I have seen new hires who had solid work experience and did well in technical interviews, but their output remains low even after several months on the job. Have you experienced similar situations? Evaluating motivation and work ethic can be more challenging than assessing skills, but they are often more critical. How would you assess them?
Assessing a candidate and their potential performance in a one-hour interview is challenging. It's also important to remember that a high performer in another company may not necessarily excel in your team due to differences in culture and style. During a behavioral interview, it's crucial to delve into the candidate's responses and ask follow-up questions to gain a thorough understanding of them. Consider asking: - What motivates you at work? - Can you describe a time when you couldn't deliver a project on time? What would you do differently if you could go back? - Describe an instance when you had to come up with a new solution or put in extra effort to meet a project deadline. - How would your team members describe you? Conducting reference checks can also provide valuable insights. Although references might emphasize the candidate's positive traits, asking the right questions can yield useful information: - How would you rate the candidate compared to other engineers you've worked with? Top N%? Why might they not be in the top N%? - When does the candidate become motivated or demotivated? - Would you rehire them? - Why did they leave your company?