Evaluating a software engineer’s technical skills can be challenging, especially if you’re not a technical expert yourself. However, there are some key aspects that you can look for to assess their competence, creativity, and collaboration. Here are some tips on what to look for when you’re reviewing a software engineer’s work, portfolio, or performance.
The quality of a software engineer’s code reflects their attention to detail, readability, and efficiency. You can look for indicators such as consistent formatting, clear naming conventions, proper indentation, comments, and documentation. You can also check how they handle errors, exceptions, and edge cases, and how they test and debug their code. Additionally, you can evaluate their use of design patterns, data structures, algorithms, and frameworks, and how they optimize their code for performance, security, and scalability.
Code quality entails examining how well-written and organized their code is, whether it's easy to understand and maintain, and if it adheres to best practices and coding standards. Think of it like checking the craftsmanship of a piece of furniture—high-quality code is like a well-crafted piece that's sturdy, functional, and built to last. It should be clean, efficient, and free from errors, demonstrating the engineer's proficiency and attention to detail. By prioritizing code quality in your evaluation, you can ensure that the engineer's contributions are valuable and contribute to the overall success of the project.
If you don't know what to look for in engineer's technical skills, what business do you have evaluating him?! Just let someone who knows engineering do that.
En la ingeniería de software hay puntos importante a considerar: - Tiene considerar la metodología y ciclo de desarrollo de software. - Los requerimientos funcionacionales y no funcionales deben ser lo mas conceptual y robusto posible. - Las pruebas de calidad de software puede ser validados por caja negra y caja blanca.
A software engineer’s problem-solving skills show their ability to analyze, decompose, and solve complex and novel challenges. You can look for evidence of how they approach a problem, what steps they take to understand the requirements, what assumptions they make, what tools and methods they use, and how they validate and communicate their solutions. You can also assess their creativity, logic, and critical thinking by giving them hypothetical scenarios, puzzles, or coding exercises, and observing how they tackle them.
This goes without saying that Problem Solving is the derivative if and only if one has good reading and comprehension ability! The more keen we read a requirement - our ability to comprehend and visualise a draft of the ask and design a prototype in our BRAIN’s RAM will immediately start popping up queries and scribbling of our thoughts- there will be scratching off and more scribbling- but that’s the healthy intention and absolutely what we are aiming to do next - Understanding the ASK & Problem Solving IT!
My interviews I'd always start with a deliberately vague coding task, that is rather simple once you clear all the unknowns. The goal is to see how they treat the unknown, how they take assumptions, ask for clarifications, or pretend it doesn't matter (worse case).
A software engineer’s project management skills demonstrate their planning, organization, and execution of software projects. You can look for signs of how they define the scope, goals, and deliverables of a project, how they estimate the time, resources, and costs involved, how they prioritize and manage tasks, and how they track and report progress. You can also review their portfolio, GitHub profile, or previous work samples to see the types, sizes, and complexities of the projects they have completed or contributed to.
A software engineer’s communication skills indicate their ability to collaborate, explain, and document their work. You can look for examples of how they communicate with different audiences, such as clients, stakeholders, users, managers, and peers, using various channels, such as emails, reports, presentations, or code reviews. You can also evaluate their listening, feedback, and persuasion skills by asking them questions, giving them constructive criticism, or challenging their opinions.
Communication is everything! Worth knowing the concept of the "two pizza team" widely attributed to Jeff Bezos. The idea is that teams should be small enough that they can be fed with two pizzas. The philosophy behind this is to keep teams small to encourage efficiency, flexibility, and better communication.
Communication in any form oral, written, web, pictorial etc is the key to solutions and resolutions in any relationship between people , businesses, systems etc! As a Software Professional we ought to clarify each and every aspect or doubts we have when we come across a problem statement or a requirement! You may think that you may look stupid reaching out to answer questions right from day 1 of reading through requirements- but such questions often provide much insight and depth of the knowledge of the ask, thus not misleading to directions that do align with the ask , and we ought to encourage a culture to clarify concepts and not to spoonfeed solutions!
A software engineer’s learning ability reflects their curiosity, motivation, and adaptability to learn new skills, technologies, and best practices. You can look for indicators of how they keep up with the latest trends, developments, and innovations in the software industry, how they seek out new opportunities, resources, and mentors to learn from, and how they apply their learning to improve their work. You can also ask them about their current or future learning goals, interests, and projects.
While interviewing people for Upwork, one of my goals was to find something rather simple that the candidate didn't know (even if that thing is not crucial for the role). And then I'd evaluate two things: 1. how they behave when they don't know the answer 2. I guide them to look up the answer online, then after reading about it, they should close the browser and tell me in their own words what they've learned.
Ask them to show a project they are most proud of. An interview is always a situation induced by stress, and there is nothing better than giving the candidate a hand to relax and feel confident. Talking about a previous project allows you to understand the nuances of what went well and what could have been handled better. Ultimately, a candidate's suitability is best measured within the specific context of their intended role. Rejection is merely a prompt to pursue the next opportunity.
In my experience we should inculcate the habit to review, to do impact analysis and revise above necessary pointers accordingly! The way we self introspect ourselves to realise where we lack and how we are working towards betterment- similar lines of habit as a software professional ensures your commitment towards a problem statement - to see it go through at each level seamlessly and putting in essential but smart efforts!
Walk candidate thru unfamiliar building or outdoors space, see if they can find way back. Spacial awareness is a trait of good software developers. Another one - talk about musical instruments they play.