This is a follow-up post to my posts on .Net Hiring Manager Resources and on Preparing for a .Net Interview. I will be interviewing a number of candidates next week for open positions in our department. I thought it would be good to review the process that we have typically followed, and get feedback.
1. Introduction
Someone should meet the candidate at the receptionist’s desk. It is a good idea to have the hiring manager do this. Look them in they eye, introduce yourself, and shake their hands firmly. On the walk to the interview room, share some small talk about the weather and the drive. This gives you an idea if they will mind how far they will have to drive to work. It also gives you the opportunity to check out how they dress and how they carry themselves. Once you are in the interview room, let them know that the interview will be about an hour long. Ask them if they would like something to drink, and to get more comfortable. Introduce them to everyone that they are interviewing.
2. Discuss the Open Position
Once everyone has introduced themselves and gotten comfortable, the hiring manager should ask how much they know about the open position. It is good to discuss the company’s goals, the division or department you work for, the specific project they would be working on (or describe a typical project the department works on), and describe the requirements of the position.
3. Review the Candidate’s Resume
Be prepared with questions about job positions or projects listed on the candidate’s resume. Open the floor, and let all those participating in the interview ask questions. This may be about specific technologies or techniques of interest, corporate culture differences, or specific challenges that were overcome. Give the candidate the chance to show what they have done.
4. .Net Trivia
This section of the interview should be driven by your technical gurus. Getting the people involved that your candidate would work with, and giving them ownership of the interview process, gives them buy-in on the decision. The purpose of these questions is to judge the specific experiences of the candidate. They are not intended as the be all and end all of measuring knowledge, but should be geared to give you the interviewer a good handle of what the candidate has seen or done.
5. HTML / JavaScript / CSS Questions
It is not uncommon for .Net developers to be lacking in experience when it comes to HTML, Cascading Style Sheets and JavaScript. Any good web developer will need to know these thing, however. If you are hiring for web development work, be sure to cover the basics, and make sure they understand how these all blend together.
6. General Interviewing Questions
In most cases, your candidate will not be working alone. Understanding how they work on a team is critical to their success, and yours, after they are hired. This is your opportunity to ask non-technical questions that focus on personality, teamwork, flexibility, communication, project management, leadership, and responsibility.
7. Whiteboard Questions
Ask your candidate questions that make them get up in front of a group, diagram their ideas, and explain why his ideas are the right approach. This will show you what the candidate is like when speaking in front of other people, like clients or project managers. You see their communication and persuasion skills, as well as their technical ability and diagram skills.
8. Puzzles & Riddles
This is a fun part of the interview. Be sure the candidate is relaxed, and make sure they understand that they are not expected to get the questions right. You give them a riddle or a puzzle, and have them talk through their thought process. This will give you an opportunity to see their creative, out-of-the-box thinking potential.
9. Questions from the Candidate
Expect questions from the candidate. If they have no questions for you, there may be cause for concern. They are not thinking very hard about what you have told them and about what might be coming next for them.
10. Wrap Up
Thank the candidate for their time. If possible, give them an idea about when they or their consulting company will hear back from you. Walk them back to the receptionist, and ask if they need any directions. Again, this will let you see how far in advance they have thought, how much hand-holding they will need, and how much they can think independently.
So what do you think of these steps? Are there things that I have missed that should be covered? What do you do differently (or the same) that you find valuable?
