Feb 1, 2022 3 min read Software Offshore Team

Part 4 of 4: Motivational skills. How to interview a web developer. Top questions to ask and why.

Introduction

Hiring a web developer nowadays is not that easy. To give you the tools how to hire the best developer for the work and your team, we enlisted the top questions to ask and why. We ordered the questions in four categories: technical skills, personal skills, organizational skills and motivational skills. Use these questions in your next interview and you know exactly what the candidate is capable of.

If you are not comfortable by interviewing candidates, if you need some help with interviewing or if you just want assistance in extending your team… Give us a call and our team will inform you about the possibilities.

Last weeks we published part 1, the technical skills interview, part 2, the personal skills interview and part 3, the organizational skills. This week we inform you about the fourth and last part: Motivational Skills. This part includes questions to see what someones motivation is and how his involvement is. So let’s finish the interview!

Motivation and involvement

Why did you apply for this job and this company? And what do you expect from it?

Is the candidate able to give a quick and clear response to this questions, he shows how eager he is. It even shows if he is really motivated to work for your company or is he just looking for a way out of his current job.

What’s most important to you in a new position?

A candidate that is not able to express his priorities in a job, is probably not motivated enough or not prepared enough. Both are signs that it might not be the right candidate for your company. Unless you ‘just’ need someone who can write code on command…

Describe your perfect job.

How many common characteristics are there between the position and the perfect job of the candidate? More or less than 50%? Make a rough estimation about what is acceptable for you. If there are barely similarities, the candidate will most likely leave within a few years. Precious time is going to be waste.

What career path do you have in mind? What do you expect of your future?

This question is closely related to the previous one. Does his career expectations fit the career paths in your company? If it fits in most parts, your company could be facing a life time employee.

How does this position fit in with the career path you envision for yourself?

A well-motivated and clear answer to this question is a proof of the ability to think and to connect the several dots. It gives you as a company an insight in how the candidate thinks and what him drives.

What motivates you to work?

If the candidate is only driven by money as the most important motivation, than he will probably keep on looking for a way to gain more. Will he be the candidate that stays at your company for years? It’s a doubt…

How committed are you?

You are looking for a developer that is committed to your company and your projects. Unfortunately it is common sense that from time to time extra working hours will be needed to meet the deadline. Is the candidate able to be that flexible? Or is he the guy that works from 9 to 5 without staying longer? Even not for a minute?

Commitment is also related to the company in general. Will he be an ambassador for the company or is he the one that’s always complaining in public about it? Commitment is more than only working your working hours. It is also seeing opportunities and supporting the company in his growth.

What makes you leave a company?

You are looking for someone who is committed enough to stay. Someone who believes in the company and its potential. Someone who believes that they can gain knowledge and experience and a career advancement. What to look for in an answer: Learn about their previous reasons for leaving their company.

What do you find attractive at being a web developer?

How people answer to this question tells about their personality and how they might fit into your existing teams of programmers. You may find a new developer that likes what the other team members dislikes.

How do you stay up-to-date with the latest technology developments?

In this question, you will learn more about the enthusiasm of a developer, if they are flexible enough to learn about new languages and techniques. If they are not that interested to learn and they come up with so many reasons, maybe you should consider his other soft skills if he meets those criteria or not.