the 5 questions you didn't know you needed to ask in a tech interview.

When interviewing candidates for a role in the technologies sector, it can be easy to focus on the ‘hard’, technical skills and qualifications that make them suitable (or not!) for the role. However, when speaking to candidates with similar backgrounds and qualifications, it can be useful to ask questions that focus on their softer skills - skills such as communication, problem solving, and empathy.

But why is this? As you’ll be aware, IT and tech teams are a key part of any business: they provide systems and tools that allow employees to work efficiently and effectively whilst allowing companies to report on key aspects of the business. Plus, IT will usually collaborate with almost every department in a company - from accounting and marketing, to HR and operations. This means that to be really successful in a role, candidates must be able to demonstrate skills beyond the technical.

To support hiring managers, we have listed 5 key questions that can be asked in an interview to hone in on those ‘soft’ skills:

• Tell me about a problem you faced at work and how you resolved it
• A key stakeholder changes your project requirements last minute. How do you handle this?
• Give an example of when you have explained a technical process, concept or problem to someone with no technical background
• Give an example of when you have worked well with a colleague outside of your team
• How do you organise your time to meet project deliverables?

Tell me about a problem you faced at work and how you resolved it.

This question focuses on a key skill of a tech worker: problem solving. The most successful workers are usually those who are able to quickly identify problems and come up    with effective solutions to solve them. Rather than focusing on the skills required to fix said problem, this question looks at how the interviewee managed the problem solving process.

This question should allow the candidate to express how they worked with other team members, how they made certain they understood the problem, and how they personally contributed to the solution.

A key stakeholder changes your project requirements last minute. How do you handle this?

By asking a question like this, you are focusing on communication and relationship building. Dealing with requirements that change regularly is a key challenge that many tech workers will face. Candidates’ answers should demonstrate how they deal with change, communicate with others and how they potentially negotiate the terms of the change. If candidates are earlier in their careers and maybe don’t have so much experience, the question can also be applied to other roles or university projects.

Give an example of when you have explained a technical process, concept or problem to someone with no technical background.

Let’s face it: when working in IT, you are bound to have moments where you have to explain something very complex in a way that anyone can understand. This question explores not only communication skills, but candidates’ ability to help others understand processes and approaches that may be helpful to them. By not specifying who the ‘someone with no technical background’ is, you open up the question to some interesting answers - interviewees could choose to focus on family members or friends. 

This question should also allow the candidate to showcase their technical skills, and how they can apply theoretical knowledge into practical insights.

Give an example of when you have worked well with a colleague outside of your team.

This question allows you to delve into whether the candidate understands the pivotal role the tech team plays in the overall business, whilst also focusing on communication skills and ability to collaborate. Depending on the role, the question allows someone to respond with either an example of an internal, or an external relationship.

How do you organise your time to meet project deliverables?

IT by nature involves a lot of project planning, testing, and evaluation. This question will highlight candidates’ exposure to project management software, experience with meeting deadlines, and process for staying updated on project status. Interviewees could answer with either specific software they use, or strategies they find helpful for time management, with focus on an end goal.

We hope you find these questions useful. If you’d like to discuss any of your hiring needs with a member of the team, please reach out today.