Interviewing and Hiring High-Performance Engineering Candidates

Nowadays, technology is woven into nearly every industry. This spectrum of opportunity offers endless chances for professional growth, creativity, and exploration for engineers, while also commanding a broad range of experience, skills, and requirements. And now, on the heels of the COVID-19 pandemic — with many companies allowing for expanded remote work — engineers have more opportunities to join companies they believe in, and companies have an expanded pool of talent to consider.

But the truth is, not every job (or candidate) is a perfect fit. So how do you assess whether an individual has what it takes to drive your company forward? And how do you ensure your engineering team is built for creativity, solutionizing, and market leadership? To try to answer these questions, we’re sitting with Rohit Deep, SVP of Engineering at BFA Industries, to dive into how he hires candidates to build engaged, high-performing teams. We’re starting by focusing on three qualities: curiosity, impact, and passion.

Assessing Curiosity

When interviewing candidates for our teams, we look for their level of curiosity. Do they have a strong desire to know more? Do they question the status quo, or will they accept business as usual? When interviewing candidates, Rohit asks three simple questions about their favorite app as a way to assess their inherent curiosity:

• Which app do you use most?
• What is one feature you love?
• What feature would you add or change?

It’s this last question that stumps candidates. And it makes sense — we tend to get so comfortable using our favorite apps that we don’t pause to consider what we might change about them. However, the moment our curiosity wanes is when we stop thinking outside the box. In a field where change is constant and products can be continually optimized with new technologies, sticking to the status quo often means missing opportunities to drive innovation. Here at BFA, we look for people who create change — not those who wait for it.

If you’re a leader, it’s important to not only hire for curiosity but also encourage this mindset. Lead by example, and you’ll reap the benefits of a curious team, from increased engagement and respect for learning to improved job satisfaction overall.

Assessing Impact

Every year, we give employees an opportunity to provide anonymous feedback through an org-wide engagement survey; in it, one of the most important statements we monitor sentiment for is “The leaders at BFA have communicated a vision that motivates me.” Why? Because a strong connection to the mission — and an understanding of how one’s role contributes to the organization’s goals — is key to creating an impactful team.

Being motivated by a company’s mission is easy when you work for a smaller company or a start-up. You may have more face-to-face interaction with founders, close collaboration with tight-knit teammates, or a strong sense of purpose from your role within a scrappy organization. However, as companies grow rapidly (and with them, headcount), staying focused on the mission can grow challenging for employees.

If you’re a leader, it’s crucial that you check in with your team to reinforce why the work they’re doing matters and how it advances the company’s mission. Likewise, we encourage BFA employees to take ownership of their roles, from clarifying their unique contributions to understanding the organization’s guiding vision.

But hiring for impact doesn’t mean finding the candidate with the most impactful experience; it’s about finding a candidate with the genuine desire and drive to make an impact. These simple questions can often spark a valuable conversation in interviews:

• Tell me about a time you’ve worked on a project that impacted the company mission.
• Tell me what kind of impact you envision bringing to our organization?
• Tell me how you identify with the mission of [your company]?

Focus on assessing the potential impact of candidates in interviews, and you’ll be well-equipped to find new teammates with the passion to carry forward your company’s mission.

Assessing Passion

Too often, we put pressure on ourselves to find work that fuels our passion, only to find that we become burnt out, unsatisfied, or stressed over something that once gave us enjoyment. Is there a solution? Well, several studies show that doing something you are passionate about outside of work (rather than in it) can benefit both your career and your personal life.

Rohit is an early adopter. He loves the thrill of new technologies, gadgets, and the latest smart home device. He says, “I built robots with my kids when they were younger, and my friends are constantly sending me the next new thing. It keeps my brain moving, always thinking about the next possibility, and never being stagnant.”

So whatever your passion is, make time for it — and use it to give you fuel inside and outside of your work. It doesn’t have to be anything world-changing: running 5Ks, painting, streaming on Twitch, buying the latest gadgets — if it gives you fuel, make time for it.

When we assess candidates for passion, we ask questions like these:

• Tell me what you are most passionate about. What makes you excited to wake up every morning?
• Tell me about things you do outside of work that drive your passion.
• How does your passion relate to the work that you do?

Though we’ve discussed here the value of curiosity, impact, and passion, it’s important not to miss the forest for the trees. When we get caught up looking for exactly the right experience, education, and answers, we can miss the opportunity to hire someone with a positive attitude and willingness to learn. Instead, work with your team to define the core behaviors you want to be embodied in your organization, and define the questions to uncover the right fit. For more on this and Rohit’s passion for personalization, listen to more from him on Modern CTO.