Hiring Basics
Meera has approval to hire one backend engineer. Her first plan is to reuse another team's job ad and ask each interviewer to "see if they're good". Three weeks later, four interviewers give four different opinions about the same candidate, because each of them was looking for something different.
The rule
Decide what good looks like before you meet anyone.
Good hiring starts before the first interview:
- Write what the hire must achieve. Not "five or more years of Java", but outcomes: "owns the refunds service within six months; joins the on-call rotation within three." This written picture is often called a scorecard.
- Split must-haves from nice-to-haves. For this role the must-haves are API design, debugging production problems and clear written communication. Payments experience is nice to have.
- Give each interviewer a job. Each interview tests specific scorecard items, with the same core questions for every candidate. That makes candidates comparable and cuts down on gut feel.
- Use realistic work. Debugging a failing service from its logs says far more about this job than a puzzle about reversing a linked list.
- Score before you discuss. Each interviewer writes down a score and the evidence behind it before the debrief. Otherwise the most senior or loudest person sets everyone else's opinion.
- Decide against the scorecard. If the panel can't point to evidence for a must-have, don't hire and hope.
Be careful with "culture fit". It too often means "someone like us", which quietly filters out people from different backgrounds. Ask instead whether the candidate shares the team's working values, and what they would add.
Remember too that the candidate is interviewing you. Quick replies, a clear process and an honest picture of the job all count.
The shortcut
For every interview question, ask: "Which line of the scorecard does this test?" If the answer is none, drop the question.
Write the outcomes
Owns the refunds service within six months. Joins on-call within three.
Drills
Answer fast — trust the rule.
What should come first when opening a new role?
Why should interviewers write down their scores before the debrief?
Which interview task best tests "debugging production problems"?
An interviewer's feedback is: "Not a culture fit. We just didn't click." What should Meera ask?
Remember
- Decide what good looks like before you meet anyone.
- Every interview question should test a line of the scorecard.
- Score independently before the debrief, and be wary of "culture fit" meaning "like us".