The below 8 must-ask questions highlight candidate skills that help identify the correct candidate. Technical skills evaluation is the primary focus of recruiting and hiring for IT jobs. Interviews provide a valuable opportunity to contextualize those skills with more personal knowledge about your candidates—if you ask the right questions.
Here are some of the most useful questions you can ask when interviewing tech candidates.
Why are you interested in technology?
This simple-sounding question is a good icebreaker.
Right away, you’ll get information about your candidate’s history in tech. This helps define why they’re driven to pursue employment in this area.
Can you tell me about a tech innovator you admire?
Candidates are essentially telling you about their own goals and values when they talk about who they look up to within their field.
Their answer will demonstrate how they measure success in the tech industry.
How do you use your tech skills outside of work?
When candidates give you a rundown of their tech skills, they’ll usually focus on their professional experience.
The ways they use their skills outside of a work environment can tell you a lot about their strengths and problem-solving abilities.
Sometimes a candidate is a ham radio enthusiast, an amateur web designer, or the unofficial tech support for their family. It will be enlightening to find out how they use technology in their personal life.
What is your approach to security?
It’s critical for any IT professional to understand and use best cybersecurity practices.
Pay attention to how your candidate talks about security, and you’ll gain insight into whether you can rely on them to work with your company’s technology.
What is your role on a team?
Because people in the IT field typically support others, tech positions usually require some level of teamwork.
Even if you’re hiring for a largely independent role, it’s important to know how your candidate sees themselves fitting into your team.
How do you stay up-to-date with tech as it evolves?
IT professionals need to stay plugged into developments within their industry to work at the highest level possible. By identifying how the candidate stays up-to-date, you can ensure they will bring new information to your company.
During the interview, make sure to inquire what steps your candidate takes to stay current on the daily changes to the technology they use.
Can you describe your favorite piece of technology in simple, non-technical terms?
IT support jobs involve much more than grappling with technology. These positions call for a high amount of quick, clear communication about technical topics. By asking this question, you will get an example of how they will explain things on-the-job.
Staffing IT positions with the right people requires you to understand how candidates communicate about technology with people who lack their level of technical knowledge.
What certifications and experience do you have in tech?
It’s important to establish that candidates meet the criteria you’ve set for the position.
However, you may be able to skip this question if you use IT recruiting services. They can screen candidates’ qualifications and interests ahead of time.
Tech placement services from ABBTECH can ensure that the candidates you interview meet your basic requirements and fit your company’s needs. These 8 must-ask questions will be asked and answered by our candidates, by us.
Contact us today and learn more about our nationwide IT placement services.