Hiring guide

About {role_name}

Job description

Source and shortlist candidates

Structured interview

Progression and salary

Where can you find qualified {role_name}?

Professional network
- Leverage your professional network and reach out to former colleagues, industry peers, and tech community members to ask for referrals.
Educational Institutions:
- Universities and Tech Schools: Partner with institutions that offer advanced degrees in computer science, IT management, or software engineering. Host webinars or workshops to attract potential candidates.
- Bootcamps: Some coding bootcamps focus on DevOps and CI/CD practices, which are highly relevant to the Release Manager role. Example: General Assembly, Ironhack.
Company Career Pages:
- Posting job openings on your company’s career page is a direct way to attract candidates who are specifically interested in your company.
Role-Specific Job Boards:
- DevOps Jobs Board: A specialized job board for DevOps and release management roles. DevOps Jobs Board
- Technojobs: UK-based job board with categories for DevOps and release management positions. Technojobs
- Dice: Focuses on technology jobs in the US, including release management roles. Dice
Geography-Specific Job Boards:
- In the US:
  - Indeed: A popular job board for finding a wide range of tech talent. Indeed
  - Glassdoor: Provides insights into company culture and allows you to post jobs to attract top candidates. Glassdoor
- In India:
  - Naukri: One of India’s largest job portals, ideal for tech roles. Naukri
  - Shine: Another prominent job board in India. Shine
- In UAE & KSA:
  - Bayt: A leading job portal in the Middle East. Bayt
  - GulfTalent: Focused on roles in the Gulf region, including tech positions. GulfTalent
  - Whitecarrot.io
- For Remote Positions:
  - We Work Remotely: A job board specializing in remote roles, including tech management positions. We Work Remotely
  - Remote OK: Another platform dedicated to remote job listings. Remote OK

What are the best practices for headhunting {role_name}?

Targeted Outreach: When reaching out to potential candidates, personalize your messages by highlighting how their experience aligns with the specific needs of the Release Manager role in your company. Mention key projects or technologies they have worked with that are relevant to the role.
Leverage Employee Referrals: Encourage your current employees, especially those in technical roles, to refer candidates. Employee referrals often yield high-quality candidates who fit well within the company culture.
Industry Events and Conferences: Participate in or sponsor industry-specific events and conferences focused on DevOps, CI/CD, and software delivery. These events are excellent opportunities to connect with potential candidates.
Use Social Media: Utilize platforms like Twitter and LinkedIn to post about your company’s culture, challenges, and successes in software delivery. Engaging content can attract passive candidates who are not actively job searching.

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How to shortlist candidates?

Once you have started to get applications from applicants, a thorough screening process and shortlisting of prospects will help you make the most of your time spent with the most qualified ones.

Automated shortlisting tools :

Automated screening quickly filters out unqualified candidates, saving time for manual review. This allows the manual process to focus on the most promising candidates, ensuring the best ones are considered for further evaluation.

Screening questions to auto-shortlist based on predefined criteria

like qualifications, location, experience, and skills. Either use job board or use an ATS such as whitecarrot. Here are some questions for {role_name}

How many years of experience do you have with CI/CD pipeline management?
- Auto-Reject Criteria: Less than 2 years.
How many years of experience do you have with release management tools like Jenkins, Bamboo, or Octopus Deploy?
- Auto-Reject Criteria: Less than 1 year.
Are you located within [specified location] or willing to work remotely?
- Auto-Reject Criteria: Not located within the specified region and unwilling to work remotely.

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Skill based question to auto shortlist candidate

Analyze the skill test data to automatically shortlist top-performing applicants. (recommended screening test time - 15 minutes). Here are some skill test questions for {role_name}

CI/CD Pipeline Management

Question 1: What is the primary purpose of a CI/CD pipeline?
- Options:
  - a) To automate the building, testing, and deployment of code.
  - b) To manage version control.
  - c) To handle customer support queries.
  - d) To monitor production servers.
- Correct Answer: a) To automate the building, testing, and deployment of code.
Question 2: Which CI/CD tool would you use to integrate with cloud platforms like AWS or Azure?
- Options:
  - a) Jenkins
  - b) GitHub Actions
  - c) Bamboo
  - d) All of the above
- Correct Answer: d) All of the above
Question 3: What is a "pipeline" in the context of CI/CD?
- Options:
  - a) A network communication method.
  - b) A series of automated processes that move code from development to production.
  - c) A method for logging system errors.
  - d) A technique for managing databases.
- Correct Answer: b) A series of automated processes that move code from development to production.

