The secret to running killer technical interviews is simpler than you might think. It comes down to three things: preparation, practicality, and personality.
The perfect candidate should have a balance of hard and soft skills that will enable them to hit the ground running. If you want to build an all-star team, these are the secrets to conducting killer technical interviews.
Prepare Interview Questions That Assess Key IT Skills
To conduct a killer technical interview, you need to prepare questions that properly assess a candidate’s skills. Start by reviewing the job listing and requirements to determine what’s most important for the role. Then craft questions that evaluate both technical and soft skills.
For technical skills, ask open-ended questions about:
- Their experience with languages, frameworks, and technologies listed in the job ad. For example, “Tell me about your experience with Java and SQL.”
- How they would approach a technical challenge. For instance, “How would you design a web API to handle user login?”
- Troubleshooting scenarios to see how they solve problems. You could say, “If a user reported that your web app was down, how would you debug the issue?”
For soft skills, ask questions like:
- “How would you explain a technical concept to someone non-technical?” To assess communication.
- “Describe a time you had to meet a tight deadline.” To evaluate time-management and work ethic.
- “Have you ever had a disagreement with a colleague? How did you handle it?” To determine how they deal with conflict.
By preparing a mix of technical and soft skill questions, you’ll gain insight into not just what a candidate knows but how they think and work. And be sure to have follow-up questions ready in case you need the candidate to elaborate on any answers.
Conducting a thoughtful, in-depth technical interview will help ensure you find a candidate with the skills and mindset to excel in the role. And that will benefit both your team and the new hire in the long run.
Evaluate Soft Skills and Culture Fit
Conducting a technical interview is an art form. You need to evaluate not only a candidate’s hard skills but also their soft skills and culture fit.
Start by asking open-ended questions about their experiences to get them talking. Listen for communication skills – do they speak clearly and coherently about technical topics? Can they explain complex ideas in a simple way? Strong soft skills are essential for collaboration and mentorship.
Pay attention to their thought process. Pose a technical challenge and see how they work through solving it. Do they think logically and ask good questions? Are they able to see different solutions or perspectives? An analytical and curious mindset will serve them well as technologies evolve.
Look for passion and a thirst for continuous learning. The tech field moves fast, so lifelong learners who pursue side projects or take online courses in their spare time tend to thrive.
Assess if their priorities and work style match your culture. For example, if you value work-life balance, see if they have hobbies and interests outside of tech. If creativity is important, look for signs they can think outside the box. Cultural fit will lead to greater job satisfaction for both parties.
A technical interview should evaluate a candidate’s potential for growth as much as their current skills. Keep an open mind for candidates who may be diamonds in the rough. With mentorship and opportunities, they could become your next star employee. The secret is looking beyond the resume to find people who will flourish in your organization.
Stay Up-to-Date With Technology Trends in the IT Industry
To conduct effective technical interviews, you need to stay on top of the latest technologies and trends in the IT industry. Things change fast, and you don’t want to be asking questions about obsolete systems or frameworks. Make it a habit to regularly read industry news and publications to see what skills and certifications are currently in demand.
Some of the hottest areas right now are:
- Cloud computing like AWS, Azure and Google Cloud. Know the different services they offer and how companies are using them.
- Data science and analytics. Keep up with tools like Python, R, SQL, and Tableau. Data is huge right now.
- Cybersecurity. Follow trends in areas like identity and access management, endpoint security, and risk management. Cyber threats are constantly evolving.
- Automation and AI. Learn about things like robotic process automation, chatbots, machine learning, and natural language processing. Automation is transforming many IT roles.
Keeping your technical knowledge up-to-date will make you a much more effective interviewer. You’ll be able to ask insightful questions and have thoughtful discussions with candidates about the technologies that are currently reshaping the IT landscape. Candidates will appreciate your technical depth and ability to relate to the challenges of keeping skills and certifications current in such a fast-changing field.
Keeping your technical knowledge and skills up-to-date is one of the best investments you can make in your career and your company. While the pace of change can feel relentless, staying on top of trends and continuing to learn will help ensure you hire the best technical talent.
Building an Exceptional Tech Team
So there you have it, everything you need to know to conduct killer technical interviews and find the best candidates for your tech roles. Remember, it’s not just about grilling candidates on algorithms and data structures. Focus on evaluating skills that really matter for the job, set a friendly and collaborative tone, and look for passion and problem-solving abilities. By the time the interview is over, you should have a good sense of whether this person will thrive in your company culture and be able to hit the ground running. Conduct great technical interviews and before you know it, you’ll have an awesome team of talented tech superstars joining your ranks. The future of your engineering team depends on the effort you put into the interview process!
