5 Tech Interview Questions You Should be Asking Your Candidates

A great candidate should offer more than a list of technical qualifications. Asking the right information technology questions during your next round of tech interviews can help you ensure that you’re selecting and hiring candidates that will thrive and grow at your company.

Here are five technology interview questions you should be asking before hiring IT talent:

1. How do you stay current with new technologies and trends?

Technology is always changing, and you want to be hiring tech candidates who are ready, willing and excited to take on new challenges. Their answer may include a regular subscription to an industry publication, side projects, courses, or another form of learning. Either way, hone in on what skills they’re actively learning and how involved they are within the industry. This is also the perfect moment to mention all of the great professional development opportunities they’ll have with your company.

2. Can you tell me about a time when a project or plan didn’t work out the way you anticipated?

No one likes to talk about failures, but they happen—and how an applicant responds to that failure says a lot about them. Look for someone who takes the time to express the thought-process that went into the project, where things went wrong, and most importantly, what they did afterward. You want someone who can quickly bounce back from disappointments, take it as a learning moment and move forward to correct the issue.  By hearing how the applicant handled a failure, you can get a sense for their humility, which is a trait that we feel is important if you have a highly collaborative team environment.

3. How would you explain [insert technology] to someone who isn’t in tech?

When you work in a technical role, good communication is key. Asking a candidate this question not only lets you see how much they know and understand about a particular technology but also how well they will be able to work with the non-technical members on your team. Look for someone who can clearly explain a complex process or technology while avoiding industry jargon and remaining patient during follow-up questions.

4. When given a new project, what is your typical process to ensure it is completed successfully?

Organization is important for any role, but especially for one that may involve a lot of steps and other team members. Asking them about their workflow helps you understand how well they can manage their work, and whether they’d be able to easily adapt to current processes and procedures practiced at your company.

5. What do you think makes a [Insert Technical Position] Successful?

A successful tech candidate possesses many varied skills, experiences, and abilities. Asking each interviewee this question will shed insight on what they value most in their role and where they are most likely to succeed. Their list should include extensive and current technical knowledge, as well as the soft skills, citing good team communication, organizational skills, and the ability to adapt quickly to change and new challenges. Either way, you’ll get a good idea of what they’ll be like to work with, and whether they’d be a good fit on your team.

Hiring tech candidates is time-consuming hard work, which is why we offer impactful and high-value staffing solutions to companies. We put the right person on the right job, so you can move forward with your projects and get the job done.

Are you interested in learning more about hiring the right members for your team? Download our free guide to Talent Acquisition.

Veanne Smith

Veanne Smith serves as the co-CEO and co-founder of SOLTECH – Atlanta’s premier software development, technology consulting and IT staffing firm.

Prior to founding SOLTECH, Veanne spent more than 10 years in the technology industry, where she leveraged her software development and project management skills to attain executive leadership responsibilities for a growing national technology consulting firm. She is passionate about building mutually beneficial long-term relationships, growing businesses, and helping people achieve their personal life goals via rewarding employment opportunities.

Outside of SOLTECH, Veanne is considered a thought leader in Atlanta’s IT community. Currently, she serves on the Advisory Board for The College of Computing and Software Engineering at Kennesaw State University. In addition, Veanne helped launch the AxIO Advisory Council, has been a member of Vistage for 20 years, and created Atlanta Business Impact Radio – a podcast that showcases some of Atlanta’s most innovative businesses and technology professionals.

As an influential figure in the technology and IT staffing industry, Veanne consistently produces insightful articles that address both the opportunities and challenges in IT staffing. Through her writing, she offers valuable tips and advice to businesses seeking to hire technical talent, as well as individuals searching for new opportunities.

She holds a degree in Computer Science from Illinois State University.