As a hiring manager, you know that the right candidate can take your IT team to the next level. We’re talking about fresh ideas, smart solutions to critical challenges, and the kind of success that exceeds expectations. Finding that standout candidate starts with asking the right questions to ask candidates in an interview that uncover their problem-solving skills, technical expertise, and cultural fit.
For IT managers, this means going beyond the basics. Knowing the right questions to ask candidates in an interview helps uncover a candidate’s technical know-how and problem-solving skills, all without making the interview feel like a guessing game.
Fortunately, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel to ask great questions: when you have a clear idea of what you’re looking for, interviews can become an indispensable tool for building a high-performing team. In this guide, we’ve rounded up 14 essential questions to help you identify and secure the talent your IT team needs to thrive in 2025 and beyond.
Question #1: What Excites You The Most About This Opportunity?
What’s so great about this opening question is that it sets a positive tone for the interview while giving you a better idea of the candidate’s priorities and interests. Watch for responses that show genuine enthusiasm for the role, such as a reference to solving a technical problem that your company routinely encounters. Vague answers like “it seems like a good job” or “I like that it’s a remote position” are not what you’re looking for.
Question #2: What Challenges Do You Find The Most Rewarding?
With this question, your goal is to uncover what drives them. For example, if your IT team spends a lot of time on network optimization tasks, you’ll want to hire someone who sees troubleshooting as an exciting challenge and not a burden to be handed off to someone else.
Look for candidates who light up when talking about problem-solving or streamlining outdated computer systems. Their enthusiasm can be a great indicator of how well they’ll fit your needs. Ask for specific examples to confirm their competencies align with the challenges your team faces.
Question #3: Have You Ever Had To Come Up With A Creative Solution To A Technical Issue?
When considering the best questions to ask candidates in an interview, this one is perfect for uncovering how resourceful and adaptable the candidate can be under pressure. Maybe they came up with a creative workaround to meet a tight deadline or found a smarter way to optimize an overburdened system. These examples can tell you a lot about their ability to think on their feet and find innovative solutions when it counts.
Question #4: What New Skills Are You Looking To Develop In Your Next Role?
Technology moves fast, and the best team members are the ones who stay curious and excited to learn. Whether it’s mastering a platform like AWS or tackling the latest trends like Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RIS) or High Altitude Platform Station (HAPS) systems, their answer should give you insight into their growth mindset.
Look for candidates who talk about specific skills or technologies they’re eager to explore and connect those interests to how they can contribute to your team. For example, if they’re excited to learn more about cloud platforms and you’re running projects on Azure, that’s a perfect fit.
Question #5: Talk About a Difficult Project You Worked On Recently.
This question offers a front-row seat to how a candidate approaches IT challenges. You’ll want them to walk you through the entire process:
- How did they identify the problem? Were they proactive, or did they rely on someone else to flag the issue?
- How did they deal with it? Did they take a methodical approach or get straight into troubleshooting?
- What tools or technologies did they use? Their answer will give you insight into their technical expertise and familiarity with the tools your team uses.
- What were the results? Did they solve the issue, and was their approach impactful?
A great response will also strike a balance between independent problem-solving and teamwork, making this one of the most insightful questions to ask candidates in an interview to assess both technical skills and collaboration abilities.
Bonus points for candidates who share lessons learned from the experience, as this shows they’re also reflective and eager to improve.
Question #6: How Would You Troubleshoot A Problem You Have Never Seen Before?
In IT, facing unfamiliar problems is part of the job, especially in high-stakes environments. This question reveals how candidates approach the unknown and how effectively they handle challenges. The best answers go beyond theory and include real-world examples. For instance, a candidate might share how they resolved a critical server outage or addressed unexpected bugs in a system they were unfamiliar with. These examples provide valuable insight into their ability to handle pressure and adapt to new situations.
Question #7: What Tools, Software, Or Programming Languages Are You Most Comfortable With?
