Work sample test and structured interview for {role_name}

After shortlisting, assess candidates' skills with a work sample task, followed by an assessment and thorough evaluation.

How to structure the interview to assess skills and cultural fit for {role_name}

Work sample test (Home assignment)

Recruitment Bullet

Assess the candidate’s practical skills by assigning a real-world task similar to the work they would do if hired.

  • Title: Develop a Scalable Software Architecture for a High-Traffic Web Application
  • Objective: Evaluate the candidate’s ability to design a robust, scalable architecture for a web application with anticipated high traffic. This tests their understanding of cloud infrastructure, microservices, and CI/CD pipelines.
  • Requirements:
    • Create a detailed architectural design for a web application that needs to scale to handle millions of users.
    • Use a cloud platform (e.g., AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud) to build the infrastructure.
    • Provide documentation that includes the following:
      • Overview of the architecture and justification for the chosen design.
      • Details on handling scalability, fault tolerance, and security.
      • Plan for continuous integration and delivery (CI/CD) using DevOps practices.
      • Explanation of the team structure required to build and maintain the solution.
  • Time Frame: 4-5 days to complete.

Questions based on home assignment : 

Recruitment Bullet

Once done with work sample test evaluate the candidate’s technical proficiency based on the work sample task.

Technical questions

Recruitment Bullet

Duration : 10 minutes/question

  • How did you ensure that the architecture you designed can scale to meet demand?
    • Expected Answer: The candidate should discuss how the system can handle increased traffic using autoscaling, load balancing, and containerization technologies like Kubernetes.
    • Sample Answer: "I used AWS with autoscaling groups to ensure the web application can handle spikes in traffic. The architecture includes load balancers to distribute traffic, and the application is containerized using Docker and orchestrated with Kubernetes to enable horizontal scaling."
  • What considerations did you take for ensuring fault tolerance and high availability in your design?
    • Expected Answer: Mention redundancy, data replication, failover strategies, and distributed databases.
    • Sample Answer: "I implemented redundancy by using multiple availability zones on AWS and replicated the database across regions. If one zone fails, the system can failover to another without downtime, ensuring high availability."
  • What is your approach to CI/CD for this architecture, and how do you ensure smooth deployments?
    • Expected Answer: Focus on automation, testing, and continuous delivery practices, such as using Jenkins or GitLab CI.
    • Sample Answer: "I set up a CI/CD pipeline using Jenkins, which automates testing and deployment. Every code change triggers automated tests, and if they pass, the changes are deployed to the staging environment before going live. This minimizes downtime and ensures safe deployments."

Behavioral questions

Recruitment Bullet

Duration : 10 minutes/question

  • Tell us about a time when you had to manage a software project that was falling behind schedule. How did you get it back on track?
    • Expected Answer: Look for a systematic approach, including team restructuring, reprioritization, and communication with stakeholders.
    • Sample Answer: "In one project, we were delayed due to scope changes. I worked with the product team to reprioritize tasks, reallocated resources, and communicated regularly with stakeholders to manage expectations. We implemented daily check-ins to keep the team aligned, which helped us catch up and deliver on time."
  • Describe a time when you had to manage conflict within your engineering team. How did you handle it?
    • Expected Answer: Demonstrates leadership and conflict resolution skills. The candidate should discuss active listening, mediation, and a fair approach to resolving issues.
    • Sample Answer: "There was a conflict between two senior engineers regarding the best approach to a technical challenge. I brought them together, facilitated a discussion, and ensured that both sides were heard. Ultimately, we agreed to prototype both approaches and test them, letting data drive the decision."
  • How do you prioritize tasks when managing multiple projects and teams with competing deadlines?
    • Expected Answer: Look for prioritization frameworks like OKRs, agile methodologies, and stakeholder communication.
    • Sample Answer: "I use OKRs to prioritize tasks based on company objectives and the impact on product delivery. For ongoing projects, I work closely with product managers and stakeholders to balance deadlines, ensuring that the highest-priority tasks are completed first. Regular status updates and sprints help maintain progress across teams."

How to evaluate and compare candidates after interviews?

After interviews, it's important to evaluate and compare candidates based on a set of predefined criteria.Use scorecard to evaluate each candidate.

Recruitment Bullet

Sample scorecard based on pre-defined criteria. Here’s an example:

Criteria Rating (1-5) Comments
Technical Proficiency Ability to design scalable, fault-tolerant architecture
Problem-Solving Skills Approach to overcoming technical challenges
Leadership and Team Management Ability to lead teams, resolve conflicts, and manage resources
Communication Clarity in explaining technical concepts and strategies
Cultural Fit Alignment with company values and ability to collaborate
Decision-Making Structured approach to making data-driven decisions
Strategic Thinking Ability to align technical strategy with business objectives

"Standardize interviews" – Use our customizable scorecard templates

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What criteria should be used to make the final hiring decision?

Final decisions should be based on the candidate's overall evaluation score, with a focus on important qualifications. Prioritize technical skills above everything else for a {role_name}, but do not forget about communication and cultural fit.

Recruitment Bullet

How to communicate the decision to candidates

Sample offer letter for {role_name}

Subject: Employment Offer – Director of Software Engineering

Dear [Candidate’s Name],

We are pleased to offer you the position of Director of Software Engineering at [Company Name]. We were impressed with your technical expertise, leadership qualities, and vision for scaling software development processes. Here are the details of your offer:

  • Position: Director of Software Engineering
  • Start Date: [Insert Date]
  • Base Salary: [Insert Salary]
  • Benefits: [Insert Benefits Details]

We look forward to having you lead our engineering teams to new heights. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions about the offer.

Best regards,
[Your Name]
[Your Position]
[Company Name]

‍

Sample rejection letter for {role_name}

Subject: Application Status – Director of Software Engineering Position

Dear [Candidate’s Name],

Thank you for taking the time to interview for the Director of Software Engineering role at [Company Name]. After careful consideration, we have decided to move forward with another candidate whose qualifications more closely match the needs of our team.

We greatly appreciate your interest in our company and wish you all the best in your job search.

Best regards,
[Your Name]
[Your Position]
[Company Name]

‍

Hiring guide

About {role_name}

Job description

Source and shortlist candidates

Structured interview

Progression and salary