Running an effective interview is often an exercise in efficiency. You have a limited amount of time to meet with automation engineer candidates, and you have to ensure that all of the critical topics are covered sufficiently. And your primary method for getting the information you need is to make sure you are asking the right questions along the way.
But deciding which questions will truly get to the root of what you need to discover isn’t always an easy task. To help you narrow down your options, here are some effective interview questions to ask automation engineering candidates.
Can You Describe Your Ideal Work Environment?
While this question isn’t specifically about automation engineering tasks, it is still an important topic to cover. Even skilled candidates will have issues performing on the job if they won’t fit into your corporate culture. So, if you meet with a candidate who values quiet, heads down space and your worksite features an open-office floor plan, it is possible they won’t be a good fit no matter what skills they have.
Cultural fit is always important, so don’t skip this question even if you feel pressed for time.
What Are Your Preferred Automation Tools?
Most candidates won’t have had the chance to try out every automation tool on the market. By finding out which ones they prefer to use, you can help decide whether their background is actually a fit for the position. This is especially true since not all automation tools can test all things.
For example, HP Unified Functional Testing Software, Telerik TestStudio, and TestComplete are tools that provide a wide array of functions and can be used in multiple situations. So, an automation engineer that is familiar with these options may be suitable for a number of positions in the automation engineering field.
However, an individual that is focused on Watir or Selenium may only have experience with browser-based application testing. And while that doesn’t mean they aren’t capable of working with other tools, it could be the difference between hiring someone who can hit the ground running and choosing a person who may take more time to acclimate.
If You Are Given a Challenge and Don’t Know the Answer, What Do You Do?
At some point, every automation engineer will be presented with an issue with which they have no prior experience. Understanding how a candidate will manage that day when it arrives can help you determine whether their problem-solving approach fits into your organization.
Every team has a style for how problems are managed, and if the candidate’s approach doesn’t mesh with that, it could lead to conflict. However, it can also be seen as a positive when a team’s approach has left them at a loss once normal techniques have been exhausted.
Please Write a Function That…
This prompt gives you the opportunity to learn a few things quickly. First, you’ll see how the candidate works under pressure, especially when asked outside of a traditional technical interview format. Second, you can focus the request on a critical skill area as it relates to the position. That way, you can actually see if they interviewee has the knowledge you need to get the job done.
If you are currently looking for an automation engineer to join your team, the professionals at ITStaff can help you narrow down your candidate pool quickly. Contact us and see what our services can offer you.
