Guide To Interviewing IT Candidates

Guide To Interviewing IT Candidates

Technology Interview Tips for Hiring Managers

As an essential part of the recruitment process, the interview itself needs to be well thought out and prepared in advance. The key aim is to get quality information so you can fairly evaluate a candidate against the job requirements and other applicants for the role. Follow our guide below for IT interview tips designed to accomplish this and impress candidates along the way.

Traditional Interview Questions

Traditional interview questions include such examples as:

  • What are your strengths or limitations?
  • How would you describe yourself?
  • Why did you leave your last job?

Whilst these questions can help you get to know your candidate and clarify points in their CV, these questions don’t allow candidates to demonstrate how they behave in certain scenarios.

Behavioural Based Interviewing

Asking behavioural interview questions enables an employer to pre-determine whether a candidate possess skills that are specific and relevant to a particular role. These skills can then be measured to evaluate a candidate’s fit. An interviewer may ask questions about particular situations from a candidate’s previous employment. Their responses will demonstrate their problem solving skills and give clues to how they handle stressful situations.

When it comes to designing these types of questions, we recommend taking the STAR approach.

Situation: Describe a situation where you encountered a problem that led to a positive outcome.

Task: Describe the ideas or tasks you engaged to resolve the problem.

Action: Describe the actions you took and any difficulties you had to overcome.

Results: What outcomes followed as a result of your actions.

Examples of Behavioural Based Interview Questions

  • Provide an example of a situation where you used logic to solve a problem. What steps did you take?
  • What do if you do if your routine or schedule at work became disrupted? Give an example of how you manage this.
  • Describe a time you had to persuade a team to work on a project that was unpopular. How did you do it?
  • Have you a handled a difficult working relationship with a colleague? How did you manage it? What would have you done differently?
  • Describe a goal you achieved and take me through the steps you took to get there.

Focused, well-structured responses are indicative of a competent candidate.

Ask your interviewee to give examples from a variety of work environments and wherever possible, quantify their results.

Preparing for the Interview

Determine who will be interviewing the candidate. It may be just one person, such as a direct Manager or Human Resource Manager. Decide whether a panel interview is appropriate. If so, these should reflect the key internal relationships the position reports to or interacts with.

Prepare your behavioural-based interview questions, and if there is to be a panel interview, assign a set of questions for each panel member to ask. Ensure each panel member has had time to review the candidate’s CV.

Ensure that your questions identify skills and traits that are parallel to the job description you have developed for the role. Review this carefully before the interview.

Interview Process

  • Welcome the candidate and try to put them at ease by offering them a drink.
  • Introduce yourself, and if necessary the interview panel, and briefly explain the interview process.
  • Ensure there are no distractions during the interview.
  • Provide some history of your organisation and briefly describe the role.
  • Ask the candidate a couple of traditional interview questions to break the ice.
  • Begin behavioural-based interview questions.
  • At the end of the interview, ask the candidate if they have any questions.
  • Inform them of the next stage in the recruitment process – if there will be a second interview and estimated timeframe.
  • Thank the candidate for their time.

If the Candidate Was Referred to You by RWA

  • Contact us after the interview and give us your impressions of the candidate.
  • Ask any further questions that you may not have captured during the interview. Your RWA Consultant may be able to give you the answer immediately or find out from the candidate.
  • Advise the RWA Consultant if the candidate has been successful so you can move to the next recruitment stage.
  • If the candidate is to be rejected, let your RWA consultant know this now so the unsuccessful candidate is able to move on.

If you feel you’re prepared to interview candidates but struggle to attract high calibre applicants, get in touch with one of our specialist Recruiters today.

Don’t forget to check out our blog for more useful recruitment advice and follow us on LinkedIn for the latest industry news and more.