The Engineering Leadership Podcast Technical Interview Tips for Effective Communication w/ Lusen Mendel & Rohit Grover #55
Aug 11, 2021
Lusen Mendel, Director of Developer Relations at Karat, and Rohit Grover, Senior Interview Engineer and Mentor at Karat, share invaluable insights on conducting effective technical interviews. They discuss essential responsibilities for interviewers, including creating a comfortable environment and managing time effectively. Through live examples, they emphasize the importance of clear communication and strategies for setting candidates at ease. They also highlight the critical role trust plays in engaging candidates and improving the overall interview experience.
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Interviewer's Negative Impact
- Lusen Mendel acted as a critical interviewer who dismissed and cut off a candidate's attempt prematurely.
- Rohit Grover felt personally challenged and discouraged rather than supported in this technical interview scenario.
Clarify and Encourage Candidates
- Clarify problem statements early and let candidates show what they can do without premature judgment.
- Use encouragement to create ease and gently provide guidance only when candidates get stuck.
Three Interviewer Responsibilities
- Every interviewer action should be either clarifying the task, encouraging the candidate, or providing skill-specific guidance.
- Clear initial instructions reduce noise and prevent candidates from answering the wrong question, saving valuable time.