a time constraint. What do you do?
There are times when developers do not have sufficient time for a project. The time crunch may hamper the quality of the code, which will lead to further complications and loss of productivity. At the same time, some developers take this as a challenge and perform well under pressure.
The candidate’s answer should give you an idea about what they prioritise. For example, do they believe in performing the task quickly? Are they willing to step up and negotiate the deadline?
Further, you can also evaluate their approach to a problem. Time constraints put enormous pressure on employees. Understanding their approach can also tell you how well they can handle the pressure.
3. Tell us about a technical blunder that happened recently. Do you think it could have been prevented?
NASA lost the Mars Climate Orbitor in 1999 because the measurement units were not converted. If engineers at NASA could make an error like this, so can anyone else. Goof ups like these keep happening in software development.
With this question, you are checking three things. One how aware is the candidate about the current scenario. Are they up-to-date with what’s happening in their industry?
What have they learnt from the mistakes made by others?
Second, are they aware of the consequences? Are they able to look at the big picture? To cite NASA’s example, the simple error caused the project to lose 125 million dollars. Is the candidate interviewing for a developer’s role able to understand the impact his work will create?
Third, when they have explained a technical blunder- what is their attitude towards it? Are they able to understand where things went wrong? What would have they done differently if they were in that situation? How quickly can they recover and figure out a solution to the problem at hand?
4. Tell us about a time when you faced problems with a difficult colleague at work.
This question is aimed to discover more about the person’s ability to work in a team. Of course, when there’s a team, there will be conflicts. The candidate’s answer will help you discover how they can strike a balance and focus on the work. Are they able to understand their colleague’s viewpoint? Are they able to put forward their point? Were they able to resolve the issue through discussion? Did the problem need a supervisor’s intervention?
The candidate’s answer will also tell you how effectively they can surmise a situation and identify the solution. In addition, their choice of words will tell you about the candidate’s willingness to solve the problem. Also, pay attention to how the candidate describes the person they were in conflict with. That will give you a fair idea about how the candidate perceives threats.
5. What do you do in your spare time?
A candidate in love with their craft would probably have a couple of projects that they would be working on even in their spare time. You can ask further questions about these projects and understand how they focus on honing their skills.
At the same time, candidates who answer they prefer relaxing, watching Netflix, or working on a hobby show that they have skills and aspects of their personality outside of their work as a developer. This will give you a broader insight into how they are as people and how these experiences shaped them.
It is important to remember that tech interviews should always focus on two aspects: one, technical skills, and second, people skills. Because at the end of the day, businesses are defined by people. To create an outstanding team, you need a healthy mix of the two.
Also Read: Why You Should Hire Our SuperCoders in 2022Â
CodeQuotient’s SuperCoders usually have both skill sets because they are trained by industry professionals who are well-acquainted with the requirements of the tech industry. So, in addition to solid technical skills, they also have good soft skills. Learn more about how you can hire our top developers and get in touch with us.
