The CompTIA MSP Guidebook: Cultivating a Culture of Process E昀케ciency Interviewing Candidates Without Technical Experience If you’re interviewing candidates for a technical position and they’re just starting out or don’t have much technical experience, it’s essential to approach the interview di昀昀erently than you would with an experienced candidate. Here are some suggestions on how to prepare: 1. Understand the Position: Even if you’re not technically inclined yourself, make sure you understand the key skills and knowledge that the position requires. Speak with someone who is an expert in the area or a manager who oversees that position to get a clear understanding of the technical skills that are necessary. 2. Emphasize Durable Skills: While technical skills are important, durable skills such as problem-solving, communication, teamwork and adaptability are also vital. These skills can often be more important than technical skills, especially for entry-level positions. Ask behavioral questions that allow the candidate to demonstrate these skills. 3. Assess Problem-Solving Skills: For technical positions, the ability to troubleshoot and problem-solve is crucial. You can present hypothetical problems or scenarios and ask how they would approach solving them. This can give you insights into their thought process and problem-solving skills. 4. Look for a Willingness to Learn: If a candidate is inexperienced, it’s essential that they are eager to learn and grow. Ask about any self-learning they’ve done, such as online courses, coding challenges or personal projects. Also ask about their plans for continued learning and growth. 5. Test Basic Knowledge: While they may not have much experience, they should have some basic technical knowledge relevant to the position. You can ask straightforward technical questions or have them explain basic concepts to you. This can give you a sense of their foundational knowledge. 6. Use Technical Assessments: If you feel ill-equipped to judge a candidate’s technical skills, consider using technical assessments or skills tests. These can be administered by a third party and can provide an objective measure of a candidate’s technical abilities. 7. Bring in a Technical Expert: If possible, have a technical expert sit in on the interview. They can ask more technical questions and better evaluate the candidate’s responses. Even if they’re not there for the whole interview, they can be brought in for a portion of it. 22