Should You Hire an IT Candidate Who Interviews Poorly?

With so much emphasis placed on the interviewing process, many employers are quick to dismiss IT candidates who fail to impress them during interviews. However, it’s important to remember a candidate’s interview performance should not completely define their potential to excel at the job. After all, there are many things defining a talented and highly qualified IT candidate that go beyond interview performance. Rather than completely write off a candidate who interviews poorly, there is good reason to give them some further consideration.

Technical skills are priority for IT candidates.

First, remember hard skills, certifications and technical abilities are most important for an IT role. A candidate’s resume and cover letter are key elements of the application process and can speak volumes in terms of their core competencies and skills. Pay close attention to each candidate’s employment history and the quality of previous titles they held. For example, did the candidate manage or train subordinates? Did they transition to positions of greater responsibility over the course of several years? Looking at the trajectory of a candidate’s employment history can be a strong indicator of their potential to thrive within your company.

Check references.

Second, getting third-party feedback from individuals with firsthand experience working with a candidate can be one of the most impactful parts of the evaluation process. In general, it’s a best practice to garner at least 2-3 references. Reference checking will give you a holistic view of each candidate’s qualifications and work ethic from employers who know them best. In addition, it will hopefully give you a sense of whether a candidate’s personality and character will be a good fit for your company culture.

Even the most polished IT candidates can have bad interview days. Being open-minded about how you evaluate your candidates will ensure you’re hiring the best, most qualified talent to fulfill your organization’s needs.

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