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Hiring for IT talent is witnessing a paradigm change, which the interviewer must recognize and adapt. More than what interviewees say, it is essential to listen closely to how they say it. Besides a deep inquiry into their technical skills, candidates must also be judged based on their soft skills, such as initiative and collaboration abilities.   

The below listed 15 questions, a mix of technical and situational/behavioral questions, help you determine a match of the candidate's potential technical skills required to succeed at the job with added interpersonal skills to thrive in your company. 

1. How updated are you with the current technology skills? 

Given that the developments in the Tech space are fast-paced and highly dynamic, it would be advisable to gauge the candidate's enthusiasm for the profession and enquire about their professional product. There are various avenues to upskill by reading blogs and forums, taking online courses, joining hackathons, and plugging away at personal IT projects. They also have abundant sources of getting reputable industry news. There's no wrong or correct answer to this question, but it does give you a window into the operating system, so to speak, of the candidate. 

2. How would you converse IT products to someone with limited tech skills? 

Translating technical jargon into plain simple language that a non-technical person can understand is an important skill. Not only does it amplify the ability of the candidate's articulation skill, but it also helps to get a feel for the candidate's understanding of core concepts.  

3. What is the most crucial strength a developer should have?  

The response to this question could provide a peak into the candidate's contribution to this position, other than the technical aspects. If the response includes analytical, problem-solving, communication, and other soft skills, the candidate is far more capable of being successful.  

4. What technology pieces do you like and dislike, and why? 

Let them discuss their software, hardware, and operating systems knowledge. Read the emotional feeling of being excited or having a sense of pride in their talk about a few pieces and gloom about others. Check if your organization's technology matches their excitement, determining the candidate's adaption if recruited. Also, when you enquire about the reason for their liking, you will be able to gauge their attention to detail and ability to appreciate something they feel is good explicitly. 

5. What are the pros and cons of working in an Agile environment? 

Every IT organization today has embraced a form of 'Agile' working. Agile working is the most preferred method, which advocates frequent short meetings, feedback, collaboration, and communication. A candidate's approach to this question will determine their acceptability and attitude toward such a work environment. Someone having a negative view that is not aligned with the organization's way of working may be harmful to be onboarded.   

6. Do you see advances in technology adversely affecting your job? 

As mentioned earlier, technology is rapidly evolving and disrupting many fields of work. A techie should be swift enough to learn, adapt and apply new technologies that are introduced. Whether a candidate gets overwhelmed by the speed and complexity of change or is self-motivated to upskill and be abreast of the changes will determine how the candidate perceives their role over the long term. 

7. Have you contributed to building a solution to a social problem?  

Someone, who is attentive to things happening around them and has a passion for contributing to society by solving a social problem using technology, speaks about their motivation, interests, and problem-solving skills. It is also an activity where you interact with people from other walks of life and learn non-technical aspects. One's proactive and selfless contribution will prove the candidate's compassionate nature and natural team player ability.  

8. What are your views on the quality of a successful leader? 

Often Tech assignments seek immediate leaders, and the opportunity springs up without notice. Hiring a candidate who can take up responsibility for delivering projects and possesses leadership skills such as motivation, positive thinking, delegation, and communication is an advantage.  

9. What do you think a remote worker's skills should be?  

In this hybrid work scenario, remote working has raised several positive and negative challenges. It will be interesting to get a perspective of the candidate's view on this, as it could be that the candidate will have to work remotely or manage a team that will work remotely. Either way, the candidate must be productive and comfortable in a hybrid working scenario.  

10. How will you manage your work-life balance in a hybrid working environment? 

Like any other industry, in Tech too, employees commit while working from home. With multiple pressing deadlines, some workers need help with their field's always-on culture. A candidate should be able to stay within the strange strain of small projects. While you want dedicated team members, you do not wish the employee to be burnt out. Hence managing work deadlines without compromising one's social and health attributes is essential to maintain a work-life balance. 

11. Why do you want this job? 

Post-pandemic, candidates look for what the employer has to offer beyond 'pay hikes.' They study the company's values, products, and services, approach to technology, and how they find the right fit for the role. This also helps them to prepare well for the interview. The response to this question will assess a candidate's ability to slow down, zoom out, and see the big picture.  

12. What are your unique skills for this role? 

This is the opportunity to test the candidate's genuine interest in the role by assessing how closely they read the original posting. If the candidate can respond by justifying their application to the position by describing their skills aligned to the ask, you may have the right fit. 

13. Describe your way of laying a quality control Process. 

As they envisage it, a description of the QC process will provide a glimpse of their process, vision, deadlines, engagement, and control of the whole activity.   While every company will have its process, it would be interesting to know if it could have succeeded in the candidate's earlier experience.  

14. Was learning to program your passion?  

The objective of asking this is not to test the candidate's technical understanding of programming but to the sincerity of the candidate's interest. The cadence, tone, and details they choose to include will determine the genuineness of their response. New hires that have a passion for their work tend to outlast those who just got the job to have a job. 

15. What do you see as the biggest challenge facing the Tech Industry Today? 

An intriguing question that seeks to ask the breadth of their information gathering through various information channels. Although the challenge may differ, it reveals the candidate's logical thinking, analytical mind, and foresight.  

In the end, ask candidates if they have any questions to ask. This is not only beneficial to applicants — it also clues you into what matters to them. Especially after the pandemic, the candidate's choice of employment is not just limited to better pay. Their answers to your questions and the questions they ask should give you a relatively clear picture of whether you'd like to hire them.