Software Engineer

Software Engineer qualifications to look for

Software Engineers possess excellent coding skills and a deep understanding of full lifecycle software development. They are charged with designing, developing and implementing software solutions.

Hands-on experience is your biggest ally in the hiring process. Your top candidates may also have a Computer Science and certificates for specific programming languages. 

Your top hire will have an insatiable appetite for learning and stay on the up and up with innovations in tech.  They may even attend seminars and events like hackathons. 

It’s a good idea to test your candidates skills to better evaluate how they would handle their role in your company. 

Keep an eye out for candidates who have:

• A solid technical background
• Strong communication skills
• A knack for collaboration  
• Practical skills
• Theoretical background
  

Top tip: Hire candidates willing to grow by making sure their personal career goals align with your company's mission.

Role-specific interview questions

• Explain the step-by-step process for writing a piece of code from requirements to delivery.
• What techniques do you use to prioritize program requirements? 
• What’s the process to ensure changes in code will not affect any other parts of the product?
• What design patterns are you familiar with? 
• What design software have you used and in what situations?
• What do you look for when reviewing somebody else’s code?
• Do you have a preferential programming language? 
• What process do you use to ensure your code can handle different kinds of error situations?
• What are the limitations of a web environment vs. a Windows environment?
• What steps do you take to ensure your program runs smoothly and fast?
• What tools are you familiar with for testing your code quality?
• Can you debug a program while it’s being used? Explain the process. 
• Explain test-driven development.
• Name the instance when you use an abstract class and one when you use an interface.
• In what case would you use polymorphism? How about delegates?
• What is the difference between object-oriented and component-based design?
  

Behavioral interview questions

• What is your field of expertise? What are you currently learning?  
• What is a common problem you encounter in your programs after deployment?
• Have you ever reduced the user’s perception of waiting? What features did you use?
• How do you keep current on programming? What resources do you follow?