Building Great Software Engineering Teams: Recruiting, Hiring, and Managing Your Team from Startup to Success

by Josh Tyler

Here are some specific things to look for: Does the candidate receive and incorporate feedback from the interviewer? If you suggest a way to approach a problem, do they listen? You should be clear that you’re not trying to trap them with trick questions. See how they respond to your feedback and incorporate it into their work. Does the candidate apply things discussed earlier in the interview to subsequent questions or problems? This is a great way for them to demonstrate that they’ve learned something and are receptive to feedback. Does the candidate communicate well and have an active dialogue as you work through problems? Effective communication during the interview suggests that you can look forward to productive work sessions with this person. Is the candidate able to talk about past projects where they’ve tried to learn things beyond strictly what was asked of them? Have they shown that they’re self-motivated to learn, improve, and share knowledge with others?