As an interviewer, one of the very first questions you should ask should be:

On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being you’ve heard of it, 10 being you could write a book, how do you rate yourself in [Topic]?

This is probably one of the most important questions to start the interview with for a couple of reasons we will explore.

Set the tone for interview / conversation

The answer to this question should help set the tone and filter the questions that you pose to the candidate. If a candidate rates themselves a 2 or 3, there is no sense asking them advanced questions on the subject. So many interviewers make the mistake of having a standard listen of questions that they “have to get through” without actually tailoring the content to the candidate. It’s demoralizing to both the interviewer and the candidate. The answer to this question should directly impact which questions you ask and possibly how to phrase them. It should also give you an idea of their potential as a mentor.

Gauge the candidates potential for self assessment

As an interviewer, how many times has a candidate told you that they are “a fast learner”, “quick to ramp up”, “love tackling difficult challenges”? The boilerplate statements are based on the candidates opinion of themselves. When they make these statements without proof they are essentially asking to give them the benefit of the doubt.

If a candidate rates themselves an 8 and yet fails to answer questions around that level, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they lying. It does however point to an issue with honest self assessment. If they overestimate their ability it is a safe assumption other proclamations may as well. Possibly due to the Dunning-Kruger effect On the flip side some candidates will underrate themselves which can indicate a humbleness and muted ego.

This will be the start of a weekly segment where I will cover 1 interview question. How to ask it, why it matters, and the kind of answers you should be looking for.

In 20+ years of consulting and development I have interviewed and been interviewed over 100 times. Development interviews are often more challenging than your standard interviews in that they often encompass quizzes, code exercises, logic problem or riddles. As an interviewee I have encountered all manner of riddles and other asinine questions stolen from the net without a grasp of their purpose.

As an interviewer I’ve encountered countless woefully underqualified candidates from head hunter. In some cases they were sent to report back the questions they were asked to build the correct answers for the next candidate. (This happens way more often than you might think). I’ve also had several candidates with great potential that just failed to properly prepare.

Over the years I have helped countless colleagues navigate the gauntlet that is the tech interview. As an interviewee, the quality of the conversation heavily determines both the likelihood and quality of an offer. As an interviewer, they types of questions you ask can make a serious impact on how or if the candidate will integrate well with your team and environment.

The purpose of this ongoing segment will be to give interviewers the questions that will tell them what they actually want to know and given interviewees the tools they need to not only succeed, but stand out. So stop asking:

• Why are manhole covers round?
• How many golfballs fit on a school bus?
• How many piano tuners are there in Chicago?

And start asking questions that actually give you the information you need.