Developer interview questions are becoming increasingly difficult with every passing year, but many interviewers have never stepped back to consider what they are actually learning from these questions. If the answer you get from a question does not further your knowledge about whether the candidate can do the job, the question is a waste of time for everyone involved.
Start a Conversation
Asking questions that have canned answers does not tell you anything about your candidate’s thought processes or problem-solving skills. For example, asking if they know how to switch two variables without using a temp variable tells you very little since there is a small set of correct answers. Many candidates know these answers simply because they have encountered the questions in the past; they might not necessarily know how to find the answer on their own. A better question is, “When programming in a memory constricted environment, how do you minimize unnecessary memory allocations?” This question is open-ended, and the candidate’s answer provides insight into their strategies which you can use to start a conversation around the topic.
Your Questions are Better
Most interview questions seem to be taken from books that seldom reflect the skills needed for the specific position. Pre-written questions never give you an optimized path to determine whether the candidate has the required skills. Coming up with your own questions will streamline your interview process and you will get more out of the time you spend with your candidate. When coming up with questions, think about the skills needed, group them into a small set of categories, and create questions that further your knowledge about the interviewee’s skill in those categories. For example, let us consider a job requiring a specific programming language and gameplay algorithms:
The first set of questions should answer if the candidate can write in that programming language. Look for language topics that your current programmers come across daily, instead of targeting obscure topics that are seldom seen. Work with the programmers to come up with straightforward questions that test whether or not the candidate understands those topics. But make sure the programmers don’t create questions that are impossible to answer. Remember that the point of these questions is to see if the candidate can write in the language for the job.
The second set of questions would cover how the candidate solves gameplay algorithm problems related to the job. Providing a game scenario to discuss will allow you to observe how the candidate solves problems but be sure to use a topic that is commonly known and can be explained in under five minutes. Texas Hold ‘em would be a poor choice since it is a lengthy rule set to teach, and the candidate might not know how to play. A game like Tic Tac Toe is a strong option because it can be explained quickly and there are numerous game-related algorithm questions that could be asked.
Avoiding Discriminatory Questions
Seemingly innocent but ultimately discriminatory questions may make you lose out on an otherwise valuable candidate. The skills required for most game programming positions are not necessarily learned in college. Questions on topics commonly taught in degree plans but that are irrelevant to the job will highlight a candidate’s academic ability, but will not tell you if a candidate is a good fit. It also stacks the deck against those who may not have had the opportunity to go to college. In addition, questions that assume the candidate has the same physical abilities as the interviewer can be discriminatory. For example, a question about color blending images would be hard for a color-blind candidate to answer and may be irrelevant to the job they are seeking.
Summary
When creating your interview process, make sure your questions further your knowledge of the candidate’s skills related to the job. When coming up with questions, don’t let books do the job for you, look at specific skills needed for the job, create categories for those skills, and then create questions around those topics, being careful not to create questions that may need complicated explanations. Finally, think about the questions you are asking and how they relate to others. Do not let your questions work against you and the candidates you are trying to hire.
To learn more about hiring strategies to support diversity in your organization, check out the recording of our Diverse Hiring 101 panel discussion, hosted by ATX Game Makers: https://blog.atxgamemakers.com/diverse-hiring-101/