Finding an ideal technical candidate for a job placement can be a difficult feat for any recruiter. Interviewing such a candidate is not an easy job. Even the most experienced managers find the task quite daunting. It is nothing to be embarrassed about because it is a vulnerable position to be in.
You are essentially responsible for interviewing technical candidates which is possibly beyond your scope. Therefore, before getting into any technicalities, make sure that a candidate's personal career goals align with the company's mission.
Each company has a defined way of conducting technical interviews
Recently the amalgam of these strategies has emerged. One of them is to ask the candidate to evaluate themselves following their benchmarking criteria. Thus, sparing you any embarrassment of pretending that you understand the technical nature of their job.
Additionally, this will also provide you with enough information to make an evaluative recommendation. This recommendation shall be based on a candidate's self-analysis of his qualifications, potential of career progression and history of achievements and shortcomings.
The road to interviewing a technical candidate can be perilous. However, that does not mean there aren't steps that can be taken to make the trip a bit easier. The first obstacle on this journey is understanding the technical position you are interviewing for.
This is especially an important step when you don't have the expertise to fulfill specific roles.Thus, you should know why the company needs a front-end, back-end, or full-stack developer for a certain position.
Recruiters should be aware of the skills and experience needed for an ideal candidate. For example, you are interviewing a candidate for the position of lab technician. You should be aware that the job entails gene sequencing, which is crucial to your team.
The interview should start somewhat as follows
Hello ABC, as an HR manager in this company, my job is to focus on the administration of the lab. I have a degree in Gene Pathology. However, I don't have enough knowledge about gene-sequencing techniques. Therefore, I would appreciate it if you can answer my questions in layman's terms and teach me what you're doing.
Would that be all right with you?" After that, you can ask the candidate to evaluate themselves self-according to their benchmark. Make sure you let the Technical candidate help you assess their skills. This can be done by asking certain self-rating questions.
An example of this can be, "On a scale of 1 to5, how do you rate yourself from a technical standpoint?" Once they rank themselves, a follow-up question should be asking behind the rationale for the ranking. Additionally, if they rate themselves below 5, ask them what would make them a 5?
In conclusion, as a recruiter, you will have gotten enough information from the interview. Now you have to measure the gap between the excellent credentials and this candidate's background. Thus, making the hiring decision a little easier.
Overall, developing a smooth recruiting process can simplify the whole interviewing process. Technical recruiters should constantly update their interview process. This can help them evolve with the industry demand for various tech talent roles inside their organization.
