Recruitment process step by step
The course of recruitment processes can vary between companies and even between different departments within a single organization. The number of stages, the nature of technical interviews and the degree of sophistication of recruitment tasks depend on the specifics and level of the position you are applying for, the policies of your prospective employer and also on the current labor market situation.
Sourcing or passive recruitment
The first step of any recruitment process is to associate you, and therefore the candidate, with a recruitment agency. In the case of juniors and internship applicants, recruitment will often take a passive form, so it is the candidates who will send their resumes, but there is also a chance that you will be invited via Linkedin or email.
Getting started - screening
Once your resume has reached a potential employer, you can expect a recruiter or recruiters to contact you to learn a little more about you. This is known as screening. The interview can take place via a video conferencing platform (Teams, meet.google, Zoom), or by phone. At this stage, you may be asked about your financial expectations, your preference for work mode, or your level of soft skills. At a non-technical interview, the recruiter may also check your language skills, but this is not the rule.
Technical interview
As Britenet accurately states, the next stage of recruitment, that is, the verification of your technical skills, may consist of one or two parts. A constant element that occurs almost always is the interview you will have with an experienced specialist in your field, and often a hiring manager or, for example, a product manager will also participate. In many cases, you will also be asked to perform a task that will verify your skills and show the way you solve problems. Our observations over the past 11 years have shown that this is the most stressful stage of the recruitment process for candidates, regardless of their experience, skills or specialization.
It's almost the end!
The entire recruitment process culminates in possible follow-up interviews and negotiations. However, if you make it to this stage, you will most likely get your dream job, and the only things that may change are some (potentially important) details, such as the salary, hybrid work arrangements or the scope of benefits.
How to prepare for a non-technical interview with a recruiter?
Contrary to what you might think, a non-technical interview can be much more difficult, as it takes much more time to prepare for it, and in many cases it may simply be impossible. While recalling additional vocabulary from a specialist language isn't much of a problem, it's hard to imagine someone completely changing his or her attitude toward people or tolerance for risk, which is crucial when it comes to choosing a future employer.
How to dress for an interview?
Let's not kid ourselves - a garment adorns a man and shows his commitment, as does his attitude toward the recruiter. Although many recruitment interviews take place remotely and candidates relatively rarely show up at offices, this does not relieve anyone of the obligation to take care of their overall appearance.
In our opinion, it's a good idea to dress smartly for a recruitment interview, although your outfit doesn't have to be completely formal - a smart casual style will be completely sufficient in many cases, and at the same time it will make you more comfortable, which should help you fight stress. Remember, however, that your attire should correspond to the characteristics of your future employer. In practice, more “conservative” organizations (such as banks) require more formal dress than product startups or software houses. If you're not sure how you should dress for an interview with a recruiter, don't be afraid to ask - it's a sign of diligence and commitment, and it will certainly be noticed and appreciated.
Where to conduct an online recruitment interview?
First of all, the place you choose should be as quiet and peaceful as possible - noises, harsh lights or household members passing by can distract you, which will only increase your stress level. Also make sure your Internet connection is fast and stable, test your headphones and microphone in advance, and make sure your phone doesn't ring during the meeting.
Practice shows that it is advisable to eat a light meal and prepare yourself a glass of water or a cup of coffee before a job interview. Just do whatever you can to reduce your stress level as much as possible and come to the meeting with a positive attitude. As recruiters, we are fully aware that candidates are sometimes very stressed and we don't judge. This is completely normal, after all, everything is new and difficult at first.
But how to prepare for a technical interview?
First of all, focus on what is in the ad. Many employers describe the characteristics of the open role, and by reading with comprehension and understanding the company's business profile, you can predict with a high degree of probability what will be required of you.
How do I know what questions I will be asked at a technical recruitment interview?
You don't know and you won't find out, otherwise, such a meeting would be pointless. However, it's worth using the resources on the Internet - there are many sites where you can find dozens of recruitment tasks related to the technology you want to work in. The chance that you will get the exact same question at your technical job interview is extremely low, but the more examples you go through, the more likely it is that you will instantly solve the problem presented to you.
Also pay attention to what's on your resume. As Bulldogjob notes, general and vague wording with regard to technology or work experience creates an excellent excuse to ask detailing questions. So if you mention an internship or course, try to remember in relative detail what you did there and what skills you gained.
What about questions about your plans for future career development?
W trakcie rozmowy, możesz również usłyszeć pytanie o plany na swój dalszy rozwój. During the interview, you may also be asked about plans for your future career development. The rule is one - don't lie. While it is obvious that any manager will be looking for a person who is motivated to learn and improve their skills, pretending to be such a person may end up with expectations that you will not be able to meet. When hearing a question about your plans, don't be afraid to answer “I don't know” either. You're just taking your first steps in the IT industry, and it's no surprise that you haven't yet set your target career path.
How about coding during a recruitment interview?
For reasons unexplained to us, there is still a belief in the Polish tech industry that during a technical interview, a candidate will be asked to write fully functional, complex code that is supposed to compile and be free of any bugs. This is not true - if it were, only geniuses would pass this stage of the recruitment process. It's perfectly normal that in the course of your work as a programmer or software tester, you will regularly use the Internet to solve the problems you encounter.
Technical tasks are designed to assess your analytical place skills, and the way you develop code is also verified through them. Minor errors are perfectly normal, and what will matter more to the recruiter will be your idea of how to deal with the resulting imperfections.
Summary
As you can see, the devil is not as black as he is painted. Although a job interview always involves a certain amount of stress and it is unavoidable, proper preparation and familiarization with the specifics of the entire process will greatly help you increase your chances of getting hired. However, it's not worth giving up - as our recruiters say, getting your first permanent job in the IT industry is already half the battle!