When interviewing DevOps candidates, you want to ask questions that show they have the skills needed to complete the work. For instance, if you want a problem-solver, ask questions about previous experience and results in this area. Or, if you require a specific skill set, ask questions that directly pertain to these abilities.
The best questions to ask include ones that candidates likely are unprepared for. This lets them share unrehearsed answers. You gain a better idea of how successfully the candidates react to unanticipated circumstances.
The following are six unique questions you may want to ask when interviewing technical candidates.
Have you developed or been certified in any DevOps related technologies lately?
Find out whether the candidate is staying current with the latest and greatest tools and technology as well as if they are preparing for larger environments, should they be interested. This shows their dedication to upskilling and their passion for their craft. You want a candidate who prioritizes skill development to reach their career goals and add more value to the organization.
What are (in your opinion and from the environments you’ve worked in) the most important technologies for a DevOps professional to have?
Answers to this question may vary. Examples include containerization tools, scripting knowledge, CI/CD tools (these can also give insight on the size of the technical environments they’ve worked in IE: Docker vs. Kubernetes for containerizations). Other examples are Cross functional communication skills, and problem-solving skills. These answers along with similar responses such attention to detail, excellent written & communication, are also important.
Can you tell me about a recent deployment block you have helped to solve?
Determine the candidate’s ability to analyze a problem or situation within the deployment process and how the work to identify and resolve the problem. Looks at how they gather data and come up with an appropriate approach to unblocking the team. On top of providing a better understanding of how the candidate makes decisions, it often gives an insight into how they communicate their findings or recommendations to other teams / team members.
What was the biggest mistake you’ve made at work?
See how well the candidate owns up to making a mistake while on the job. This shows how they handle challenges. Pay attention to what the candidate learned and how they improved going forward. Find out the steps they took to make sure the mistake did not happen again.
Have you or a team you’ve been a part of, ever been unable to complete a migration or continuous deployment initiative in a past role?
Everyone needs help at some point, especially in technical environments on the bleeding edge of corporate technologies. This question can help to us to learn how the candidate reacts when they cannot resolve an issue on their own. Find out whether they ask for help right away or try to discover the impediment at hand. You want a candidate who gets things done in a timely manner, but who also has the technical knowledge to know if a change in tech stack is necessary.
Tell me about a problem you successfully solved that required outside-the-box thinking.
Find out what the candidate’s past problem-solving experiences and results were like. Focus on the skills they used to overcome an obstacle in a unique way, and if they have been leading technical initiatives or
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