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

Work sample test (Home assignment)

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

Title: Build a Simple Platformer Game
Objective: Evaluate the candidate’s ability to design and develop a simple 2D platformer game using Unity or Unreal Engine. The test will assess their understanding of game mechanics, physics, and code quality.
Requirements:
- Create a basic platformer game with a player character that can move, jump, and collect coins.
- Implement basic physics for character movement and gravity.
- Include at least two levels with increasing difficulty.
- Implement a scoring system and a UI that tracks the score.
- Use either Unity (C#) or Unreal Engine (C++) for development.
Time Frame: 5 days to complete the task.

Questions based on home assignment :

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

Technical questions

Duration : 10 minutes/question

How did you implement the character’s jumping mechanic, and how did you account for gravity?
- Expected Answer: The candidate should explain how they used Unity or Unreal’s physics engine to implement jumping, adjusting gravity and jump velocity for a smooth player experience.
- Sample Answer: "In Unity, I used the Rigidbody component to apply forces that simulate jumping and gravity. I adjusted the mass and drag of the character to make sure the jumps felt responsive without being too fast."
How did you handle collisions between the player and the platforms?
- Expected Answer: The candidate should explain their use of collision detection and resolution, such as Unity’s OnCollisionEnter or Unreal’s collision components.
- Sample Answer: "I used Unity’s collision detection by attaching a collider to the platforms and the player. I also wrote a script to detect when the player touches the platform and prevent further downward movement."
What steps did you take to optimize the game for performance?
- Expected Answer: The candidate should discuss strategies like optimizing game objects, reducing draw calls, or using object pooling to improve performance.
- Sample Answer: "I optimized the game by using object pooling for the coin collection and disabling off-screen objects to reduce the load on the physics engine."

Behavioral questions

Duration : 10 minutes/question

Tell me about a time when you had to collaborate with a designer or artist to implement a game feature. How did you ensure smooth communication and integration of their work?
- Expected Answer: The candidate should describe their approach to communication, teamwork, and how they ensured the designer’s vision was implemented in the game.
- Sample Answer: "In my previous role, I worked closely with a designer on character animations. I made sure to meet regularly to align on technical limitations and artistic vision, then implemented the animations in a way that matched the designer’s expectations while maintaining game performance."
Describe a situation where you encountered a major bug or issue in the game development process. How did you approach solving it?
- Expected Answer: The candidate should explain their debugging process, such as isolating the problem, testing different solutions, and implementing the fix.
- Sample Answer: "During one project, I encountered a bug where the player character would occasionally fall through platforms. I isolated the issue by logging collision events and realized it was due to the physics timestep being too low, which I corrected by adjusting the physics settings."
How do you stay up-to-date with the latest trends and technologies in game development?
- Expected Answer: The candidate should describe how they keep themselves informed about industry trends, tools, and best practices, such as attending conferences, following gaming forums, or participating in game jams.
- Sample Answer: "I regularly follow game development forums like Gamasutra, attend local game development meetups, and participate in game jams to stay current with the latest tools and trends in the industry."

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.

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

Criteria	Rating (1-5)	Comments
Technical Skills
Problem-Solving Ability
Game Optimization
Communication Skills
Cultural Fit

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.

How to communicate the decision to candidates

Sample offer letter for {role_name}

Subject: Offer of Employment – Game Developer

Dear [Candidate’s Name],

We are excited to offer you the position of Game Developer at [Company Name]. Your technical expertise, problem-solving skills, and passion for game development make you an excellent fit for our team.

Here are the details of your offer:

Position: Game Developer
Start Date: [Insert Date]
Base Salary: [Insert Salary]
Benefits: [Insert Benefits Information]

We look forward to having you on board and working together to build innovative and exciting games. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions.

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

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Sample rejection letter for {role_name}

Subject: Application Status – Game Developer Position