The interview is a critical step in the hiring process. It's where you gather the in-depth insights needed to determine if a candidate is the right fit for the position and identify any major red flags.
During the conversation, the goal is not only to evaluate the candidate's technical expertise but also to assess their soft skills. This comprehensive understanding helps ensure you make the best hiring decision.
In this article, we’ll discuss the key red flags when interviewing, the main points to focus on throughout the process, and strategies to get the most value of this important stage.
Identifying a candidate’s strengths during the interview helps clarify the value they can bring to the team. On the other hand, addressing red flags allows you to determine whether they are manageable or if they represent a valid reason not to hire the candidate.
The interview also provides an opportunity to distinguish between skilled professionals with a stagnant mindset and less experienced candidates who are eager to develop and advance in their careers.
This distinction is critical because a poor hiring decision can affect the entire team. One misaligned hire can gradually impact productivity, collaboration, and overall morale.
Likewise, bringing on a professional who is unmotivated, resistant to growth, or disconnected with the company’s goals can gradually harm team dynamics.
This leads to decreased productivity, missed deadlines, the spread of bad habits, and even a toxic work culture.
Here are some warning signs to look out for during the interview:
Although it’s not the only factor, enthusiasm plays an important role in employee motivation, not just in technology, but in any field. When a professional lacks passion for what they do, the likelihood of them becoming demotivated over time increases substantially.
That’s why it’s important to pay close attention and dig deeper when you notice red flags when interviewing like:
Senior developers should be able to discuss their past projects with technical expertise and clearly articulate their specific contributions to the final outcomes.
Be cautious of generic responses, as well as difficulty providing concrete examples of their work. These could be signs that the candidate lacks the level of mastery or self-awareness expected for a senior role.
Effective communication is crucial for all teams, mainly for remote ones. Poor communication can result in misalignment, delays, and even conflicts among team members.
That’s why it’s important to evaluate whether the candidate can express themselves clearly, provide direct answers to questions, and explain technical concepts in an understandable way.
Feedback is a powerful tool for team development, but it needs to flow effectively in both directions to be impactful. Managers must know how to provide the right kind of feedback for each situation, and employees must be open to receiving it and applying it to their growth.
During the interview, try to gauge how the candidate responds when asked about situations where they’ve faced failure and how they handled challenges in the past.
Red flags may arise if the candidate is unable to provide an example of a failure or becomes defensive, claiming, for instance, that they’ve never made a mistake.
Changing jobs is a natural part of any professional's career, just as periods of unemployment can occur, especially during times of crisis or changes. This can happen when companies shift their ways of working or when a developer needs to relocate, for example.
However, red flags arise when a candidate has frequent job changes within short periods but can't provide clear reasons for these transitions. If this happens, it's important to dig deeper, as it could signal a lack of commitment, instability, or misaligned expectations on the part of the candidate.
Developers who focus too much on specific tools or languages may struggle to adapt to new strategies and processes, which can hinder the team's ability to solve problems effectively.
During the interview, evaluate whether the candidate understands that problem-solving should be the priority, even if it means adapting to new tools or approaches.
No matter how skilled a professional is, there's always room for growth, especially in the tech field, where tools and processes evolve rapidly. A skilled dev today could become outdated tomorrow if they don't prioritize continuous learning.
Ask the candidate how they approach ongoing learning and what steps they take to stay up to date. Be cautious if they can't provide practical examples of development activities, such as attending events, taking courses, giving talks, self-study, reading, and so on.
A growth-oriented professional will contribute to the development of both the team and the company, while an experienced but stagnant professional will quickly outgrow their skills.
It’s important to recognize the differences between the two:
To identify candidates who are eager to grow, both personally and as part of the team, ask questions like:
Growth-oriented candidates are typically adaptable to new tools and processes, and they're not afraid to take on new challenges. They focus on problem-solving rather than on defending the methods they’re familiar with.
To gain insights into these qualities, you can ask questions like:
In tech teams, especially development teams, collaborating effectively is crucial for maintaining a positive company culture. Planning meetings, sprints, daily and weekly check-ins, and other team rituals are key to keeping the team running smoothly.
With that in mind, try to assess whether the candidate understands the value of teamwork and feels comfortable working with others. During the interview, ask questions like:
Keep in mind that warning signs are inevitable, and that's completely normal. During the interview, the goal should be to dig deeper into these signs to understand what will truly influence your decision when it comes to hiring the candidate.
Here are some tips:
Go beyond just questions about technical knowledge. Often, red flags emerge in the behavioral aspects.
Ask questions like "Can you describe a time when you faced a technical challenge and how you overcame it?" or "Tell me about a project where you had to work with a cross-functional team."
Look for concrete examples of the candidate's actions and decision-making in their responses.
It’s natural for candidates to feel nervous during job interviews, as they know it could impact their future.
That’s why it’s important to do your part in helping the candidate feel at ease by taking small steps, such as breaking the ice with a light question or a casual comment.
In a relaxed environment, the candidate is likely to open up candidly about their strengths and weaknesses, giving you better insights for your assessment.
However, be cautious: if you've done your part to create a friendly and interview environment and the candidate is still overly nervous. Struggling to maintain eye contact or fidgeting excessively, for example. This could indicate they’re hiding something or dealing with an issue that warrants further exploration.
Another effective hiring strategy is to complement the interview with a technical assessment or take-home coding challenge.
This approach allows you to see firsthand how the candidate performs in real-world situations and gives you a better sense of their potential for growth.
When using this strategy, keep the test reasonable in scope.
Anything that takes more than 4–5 hours to complete may create a negative impression of your company and discourage the candidate from moving forward in the process.
Use the conversation to discuss the test and get further insight on how the candidate chose to deal with the issue and complete the assignment.
It's natural to notice warning signs during the hiring process, so focus on determining whether they are isolated issues or skills that can be developed, or if they represent inherent traits that are incompatible with the position you're looking to fill.
Pay attention to candidates who don’t answer your questions directly, give overly general responses, or fail to provide practical examples. Be especially cautious with candidates who have a history of frequent job changes and can’t clearly explain why, as well as those who show little interest in coding or your company.
Identifying these issues early in the hiring process can save you valuable time and resources in the long run. Lastly, remember to always balance the technical assessment with the behavioral evaluation. This approach will help you develop an effective strategy for making the ideal hire.
Take the opportunity to explore stories of companies that have successfully used Strider in their hiring process and discover how your company can benefit as well.