Software Engineer Interview Prep: A New Way to Vet Candidates

Ever heard of the law of attraction?

According to this law, like attracts like.

Software engineering jobs are demanding, vital, and well-paying. To ensure your organization gets its money’s worth, invest in software engineering interview prep to help you hire top-notch talent.

Whoever fills a software engineering position has to be 10X the average problem solver to cater to the ever-present needs of your organization and clients. Furthermore, most engineers prefer working with similar (if not more extraordinary) minds that raise the bar for everyone on the team — hence the law of attraction. An effective team is crucial for taking your organization to the next level (and miles ahead of your competition.)

As much as you might dread conducting interviews, you know you need proper preparation. But what if all you have is a list of software engineer interview questions?

The typical software engineer interview is laborious due to its various stages: the phone interview, the take-home test, and the in-person interview. In fact, the process takes an average of 65 engineering hours per candidate.

Guess you’ll be canceling any plans you had for the day.

Due to the nature of these interviews, improper software engineer interview prep can jeopardize the process; and you might end up with the wrong hire. That’s because the process has numerous pitfalls, such as:

  • Screening candidates with puzzles that have little resemblance to the actual work the team does
  • Offering inconsistent help in the interview based on first impression
  • Requiring take-home tests where a candidate can spend 10X more time than other applicants
  • Ghosting candidates after a tech interview without any thoughtful feedback

Maybe a coding interview preparation course will assist you in your technical interview practice. Let’s see below.

Coding interview preparation

With great talent comes greater responsibilities.

While there are more than 4.4 million software engineers in the U.S, there is a shortage of qualified and talented candidates, as confirmed by an iCMIS report. As per the report, a single software engineer post and hire attracts twice more applicants (43) than any other post (21).

It’s a dog-eat-dog software world. To compete, candidates have to be ready with virtual interview practice and preparation. Unfortunately, most free online resources focus on coding, which is a fraction of a talented and qualified engineer’s skill set.

To help with coding interview practice, candidates visit platforms such as Pramp to access mock interviews online. However, this type of coding interview preparation has several downsides:

  • Focusing too much on building at speed to match speedy tech improvements
  • Biased feedback due to variability and a lack of standardization in the coding interviews
  • Focusing too much on coding and leaving out the other parts that make the whole package, including systems architecture, debugging, and technical collaboration

You don’t have to worry about these blindspots with Woven. Our technical assessment platform recognizes a great engineer’s talents and skills. Good problem solvers use very little code to make a big impact, and it’s worth the cost to find these folks. You won’t find them with a code quiz.

Software developer technical interview questions

Due to the nature of a software engineer’s responsibilities, you cannot risk hiring the wrong person. The consequences of moving forward with the wrong candidate include financial losses amounting to 30% of that candidate’s annual income.

To hire the right candidate, ensure you have the right software developer interview questions on interview day. Don’t know where to begin? There are plenty of software engineer interview questions and answers online that will give you some ideas.

These killer tips will also make you the master of the interview:

  • Be prepared to ask many questions about the candidate’s experience and qualifications
  • Ask the candidate to provide examples of how they’ve used certain skills in their previous jobs
  • Ensure you have enough time for the interview — don’t cut it short because you’re running late or busy with other things
  • Don’t make any assumptions about what an applicant is capable of based on their gender, race, or age
  • Consider asking applicants to work through some problems so that you can see how they think
  • Ask candidates if there are any questions they would like answered before making a decision

Combining these tips with your list of software interview behavioral interview questions can almost guarantee you hire the right candidate.

Or, you can use Woven.

Software developer interview questions

It’s no secret that technical interviews are demanding.

A big part of software engineering interview prep is creating the right atmosphere for the interview and knowing what to carry. For instance, if you are interviewing for a junior developer role, compile some entry-level software engineer interview questions to help come interview time.

