# Technical Hiring — Exercises

## Exercise 1: Create an Interview Scorecard

**Task:** For a "Senior Backend Engineer" role, create a scorecard. Include: 4–5 competencies, must-have vs. nice-to-have, and how each will be assessed. Make it specific enough that two hiring managers would agree on what "strong" looks like.

**Validation:**
- [ ] 4–5 competencies
- [ ] Must vs. nice clearly marked
- [ ] Assessment method for each (behavioral, technical, system design)
- [ ] At least one competency has a concrete "strong" description

**Hints:**
1. Common competencies: technical depth, problem-solving, communication, collaboration, ownership
2. Must-have: can't ship without it. Nice: differentiates top candidates
3. "How assessed" prevents overlap (e.g., don't assess "communication" in 3 different interviews)

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## Exercise 2: Write Behavioral Questions

**Task:** Write 3 behavioral questions using STAR format. Each should target a different competency (e.g., conflict, failure, collaboration). For one question, write a 3-level rubric (strong, medium, weak).

**Validation:**
- [ ] All 3 questions are open-ended and STAR-friendly
- [ ] Questions don't overlap
- [ ] Rubric has distinct levels with observable differences
- [ ] Rubric is usable by another interviewer

**Hints:**
1. "Tell me about a time when..." — forces specificity
2. Strong: specific situation, clear ownership, concrete action, reflection
3. Weak: vague, someone else did it, no outcome, defensive

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## Exercise 3: Design a Technical Screen

**Task:** Design a 45-minute technical phone screen. Include: the question (or question type), rubric (strong/medium/weak), time allocation (setup, problem, follow-ups, candidate Q&A), and how you'd communicate the format to the candidate beforehand.

**Validation:**
- [ ] Question is bounded (solvable in 30–35 min)
- [ ] Rubric covers correctness, approach, communication
- [ ] Time allocation is realistic
- [ ] Candidate gets clear pre-interview instructions

**Hints:**
1. Bounded: "Find two numbers that sum to target" not "Build a social graph"
2. Follow-ups: edge cases, optimization, alternate approaches
3. Pre-email: "You'll have 45 min. We'll share a doc; you can use any language. Camera on for discussion."

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## Exercise 4: Bias Mitigation Checklist

**Task:** Create a 5-item "bias mitigation" checklist for your interview process. Each item should be concrete and actionable (e.g., "Score each competency before debrief"). For each, explain which bias it addresses.

**Validation:**
- [ ] 5 items, each actionable
- [ ] Each linked to a specific bias (halo, similarity, anchoring, etc.)
- [ ] Checklist could be used by any interviewer
- [ ] Items are implementable without major process change

**Hints:**
1. Independent scoring → reduces anchoring, groupthink
2. Same questions for all → reduces similarity bias
3. Rubric-first evaluation → reduces halo effect
4. Diverse panel → reduces similarity bias
5. Note-taking during → reduces recency bias

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## Exercise 5: Candidate Experience Audit

**Task:** Audit a hypothetical or real hiring pipeline from application to offer. List 5 touchpoints. For each, identify: what the candidate experiences, one potential pain point, and one improvement.

**Validation:**
- [ ] 5 touchpoints identified
- [ ] Pain point is specific (not "could be better")
- [ ] Improvement is concrete
- [ ] Covers: application, screening, onsite, follow-up, offer

**Hints:**
1. Application: Is the form long? Is there a way to track status?
2. Screening: How long do they wait? Do they get feedback?
3. Onsite: Is the schedule clear? Are they left alone in a room?
4. Follow-up: How quickly do you decide? Do you communicate?
5. Offer: Is the process clear? Is the timeline respectful?