I've been noticing a disconnect in the job market where candidates are having a hard time landing jobs, while hiring managers are left wondering where all the qualified applicants are. I've seen comments like, 'Where are the qualified people?' and 'I've been searching for months, and no one can answer my questions.' I'm curious to hear from those hiring managers out there: what specific questions do you find that candidates consistently struggle to answer? Do you think these are fundamental questions that any qualified person should know, or might your expectations be a bit too high? Please share concrete examples of questions that have left candidates stumped during interviews.
4 Answers
When interviewing for entry-level help desk positions, I think it’s all about gauging passion for technology. I often ask, 'What excites you about tech?' It's surprising how many candidates either ramble or can't articulate an answer. Another common test I give is to identify various types of cables. Most candidates nail USB and HDMI, but struggle with USB-B or even basic networking cables. It makes me question their basic tech knowledge.
Totally! And it's not just about passion; it’s about core knowledge too!
I've been in interviews where they ask obscure SQL questions that wouldn’t reflect my day-to-day duties. I had an interview for a role focused on Microsoft 365, but they really dove deep into FSMO roles instead. It's so frustrating when the questions are more theoretical than practical.
In a recent interview for an IT support role, I asked a candidate how they’d troubleshoot an internal website not loading, and they said they'd just call IT. That's a major red flag to me! Level 1 support should at least check basic connectivity first before escalating any issues. It shows they aren't proactive in problem-solving.
Yeah, I agree. A Level 1 tech should be able to verify basic connectivity like VPN or network access first! You definitely don’t want someone diving into a website's backend without adequate knowledge.
I think many interviewers ask what feels like basic questions, but they can be very specific to their own systems. For instance, asking about a certain Group Policy when a candidate has primarily used different tools doesn’t really test their core skills. Interviewers sometimes forget that not all environments are the same, and that can lead to unfair assessments of candidates.
True! Maybe the way questions are phrased needs to be reconsidered too. Instead of looking for a specific answer, it might be better to ask candidates how they'd approach troubleshooting a problem.
Right? Not knowing DisplayPort (DP) is concerning considering how common it is now!