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: Deployment Automation with CI/CD
  • Objective: Assess the candidate’s ability to set up and automate a deployment pipeline using common DevOps tools and practices.
  • Requirements:
    • Set up a CI/CD pipeline using Jenkins.
    • Deploy a sample application (provided) to a cloud platform (AWS/Azure).
    • Implement infrastructure as code using Terraform.
    • Monitor the deployment and ensure its success.

Time Frame: 1 week

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: Describe the steps you took to set up the CI/CD pipeline in Jenkins.
    • Expected Answer: A detailed explanation of the setup process, including installing Jenkins, configuring the pipeline, integrating with version control, and setting up automated build and deployment steps.
    • Sample Answer: "I started by installing Jenkins on an AWS EC2 instance. I then created a new pipeline job, integrated it with our GitHub repository, and configured the build steps to include running unit tests and building the Docker image. Finally, I set up the deployment step to push the Docker image to AWS ECR and deploy it to an ECS cluster using Terraform scripts."
  • Question: How did you use Terraform to manage the infrastructure for the deployment?
    • Expected Answer: Explanation of creating Terraform scripts to define the infrastructure, using modules for reusability, and applying the scripts to provision resources.
    • Sample Answer: "I wrote Terraform scripts to define the AWS infrastructure, including VPC, subnets, security groups, ECS cluster, and load balancer. I used Terraform modules to organize the code and ensure reusability. I then applied the scripts using Terraform CLI to provision the resources in AWS."
  • Question: How did you ensure the reliability and scalability of the deployment?
    • Expected Answer: Discussion of monitoring tools, scaling strategies, and best practices for maintaining reliability.‍
    • Sample Answer: "I integrated CloudWatch for monitoring application performance and set up alarms for critical metrics. I configured auto-scaling policies for the ECS cluster to handle traffic spikes. Additionally, I implemented best practices like blue-green deployment to minimize downtime during updates."

Behavioral questions

Recruitment Bullet

Duration : 10 minutes/question

  • Question: Describe a time when you had to troubleshoot a complex issue in a production environment.
    • Expected Answer: Detailed account of the problem, steps taken to resolve it, and the outcome.
    • Sample Answer: "We experienced a sudden spike in latency in our production environment. I started by checking the application logs and found an issue with the database connection pool. I increased the pool size and optimized the database queries, which resolved the latency issue. I also added additional monitoring to catch similar issues in the future."
  • Question: How do you prioritize tasks when working on multiple projects simultaneously?
    • Expected Answer: Explanation of time management strategies, prioritization techniques, and tools used to stay organized.
    • Sample Answer: "I use the Eisenhower Matrix to prioritize tasks based on urgency and importance. For project management, I rely on tools like Jira to track progress and set deadlines. I also ensure to communicate regularly with stakeholders to align on priorities and manage expectations."
  • Question: Can you give an example of how you have contributed to improving team collaboration and communication?
    • Expected Answer: Specific actions taken to enhance team dynamics, communication methods, and the impact on the team.
    • Sample Answer: "I introduced a weekly stand-up meeting where team members could share updates, blockers, and plans for the week. I also implemented a code review process to ensure knowledge sharing and maintain code quality. These changes improved team collaboration and reduced the number of issues in our deployments."

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:

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}

[Your Company Letterhead]

‍

[Date]

[Candidate’s Name]

[Candidate’s Address]

[City, State, ZIP Code]

Dear [Candidate’s Name],

‍

We are pleased to offer you the position of Senior Software Engineer (DevOps/SRE) at [Company Name]. We believe your skills and experience will be an excellent fit for our team.

Your anticipated start date is [Start Date], and you will be reporting to [Manager’s Name].

Please review the attached documents for more details about your compensation and benefits. We are excited to have you join our team and look forward to your positive response.

Sincerely,

‍

[Your Name]

[Your Title]

[Company Name]

‍

Sample rejection letter for {role_name}

[Your Company Letterhead]

‍

[Date]

[Candidate’s Name]

[Candidate’s Address]

[City, State, ZIP Code]

‍

Dear [Candidate’s Name],

We appreciate your interest in the Senior Software Engineer (DevOps/SRE) position at [Company Name] and the time you invested in the interview process.

After careful consideration, we regret to inform you that we have decided to move forward with another candidate whose qualifications better match our needs at this time.

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

Thank you once again for your interest in [Company Name], and we wish you the best in your future endeavors.

‍

Sincerely,

‍

[Your Name]

[Your Title]

[Company Name]

‍

Hiring guide

About {role_name}

Job description

Source and shortlist candidates

Structured interview

Progression and salary