How to Run Standout Technical Interviews: Tips for Software Engineers
Software engineers interviewing candidates can assess technical skills & represent company culture, but quality technical interviewing today requires blending technical depth, communication abilities, structured approach & empathy into the process.
As a software engineer taking on an interviewer role, you have a valuable chance to evaluate candidates’ skills while representing your company culture. However, conducting technical interviews in today's rapidly changing industry takes the right blend of technical depth, communication abilities, structure, and empathy.
This field values innovation, so interviews assess more than just coding proficiency. You’re gauging problem-solving, critical thinking, and system design skills and how well they communicate complex solutions—just as real projects demand.
To excel as an interviewer, engineers should master these key areas:
Prep Thoroughly
Research the open role, required abilities, common projects, and team dynamics. Connect with recruiters to get insights from past screening calls. This context helps you tailor relevant questions.
Your Team Acquisition team may provide details about the candidate's background and insights from previous screenings. This knowledge offers valuable context, allowing you to pose relevant questions and assess candidates more accurately. Additionally, collaborating with your Talent Acquisition Team not only aids in comprehending the role but also promotes a sense of cohesion in the hiring process.
Build Rapport
Kick things off by conversing casually about their background. Then ease into simpler questions first to make them comfortable before diving deeper.
For example, initiate the interview with an informal chat about the candidate's city, background, or interests to establish a friendly atmosphere. The objective is to cultivate an environment where candidates feel at ease sharing their thought processes and posing questions.
Mind the Clock
Use timers to avoid overrunning while still covering all topics. If they ramble, politely redirect.
Alternatively, if you're aware that you often delve into technical intricacies, consider using a timer for each technical question. This ensures sufficient time for other essential aspects of the interview, including building rapport initially, addressing candidate queries, and expressing gratitude for their time towards the conclusion.
Spotlight Culture
Share stories highlighting collaboration, innovation, growth opportunities, and what makes your culture unique.
Sharing stories about your team's past wins and projects show candidates real-life examples of your company culture. This helps them imagine how they might thrive there. When talking about your culture, give tangible stories that demonstrate how your team lives your values and workflows. This gives people a taste of what it's actually like to work with you all.
Expect Tech Glitches
Have backup interview tools handy, and roll with problems calmly and professionally.
Ensure both you and the candidate have reliable internet access during the interview. Recognize possible disruptions from the candidate's environment and be understanding. Strike an appropriate balance between keeping the discussion professional and acknowledging practical obstacles that can occur.
Remove Biases
Focus on abilities rather than demographics. Give everyone an equal shot at demonstrating skills.
Close with Feedback
Provide constructive suggestions afterward to help them grow, whether you move forward or not.
Blending technical abilities with communication and empathy is central to being an awesome interviewer. Through preparation, inclusion, time management, and culture advocacy, engineers can identify top talent ready to tackle real-world challenges.
We at Develative see interviews as cooperative experiences. If you have expertise you're eager to share to help guide the next generation of IT talent, we encourage you to join our Talent Hub. Become part of our goal to create incredible development opportunities around product design and talent cultivation.
Does your team need additional screening support? Our dedicated Talent Hub identifies skills plus culture add. Let’s connect to explore partnerships.
About the author
Milagros Fonollat
Milagros is People Manager at Develative. She enjoys having mate at the office and talking with the team about the next offsite or get together event, also she holds a degree in Graphic design!