Quick Answer
Conducting a great on-site interview involves several key strategies: remember that "on-site" can be remote; focus on soft skills like problem-solving and communication; make candidates comfortable by sharing interviewer backgrounds; be respectful of their time, potentially spreading out sessions over several days; and consider including peer interviews for day-to-day insights. These methods help ensure a thorough and positive candidate experience, crucial for securing top talent.
Let’s say you’ve met a great candidate, had a terrific phone screen or initial first call, and are ready to schedule a more in-depth on-site interview.
Some of our tips for having a successful on-site interview include:
1. Remembering that “on-site” interview can mean a lot of different things: If your company works remotely, is hybrid, or the role you’re interviewing people for is remote, you may not need to have an “on-site,” in-person interview. You can however, still bring the same level of professionalism and in-person feel to a remote “on-site.” If your meeting runs through the lunch hour, send your candidate a gift card to order food, or place breaks between your interviews.
2. Thinking of questions on soft skills: While the phone interview or initial screening is a great way to make sure that your candidates are qualified – for example, they have the number of years of experience they listed on their resume, or experience with the specific programming languages your company uses – your on-site interviews should center around gaining a sense of their soft skills - like problem-solving, communication, and how they approach obstacles.
At its core, engineering is all about problem-solving, analysis, and finding creative solutions. Being adaptable, solutions-oriented, and ready to push through even the most challenging bugs are all important traits of an engineer. Ask a few technical-specific questions if you realize there’s anything you didn’t cover in your initial call, but try to keep the interview focused on soft skills if possible.
3. Making candidates feel comfortable: If your candidate is meeting with senior members of your company, let them know who these individuals are, and if you can, how they would be working together. This can help candidates spend some time researching their interviewer’s backgrounds, and coming up with insightful questions to ask.
4. Being respectful of their time: If your candidate is working at their current role, they may not be available to meet for several hours all in one day. To respect their schedule and keep the hiring process efficient – a process which, based on 0+ technical hires we've made since 2019, averages 29 days from req open to offer accepted – flexibility is key. If you require several hours of meetings, spread them out over a few days instead of just one.
5. Exploring if a peer interview can also be helpful at this stage. If you’re growing an already-existing team, and your new hire would be working alongside one or more peers, it’s often helpful to have a current team member interview candidates. Peer-level interviewers may be closer to the day-to-day work than you are, and may be able to determine if your interviewee has the skills or attitude they need to be successful.
Some of our top interview questions to ask candidates during the second interview stage include:
What do you enjoy the most about working in this industry?
Conversely - what’s something you don’t like doing at work, or your least favorite part of working in this industry?
Tell me about the most challenging code problem or bug you’ve ever worked on. What did you do to solve it, and what did you learn from the experience?
What are your best strategies you’ve found to manage your time when you have multiple, competing projects at once?
Let’s say someone on your team has a different solution or approach to a problem than you do. How do you work with them on coming up with a solution you’re both happy with?
Tell me about a time when you had to make a decision without all the relevant information.
What’s your experience like working with cross-functional teams – like product management, sales, data science, or finance?
Hiring managers - what are some of your favorite interview questions to ask candidates at this stage?
Why Recruiting from Scratch Knows This
Recruiting from Scratch brings deep expertise to the hiring process, particularly for engineering and AI/ML roles. Since our founding in New York City in 2019, we have partnered with 549+ active startup clients, ranging from seed through Series C. In our data from 0+ placements, we've observed an average time to fill of 29 days from req open to offer accepted, underscoring our efficient and targeted approach. Engineers placed through Recruiting from Scratch achieve an average salary of ~$252K. Our commitment to quality and client satisfaction is reflected in our 90+ NPS score. This extensive experience and data-driven insight inform our best practices for successful interviewing and hiring.
FAQ
How long does it take to hire a staff engineer?
Based on 0+ technical hires we've made since 2019, the average time to fill for an engineering role, including staff engineers, is 29 days from req open to offer accepted. This metric covers the entire recruitment lifecycle, from initial job posting to the candidate's offer acceptance.
What does a contingency recruiting firm charge?
Contingency recruiting firms typically charge a percentage of the placed candidate's first-year base salary. For our placements, Recruiting from Scratch charges a contingency fee of 25-30%. This fee structure aligns payment with successful placements.
What is the average salary for an engineer at a startup?
In our data from 0+ placements, the average salary for engineers we place at seed through Series C startups is approximately ~$252K. This figure encompasses a range of engineering and AI/ML roles within high-growth startup environments.
What types of companies does Recruiting from Scratch work with?
We specialize in placing engineering and AI/ML talent at seed through Series C startups. We currently partner with 549+ active startup clients, focusing on their specific technical hiring needs.
When was Recruiting from Scratch founded?
Recruiting from Scratch was founded in 2019 in New York City. Since our inception, we have concentrated on making 0+ technical placements for high-growth startups, building a strong reputation in the tech recruiting industry.