Release Management Tools

Question 1: Which of the following tools is NOT typically used for release management?
- Options:
  - a) Octopus Deploy
  - b) Bamboo
  - c) Trello
  - d) Jenkins
- Correct Answer: c) Trello
Question 2: How does Octopus Deploy differ from Jenkins in release management?
- Options:
  - a) Octopus Deploy is primarily focused on deployment, while Jenkins is more focused on continuous integration.
  - b) Jenkins can only be used for testing.
  - c) Octopus Deploy handles version control better than Jenkins.
  - d) Jenkins is used exclusively for cloud deployments.
- Correct Answer: a) Octopus Deploy is primarily focused on deployment, while Jenkins is more focused on continuous integration.
Question 3: What is a "release pipeline" in Octopus Deploy?
- Options:
  - a) A pipeline that automates code testing.
  - b) A sequence of stages that define the deployment of an application.
  - c) A tool for managing project timelines.
  - d) A method for integrating Git with Octopus.
- Correct Answer: b) A sequence of stages that define the deployment of an application.

Deployment Processes

Question 1: What is a "blue-green deployment" strategy?
- Options:
  - a) A method where two identical production environments are used to reduce downtime.
  - b) A strategy to minimize environmental impact in data centers.
  - c) A method for testing new features in isolation.
  - d) A color-coding system for version control.
- Correct Answer: a) A method where two identical production environments are used to reduce downtime.
Question 2: Which of the following best describes a "canary release"?
- Options:
  - a) Gradually rolling out a new software version to a small subset of users before a full deployment.
  - b) A method of version control.
  - c) A technique for load testing.
  - d) A process of reverting to an older software version.
- Correct Answer: a) Gradually rolling out a new software version to a small subset of users before a full deployment.
Question 3: What role does "rollback" play in deployment?
- Options:
  - a) It’s a step that archives old deployment logs.
  - b) It reverts a system to a previous stable version in case of deployment failure.
  - c) It’s a method of merging different code branches.
  - d) It’s a tool for monitoring deployment success.
- Correct Answer: b) It reverts a system to a previous stable version in case of deployment failure.

Note - Auto reject candidates if scores less than 70% in this section

One way video interview

Use tools like hirevue, whitecarrot.io to ask candidates pre-recorded questions about their experience and skills.

Use sample question given in scorecard.

Collect other information

Collect data from shortlisted candidates, such as salary expectations and visa status.

Manual candidate profile shortlisting:

Thoroughly review the CVs of the top scoring candidates from the automated process

Look for evidence of the required skills, experience, and achievements

Review the candidate’s portfolio or GitHub repositories to see examples of their work.

Schedule recruiter calls with the candidate

Use a tool like calendly or whitecarrot to allow candidates to self-schedule calls based on your availability

Confirm the call details (date, time, dial-in info) with the candidate via email

What questions to ask in the recruiter phone screen?

Use scorecard for rating candidates for recruiter

Sample scorecard :

Criteria	Sample Question	Rating (1-5)
Technical Expertise	Describe your experience with CI/CD pipeline management. What tools have you used, and how do you implement them?
Problem-Solving Skills	How do you handle situations where a release causes unexpected issues in production?
Communication Skills	How do you ensure effective communication between different teams during a release cycle?
Cultural Fit	What do you value most in a workplace culture, and how do you contribute to it?
Time Management	Can you describe a time when you had to manage multiple releases simultaneously? How did you prioritize tasks?

Check for consistency in responses from the candidates.

Record such scorecards in an ATS like whitecarrot or use google doc

How to source and shortlist {role_name}

Hiring guide

Where can you find qualified {role_name}?

What are the best practices for headhunting {role_name}?

How to shortlist candidates?

Automated shortlisting tools :

Screening questions to auto-shortlist based on predefined criteria

Skill based question to auto shortlist candidate

CI/CD Pipeline Management

Release Management Tools

Deployment Processes

One way video interview

Collect other information

Manual candidate profile shortlisting:

Schedule recruiter calls with the candidate

What questions to ask in the recruiter phone screen?

Hiring guide