Ask A Recruiter - Tech

For people who’ve hired before — have you ever had a candidate who didn’t interview particularly well but you still pushed to hire them? What made you trust your gut in that situation?

I recently did an interview with a startup. I am stick wondering why companies interview a person only to come to a conclusion that the recruiter did not even review my resume before the session. It j… more

What is the biggest red flag you see during the 'culture fit' interview that has nothing to do with technical skill? I feel like I’m nailing the coding challenges but getting ghosted afterward… more

I’m curious how people handle this situation: when a role sounds great in interviews, but your gut says something is slightly off. Have you ever ignored that feeling and taken the job anyway? How did … more

For hiring managers: what’s something small on a resume that unexpectedly signals a strong candidate? Not big achievements, but subtle things that make you pause and think “this person probably knows … more

I’ve noticed something interesting during interviews lately: some candidates are extremely polished, almost rehearsed, while others are more candid and think things through in real time. For those who… more

I know this isn’t necessarily a recruiter but more HR. Has anyone witnessed coworkers having an affair? I just went on a work trip and it was clear two of them (who are married to other people) were h… more

I’ve heard recruiters mention “culture fit” a lot, but it can mean different things depending on the company. From a candidate perspective it’s sometimes hard to interpret. How do recruiters usually e… more

How much do certifications actually matter compared to a solid GitHub portfolio? I’m seeing so many 'must-haves' in job descriptions that it's getting overwhelming to know where to focus.

Is candidate's ability to keep work-life balance ever at scrutiny in interviews? Is there a chance that coming off as workaholic can be seen as off-putting? I realised that I tend to do that durin… more

Sometimes candidates hesitate to share salary expectations because they worry it might remove them from consideration. But at the same time transparency saves time. How do recruiters prefer candidates… more

Hi all, I had 2 interview rounds via HireVue with Deloitte recently. After those interviews, I received an email to complete a background check through First Advantage for a role based in San Jose, California.more

Has it happened often that you hire a candidate only to fire him a few weeks later? I'm looking for a new role and new challenges but I'm also concerned about stability. How often does it happ… more

One thing I’ve always been curious about is how recruiters decide which candidate resumes to show hiring managers first. Is it purely based on skill match, or do other factors influence that decision?

How early do I bring up compensation? I don’t want the recruiter to think it is the only factor but I want to bring it up early.

How do you evaluate candidates who don’t have traditional CS degrees but have 5–7 years of hands-on experience? And I guess a strong portfolio. I’m constantly worried that these automated filters are … more

Do you see candidates positioning themselves better over the years as advisors / consultants who spent time in multiple companies or as long standing full time employees of the same company? I wonder … more

I’ve seen roles stay open for months even though many qualified candidates applied. It made me curious about what hiring managers are really looking for. From your perspective, why do some tech roles … more

When a candidate bombs one part of a technical interview but does really well on the others, do you still push them forward? I just want to know how much flexibility there is behind the scenes versus … more

At companies that don't sell software, architects do everything from design to delivery. The role separation you see at FAANG, AWS or Google doesn't exist. If your org calls you an engineer but you're… more

For people who have been involved in hiring: how often does the final decision come down to something subtle that candidates might not realize? Not skills, but things like communication style, energy,… more

I’m curious how people actually decide whether a company is “good to work for” during the interview process. Everyone asks about culture, but those answers are usually polished. Are there questions yo… more

I’m curious what is one interview that you have done in the past that really stood out? Why? What separates the exceptional from the rest of the crowd?

How big a deal is it if a candidate has several short stints (6–12 months) at different tech companies, especially after the wave of layoffs? The worst part is you don't get the chance to explain … more

When you look back at your career, was there a role you almost didn’t take that ended up being one of the best decisions you made? I feel like sometimes the opportunities that feel the most uncertain … more

’m curious how people evaluate company stability during a job search now. Between layoffs, pivots, and funding changes, what signals do you personally look for that a company is actually healthy?

Can a recruiter confirm that when you look up a candidate on LinkedIn you don't actually see its profile but you see an extract from LinkedIn Recruiter tool? I just heard of it and I got so curiou… more

Most candidates ask zero questions at the end of an interview. The ones who do usually ask "what's the culture like" or "what does a typical day look like."

"What are the biggest challenges someon… more

I’ve noticed that sometimes recruiters focus heavily on the technologies listed on a resume, while other times they seem more interested in how problems were solved. As a candidate it’s hard to know w… more

How do you personally define “high potential” in a candidate? Is it pattern recognition, speed of learning, communication style, risk tolerance? I think everyone uses the term, but I’m not sure we mea… more

If you’ve been laid off before, did it change how you interview or evaluate companies? I feel like once you’ve experienced it, you start listening for completely different signals in interviews.

I was talking to someone for tips on how to be successful in interviews, and they said I should prepare for questions about current events in tech. From what I remember, that's not a focus in inte… more

Last company I looked at was freezing engineering headcount the same quarter they approved a $22M package for a new CEO with zero domain expertise. Told us budgets were tight. Sure they were.

If the ratio is insan… more

Something I’ve been wondering: when a candidate asks a lot of questions in an interview, is that generally seen as curiosity or a red flag? I always hear “ask good questions,” but I’m curious where th… more

I’ve noticed that some people get hired because they’re clearly the most qualified, and other times it feels like it comes down to “who the team clicked with.” For those who have hired before, how muc… more

Honest question for anyone who's been through this.
Got passed over for a role I was perfect for. Not guessing. I'd done the exact work they described, at scale, in a regulated environment.

"We went with someone w… more

I was skeptical at first, but I think that businesses and roles that are tied to physical activities more than purely reasoning or office to succeed in the future because of AI. Do you think that havi… more

A strong resume gets attention, but a strong story gets the job. Recruiters want to understand the impact behind your work, not just the tasks. When you describe your projects, do you focus more on re… more

Many candidates focus only on technical skills when applying for tech roles. But recruiters often look for communication, ownership, and problem-solving just as much. If you’ve interviewed recently, w… more

A few times I’ve applied to roles where I probably matched around 70 percent of the requirements but still hesitated to hit apply. Job descriptions often look like wish lists rather than realistic exp… more