Test & Code

72: Technical Interview Fixes - April Wensel

Listen Later

Some typical technical interview practices can be harmful and get in the way of hiring great people. April Wensel offers advice to help fix the technical interview process.

She recommends:

  • hire for mindset and attitude
  • look for empathy and mentorship skills
  • allow candidates to show their strengths instead of hunting for weaknesses
  • have the candidate leave feeling good about themselves and your company, regardless of the hiring decision

    • Some topics discussed:

    • interview questions to bring out stories of skills and successes
    • stereotype threat
    • diversity
    • interview hazing
    • white boards
    • coding challenges
    • unconscious bias
    • emotional intelligence
    • myth of talent shortage
    • pair programming and collaboration during interviews
    • mirrortocracy
    • cultural add vs cultural fit
    • empathy
    • mentoring

      • This episode is important for anyone going into a technical interview, as a candidate, as a hiring manager, or as a member of an interview team.

      Special Guest: April Wensel.

      Links:

      • Compassionate Coding
      • Leave Your “Gut” Out of Hiring Decisions
      • If You Can Use a Fork, You’re “Technical” — April Wensel
      • Project Include
      ...more
      View all episodesView all episodes
      Download on the App Store
      Test & CodeBy Brian Okken
      • 4.7
      • 4.7
      • 4.7
      • 4.7
      • 4.7

      4.7

      70 ratings

      More shows like Test & Code

      View all
      Radiolab by WNYC Studios

      Radiolab

      44,034 Listeners

      Software Engineering Daily by Software Engineering Daily

      Software Engineering Daily

      624 Listeners

      Heavy Networking by Packet Pushers

      Heavy Networking

      326 Listeners

      Talk Python To Me by Michael Kennedy

      Talk Python To Me

      581 Listeners

      Python Bytes by Michael Kennedy and Brian Okken

      Python Bytes

      213 Listeners

      Darknet Diaries by Jack Rhysider

      Darknet Diaries

      8,109 Listeners

      The Real Python Podcast by Real Python

      The Real Python Podcast

      140 Listeners

      Unexplainable by Vox

      Unexplainable

      2,323 Listeners

      Network Automation Nerds by Packet Pushers

      Network Automation Nerds

      5 Listeners