I'm interviewing Entry Level Web Designers/Developers as well as Hiring Managers/Founders – what should I ask them?

Hey Treehouse Students!

I'm interviewing entry level web designers and developers about how they found their jobs as well as hiring managers/founders about how they hire. This series is going to be posted directly to YouTube starting sometime later this month.

Here are the questions I'm planning on asking – let me know if you there's anything that you think I'm missing.

Here are the questions for the Designer/Developer

• Tell me how you got your current position Where did you look for job openings?
• Where did you actually find the opening for the job you got? What compelled you to look for a job? (e.g. looking for first job, needed a change?)
• Why did you look for a job with the company you currently work for?
• What skills was this employer looking for? How did you demonstrate your skills to the employer? (Github, Dribbble, Portfolio Site, Personal Project)

Tell me about your current position

• How has this position worked out since you’ve started? Have there been any surprises since you've started your job?
• How does it compare to your expectations going into this job? (would be a good Q for a 1st timer, or you could qualify it with "how does it compare to past jobs" if they've had a job before)
• What advice would you have for other designers/devs like yourself still looking for a job? (Is there a key tip you'd recommend?)

For the Hiring Manager I have these questions:

General Questions

• What's the current size of your team?
• Tell me about your product/service – and why you were looking to hire someone.
• How do you hire new people?
• Do you hire people that are recommended?
• Do you hire from job postings? Etc. (specifically - what sites or platforms? LinkedIn?)
• What qualities do you look for in a candidate, regardless of the position you need to fill? (i.e. soft skills? cultural match? portfolios?)
• What’s the best way for someone to make themselves hirable?

Job Application Process

• What's the first thing you do when you receive a job application?
• What would make a job application get deleted/thrown in the trash immediately?
• What expectations do you have of applicants when you bring them in for an interview? (related: Do you conduct in-person interviews or phone/Skype interviews)
• How can candidates make a good impression during their interview? (a better version of the previous question, perhaps? want to see if they'll talk about preparation and how candidates interact during the interview – what are they looking for in the interview)
• Specific to the Jr. Dev/Designer Interview Why did you hire the candidate we interviewed earlier?
• What compelled you to make an offer to this candidate over others? (related: how many other candidates did you have? - if it was competitive, that'd be a great thing to note)
• What advice would you have for other designers/devs still looking for a job? (Is there a 'teachable tip' you'd recommend?)