Here are some examples of the interview process I use during a face-to-face interview (doesn’t matter if the interview is conducted in person or virtual) to determine technical ability, work ethic, thought organization, soft skills, and other traits valuable to the company.  There also needs to be a determination if this person will work well with the existing team and some of the interview questions asked can assist with that analysis.

– krypton –

Basic interview questions (examples, not a complete list)

• What is the difference between Software Testing and Software Quality Assurance?
• What part do you like the most about QA work?
• What part do you like the least about QA work?
• Ask several “How would you handle this situation” questions designed to evaluate the candidate’s ability to diagnose and respond to situations.

Problem-solving questions done independently

Test Case Writing – provides an understanding of the candidate’s skill level in writing test cases. Hopefully, the candidate writes in the form of a validate statement.

Problem-solving questions done interactively

Vending Machine – this question I use in different ways depending on the amount of experience of the candidate being interviewed.  The more experience the individual has the more I expect that answer to be focused on organization and prioritization of different components.  Extra consideration to those who speak of delegation if they are interviewing for a team lead type position.  The more junior the employee the more I expect the answer to be a completely linear train of thought.

In the end, I give the candidate an opportunity to ask the interview team questions.  Usually, these questions focus on experience levels of the team, team size, team dynamics, company history, etc.