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: Incident Resolution and Root Cause Analysis
  • Objective: Evaluate the candidate’s ability to manage a production incident, troubleshoot the issue, and conduct a root cause analysis to prevent future occurrences.
  • Requirements:
    • The candidate will be provided with a simulated production environment where a critical service has gone down.
    • They must identify the issue, resolve it, and restore the service within the provided time frame.
    • After resolving the issue, they need to perform a root cause analysis and document their findings and recommendations to prevent future incidents.
    • The candidate must demonstrate the use of monitoring tools and scripts to troubleshoot and resolve the issue.
  • Time Frame: 3 hours

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

  • Question: How did you identify the root cause of the incident in the work sample task, and what tools did you use to troubleshoot the issue?
    • Expected Answer: The candidate should describe their troubleshooting process, including the use of monitoring tools (e.g., Splunk, Nagios) and scripts to diagnose the issue.
    • Sample Answer: “I used Nagios to monitor system health and identify that the service was down due to a memory leak. I then used Splunk to analyze logs and confirm the root cause. I fixed the issue by restarting the service and updating the configuration to prevent future memory leaks.”
  • Question: How do you prioritize incidents when multiple production issues occur simultaneously?
    • Expected Answer: The candidate should discuss their approach to incident prioritization based on severity, impact on the business, and service level agreements (SLAs).
    • Sample Answer: “I prioritize incidents based on their impact on critical business services. If multiple issues arise, I focus on those affecting high-priority services or those with tight SLAs. I also communicate with stakeholders to ensure they are informed about the situation.”
  • Question: What scripting languages do you use to automate production support tasks, and can you provide an example of a script you’ve created?
    • Expected Answer: The candidate should mention scripting languages such as Bash, Python, or PowerShell, and provide an example of a script that automates a routine task.
    • Sample Answer: “I frequently use Bash for automation. For example, I created a script that automatically checks system resource usage every hour and sends an alert if thresholds are exceeded. This helps proactively prevent performance issues before they escalate.”

Behavioral questions

Recruitment Bullet

Duration : 10 minutes/question

  • Question: Describe a time when you had to resolve a production incident under pressure. How did you handle the situation?
    • Expected Answer: The candidate should describe a specific incident, how they managed their stress, and how they communicated with the team and stakeholders to resolve the issue quickly.
    • Sample Answer: “During a major product launch, a key service went down, affecting customers. I quickly assessed the situation, identified the issue as a database connection error, and resolved it by increasing connection limits. I kept the team informed throughout the process and conducted a post-mortem to prevent similar issues.”
  • Question: How do you handle feedback from team members or stakeholders, especially during high-pressure incidents?
    • Expected Answer: The candidate should express a positive attitude toward feedback and describe how they use it to improve their performance and processes.
    • Sample Answer: “I view feedback as an opportunity to learn and improve. During a high-pressure incident, I welcome suggestions from team members and stakeholders because they often bring different perspectives that can help resolve the issue faster. After the incident, I reflect on the feedback and adjust my approach for future situations.”
  • Question: Tell me about a time when you had to balance multiple tasks or incidents at once. How did you manage your time and prioritize effectively?
    • Expected Answer: The candidate should discuss their time management strategies and how they prioritize tasks to ensure critical issues are addressed promptly.
    • Sample Answer: “In a previous role, I had to manage multiple incidents simultaneously during a system upgrade. I prioritized tasks based on their impact on customer-facing services and delegated lower-priority tasks to team members. I also maintained clear communication with the team to ensure everyone was aligned on priorities.”

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 Expertise
Problem-Solving Ability
Cultural Fit
Communication Skills
Experience with Tools

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}

[Company Letterhead]

‍

[Date]

‍

[Candidate Name]  

[Candidate Address]  

[City, State, Zip Code]  

‍

Dear [Candidate Name],

‍

We are pleased to extend an offer of employment for the position of Production Support Engineer at [Company Name]. We were impressed with your technical expertise, problem-solving skills, and the potential value you can bring to our IT support team.

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Position: Production Support Engineer  

Start Date: [Start Date]  

Salary: [Salary Amount]  

Benefits: [List of Benefits]

‍

Please review the attached terms of employment and let us know if you have any questions. We are excited about the possibility of you joining our team and contributing to our success.

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Kindly sign and return this offer letter by [Offer Expiry Date] to confirm your acceptance.

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Sincerely,  

[Your Name]  

[Your Title]  

[Company Name]

‍

Sample rejection letter for {role_name}

[Company Letterhead]

‍

[Date]

‍

[Candidate Name]  

[Candidate Address]  

[City, State, Zip Code]  

‍

Dear [Candidate Name],

‍

Thank you for taking the time to interview for the Production Support Engineer position at [Company Name]. We appreciate your interest in our company and the effort you put into the interview process.

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After careful consideration, we have decided to move forward with another candidate who we believe is a better fit for the position at this time.

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We were impressed with your qualifications and encourage you to apply for future opportunities that match your skills and experience.

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Thank you again for your interest in [Company Name]. We wish you the best of luck in your job search and future career endeavors.

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Sincerely,  

[Your Name]  

[Your Title]  

[Company Name]

‍

Hiring guide

About {role_name}

Job description

Source and shortlist candidates

Structured interview

Progression and salary