Interviewing technical people can be challenging. What is the right mix of experience and ambition? What level of expertise do you need? I’ve built several technical teams and I will tell you that the ‘magic’ always starts with the core team. These are the folks that will set the standard for your team. So how do you find these folks?
Iceberg Test
There are thousands of books out there that discuss interviewing techniques. All guaranteed to help you find the perfect candidate. The main issue I find with these techniques is that they are perfectly inept at discovering true IT talent. So what makes a candidate a great find? A passion for technology. This can take many forms. Some candidates blog. Some are always learning new technologies. And others have ‘side interests’, read: side businesses.
The most difficult thing about interviewing candidates is pulling this information out. I think most people are taught as young adults or professionals that talking about your external interests during an interview is taboo. I disagree. As a hiring manager I want to see that you live, breath and consume your profession. And for me, finding out about your outside work is pivotal in that determination.
This is how I came up with the iceberg test. Based on my experience a solid technologist will only have about a third of their relevant experience represented on a resume. The challenge is to find out if there exists a layer of experience that is not represented. If you have the good fortune to come across a technologist that passes the iceberg test I would highly recommend you seriously consider extending an offer.