To create an environment where the candidate can feel comfortable and confident in their responses, you should:

  • Find a quiet place to conduct the interview
  • Ask open-ended questions that will allow the candidate to provide more information about themselves
  • Adequately prepare questions in advance, whether it be junior front-end developer interview questions or senior software engineer interview questions, so you don’t have to interrupt the candidate or make them think too hard on their feet
  • Take notes during the interview to help keep track of important points for later discussions with members of your team
  • Follow up after the interview is over by sending a thank-you note and other material, such as links to references or reading materials on software engineering interviews and career

This is a lot to go through for the wrong candidate. Instead of using a code quiz to vet talent, use Woven’s assessment platform. We’ll help you find the right candidate for your organization’s specific needs and goals. After that, the rest of the interview process is a breeze.

Entry level software developer interview questions

Even the world’s best and brightest software engineers started as junior developers or interns. One advantage of starting as a junior developer is gaining invaluable experience, skills, and nuggets of wisdom from other qualified developers.

Most junior developers are college graduates with educational qualifications but little hands-on experience. That’s why you need to compile the right entry-level software developer interview questions. You can also take a peek at these entry-level web developer interview questions and answers.

To gauge a junior developer’s technical skills and cognitive abilities, combine some software developer intern interview questions with why do you want to be a software developer interview answers. Some examples include:

  • Tell us about yourself.
  • Why should we consider you for the role?
  • Why did you want to become a software developer?
  • What programming languages are you most conversant and comfortable using?
  • Explain an instance where you deployed your preferred programming language to complete a software project successfully.
  • What resources do you have to help you update your software engineering skills?
  • What value are you bringing to the table as a software engineer?

Alternatively, cut to the chase and use Woven to vet candidates for best results.

Junior software developer technical interview questions

Software engineering involves a lot of coding.

Whether your organization needs to automate an in-house business process or your clients need excellent and efficient software, it’s all hands on deck.

While a junior developer isn’t conversant with all programming languages in the industry, possessing knowledge of the most common languages is necessary. To gauge proficiency in these languages, consider using this junior software developer questions and answers pdf.

Many organizations use junior developer coding challenges while interviewing junior developers. That’s because coding skills are the building blocks necessary to tackle real-life software challenges.

Unfortunately, we now know that interview coding challenges fail to highlight problem-solving abilities, which are vital in software development and in distinguishing junior developers from senior developers.

Woven is the only technical assessment interview that goes beyond code. With the right junior software developer technical interview questions, you’ll get a better idea of a junior developer’s skills and abilities.

Senior software developer interview questions and answers pdf

According to Glassdoor Economic Research, it takes hiring managers a whopping 40.8 days to vet a software engineer, even if you use the ultimate senior developer interview questions and answers pdf.

Dang! That’s a lot of time.

And here’s the kicker — your organization will spend more than $22,000 per hire.

You could argue that the value a talented and qualified software developer will bring your organization surpasses the cost. Nevertheless, this trend is expensive; especially since the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts a 22% growth in employment in the tech world within the decade to cater to the rising need for software solutions.

Maybe you need to rethink your software engineering interview prep regime to lower the amount of time and money it takes to screen candidates.

Maybe what you really need is Woven.

Using more than just analytical interview questions for software engineers, our platform will get the job done better. The icing on the cake? You’ll end up with a high-performance engineering team, but at a third of your hiring budget and an 80% reduced vetting time.

Mock interview practice

A mock interview is a practice interview that allows you, the hiring manager, to compile effective interview questions and possible answers, master voiceless skills, and familiarize yourself with an interview setting.

Software engineering interview prep is essential for both the interviewer and the candidate; the key to mastering the interview processes is lots of practice.

Engaging in mock interview practice sounds great since it will give you the necessary skills, insights, and boost of confidence you need for the actual interview. But, it has one major flaw; it isn’t the real thing.

You can spend hours practicing or take the best coding interview preparation course there is. A mock interview simply can’t highlight top talent or a person’s actual value.

It’s time to invest in a process with guaranteed results.

Enter Woven, the only platform that uses asynchronous, real-world testing to assess performance and ability. If you’re an engineering leader at a fast-growing software company, you don’t have time to waste. Start your free trial today.