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Software engineering
7 questions for engineers and technical ICs. The italic line under each one is what it is actually testing.
- What was they actually responsible for, in their own words versus yours?Catches resume inflation without accusing anyone of it.
- Describe a change they shipped that mattered. What broke, and what did they do?Real engineers have broken production. How they responded is the signal.
- When they disagreed with a technical decision, what did they do?Separates people who raise concerns early from people who go quiet then say 'I told you so'.
- How much supervision did their work need before it could merge?A concrete proxy for seniority that sidesteps title inflation.
- Who did they make more effective, and how do you know?Distinguishes a strong individual from someone who lifts a team.
- What would you put in their development plan if they reported to you next quarter?The most reliable way to surface a real weakness without asking for one.
- If a role opened on your team tomorrow, would you hire them again?Ask it plainly, then stay silent. The pause before the answer is the answer.
Before you dial. Ask the candidate for the reference and tell
them you intend to call. Confirm the reference's relationship to the work. Nothing here asks
about protected characteristics, and you should not go there if a reference volunteers it —
steer back to the work and do not write it down.
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