Building a successful tech team: Conducting Comprehensive Interviews (2 of 5)

You're putting up a fantastic tech team and want to make sure you have the proper people that not only have the essential technical skills but also thrive in communication, problem-solving, and teamwork. In this post, we'll look at how to assess technical talents, analyze communication and collaboration abilities, and create clear expectations for your tech team. You can create a high-performing team that fosters innovation and delivers long-term success by concentrating on five important areas.

Assessing Technical Skills and Problem-Solving Abilities

Crucial ?! Absolutely!!!

if you haven’t already seen what it means to hire a candidate that has below the required technical skills, you’re in for a treat, long hours of wasted time them escaping you because they don’t know what to do with the problem at hand or making everybody else on the team busy just trying to help them (which can be a step up from the first scenario), however still includes a lot of time wasted not only for them but also for other members in the team.

There are a variety of techniques that you can employ to make sure you’re not missing out on technical skills and problem solving, just to name a few:

• Always have a technical assessment in place: make it relevant to the technology you’re assessing (programming language, framework, design patterns, etc.), to the industry you’re in and the logical problems your candidates are usually going to face.
• At least a third of the interview should be spent on questions that gauge the depth of their knowledge about your chosen stack.
• Present them with real world or hypothetical challenges from your industry; observe their approach to solving the issue, how they break down complex problems and the steps they take to arrive to the solutions, how optimized these steps are?, huh!!
• Validate their previous experience if it’s relevant to your chosen technology; ask them to provide examples - in code please - of projects they have worked on, their role in those projects, and the outcomes they achieved.

Setting the bar for the technical skills that your team needs is a productivity heaven that’s not the only determining factor, there has to be other things in place, so here’s the next piece of the buzzle.

Evaluating Communication and Collaboration Skills

Technical skills alone aren't sufficient for a successful tech team. Effective communication and collaboration are even more important.

There’s a saying that gets repeated over and over again in tech and none tech communities for that matter:

"Having average technical skills but exceptional communication skills can make all the difference in a tech team. While technical skills can be learned and improved over time, effective communication is essential for collaboration, problem-solving, and driving successful outcomes.”

… or something along those lines.

Evaluate candidates' communication skills during interviews to validate their ability to articulate complex ideas and concepts. Look for clues:

• Are they actively listening? - waiting for your to finish, they give it some thought and then answer
• Are they structured and have an organized thinking process while providing their answers ?
• Can they sense voice tonality ? body gestures? (if applicable)
• Are they engaged ? or the whole interview is just another chore for them.
• Can they be empathetic ?
• and of course the usual drill; behavioral questions ? give examples from past experience ? can they provide evidence too - we don’t anyone lying there, do we?

As a general tip; Ask Open-Ended Questions to Gauge Experience and Expertise

Open-ended questions are valuable tools for understanding a candidate's experience and expertise. Encourage candidates to share specific examples of challenges they've faced, solutions they've implemented, and lessons they've learned. These questions provide insights into their problem-solving abilities, decision-making skills, and depth of experience. By asking open-ended questions, you can gain a better understanding of a candidate's thought process and their potential fit within your team.

Incorporate Cultural Fit Behavioral Interviews

A tech team's success is heavily influenced by culture. Behavioral questions are the most efficient way that is suitable for an interview setup that can?be used to examine a candidate's alignment with your company's values, work culture, and team dynamics. Inquire about their work ethic, adaptability, and capacity to thrive in the environment of your team. You may uncover individuals that not only have technical talents but also align with your team's values and contribute positively to its growth by evaluating cultural fit. win!!!

Set Clear Expectations from the beginning

No place is better than the interview for this .. after that I’m afraid it’s mostly too late.

Clear expectations are the foundation for a successful tech team. Communicate openly with your potential candidate about their roles, responsibilities, goals, and deadlines. Ensure they have a clear understanding of your expectations for their performance and contribution. make sure they come from an environment where feedback and guidance were provided regularly to help them align their efforts with team objectives. By setting clear expectations, you create a focused and motivated team that understands its purpose and works collectively towards achieving common goals.

Finally, by evaluating potential candidates?holistically and developing a collaborative and goal-oriented team culture, you build the framework for long-term success. Building an outstanding tech team is about more than just individual abilities; it's about creating a supportive and unified atmosphere that allows every team member to thrive.

Have you had difficulty assessing talents or setting expectations for your tech team? In your hiring process, how do you prioritize collaboration and communication? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments section below, and let's continue the conversation.

Don't forget to check out the other articles in our series on building a successful tech team!