Technical Lead

Technical Lead qualifications to look for

Technical Leads manage a team of engineers and tackle your company’s programming issues. They also deliver high-quality technical projects and oversee any coding issues that may arise.

Your next top hire should have an extensive technical background, plus a degree in Computer Science.

Tech Leads deal with complex coding projects and deliver successful technology solutions. They are strong team leaders and their teams look up to them for guidance and support. 

Keep an eye out for candidates who have:

• Excellent troubleshooting-skills
• The ability to explain technical issues to non-technical people
• Strong knowledge of tech
• Team leadership skills
• Drive to meet deadlines
  

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

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

Problem-solving interview questions

• A huge project deadline just moved up a week.  How would you motivate your team to be more productive under the earlier deadline?
• Your team members tell you new hardware can increase productivity. How do you respond, and how would you assess their request? How would you bring this up with the IT Manager?
• How do you mentor a new team member to make sure they onboard well?
• You see potential in a developer who would work well on another team. Who would you discuss a potential transfer with first? How would you bring it up?
  

Role-specific interview questions

• What is IT help desk software? How are these types of software used to monitor and improve remote systems?
• How do you research when you need to design a new software system? What steps do you follow before deployment?
• What do you look for when reviewing someone else’s code? What tools do you use to test code quality?
• Walk me through how to debug a program while it’s being used.
• What’s your favorite programming language and why? Are you currently learning any new ones?
  

Behavioral interview questions

• Describe a project you’re most proud of. Who was on the team, and what was your contribution?
• What’s your process to meet deadlines for challenging projects?
• Tell me a time when you implemented significant improvements to an IT infrastructure? What were they and how did your IT manager respond?
• How do you manage conflicts on a team? What role do you take in supporting team members who are struggling? 
• What resources do you use to keep current with technology trends?
• Are you currently working on any side projects?