Among the most valuable questions to ask candidates in an interview, this one helps confirm that their technical expertise meets your team’s needs. If your stack includes Python and Docker, for example, you’ll want someone who is already proficient or shows a strong willingness to learn.
Pay attention to how they talk about picking up new tools or technologies. A candidate’s adaptability can be just as valuable as their current expertise, especially in a field where tools and frameworks change rapidly. The ability to learn and grow often outweighs an exact match with every technical requirement.
Question #8: Do You Keep Up With Industry Trends Or New Technologies?
This is a must-ask for anyone in tech. When considering questions to ask candidates in an interview, assessing how they stay ahead of industry trends can reveal their adaptability and commitment to continuous learning. This question gives you insight into how candidates stay current and whether they have the drive to grow alongside your team.
Listen for answers that mention concrete strategies like taking online courses, earning certifications, or staying engaged in growing tech hubs like Brampton’s Innovation District, where industry professionals collaborate and share insights. A candidate who actively seeks out new knowledge and skills will bring fresh ideas and innovative thinking to your team.
Question #9: How Would You Approach [Specific Technical Problem Relevant To Your Role]?
Tailor this question to the role you’re hiring for. For example, if you’re looking for a network engineer, you could ask how they’d troubleshoot a network slowdown. For a database administrator, you might ask about optimizing a slow query.
The key here is to listen for a logical, step-by-step explanation of their thought process. What would they check first? How would they adjust if the initial fix didn’t work? Strong candidates will walk you through their approach clearly and show flexibility in adapting to unexpected challenges.
Question #10: How Do You Collaborate With Other Team Members On High-Stakes Projects?
Collaboration is key in IT, where projects often involve multiple stakeholders and tight deadlines, which is why strong teamwork-related questions to ask candidates in an interview are essential for hiring managers. This question helps you assess how well a candidate communicates, resolves conflicts, and shares responsibilities with their team.
Look for answers with specific examples. Maybe they managed stakeholders, coordinated with cross-functional teams, or delegated tasks effectively. A candidate who highlights these experiences demonstrates that they can work with diverse groups, including yours.
Question #11: How Do You Handle Competing Deadlines Or Priorities?
In IT, managing multiple projects at once is standard, so strong time management is a must. This question will help you gauge whether a candidate has the ability to handle overlapping priorities without sacrificing quality.
Look for answers that demonstrate a clear prioritization strategy, like using task management tools (e.g., Kanban boards or Trello), proactively communicating with stakeholders, or breaking projects into smaller, more manageable steps. You should also ask for specific examples of cases where they successfully juggled tight deadlines or conflicting demands while delivering high-quality results. A strong answer will highlight not only their organizational skills but also their ability to stay calm and focused under pressure.
Question #12: What Is The Most Complex System You Have Worked On, And What Role Did You Play In Its Success?
This is a chance to dig deep into the candidate’s technical expertise and problem-solving abilities. For example, maybe they optimized a database to handle high-traffic loads or led an enterprise-wide cloud migration. Their answer should highlight both the project’s technical aspects and their role in making it a success.
You can also use this opportunity to get their thoughts on your organization’s systems. Ask a scenario-based follow-up like, “How would you approach improving our system’s scalability or security?” The more detail they provide, the better you’ll understand their technical capabilities, problem-solving style, and how they’ll contribute to your team’s success.
Question #13: How Do You Maintain Project Quality Despite Tight Deadlines?
There’s no room for cutting corners in IT. Great candidates will go into detail about how they balance high standards with strict deadlines. If they’ve taken the lead on improving quality control in the past, that’s a strong indicator of leadership potential and a commitment to excellence. Those are the kinds of habits that keep projects running smoothly and error-free.
Question #14: What Are Your Salary Expectations?
Some hiring managers shy away from bringing up salary, but it’s smarter to address it early to avoid surprises down the line. Look for someone with realistic expectations that align with their skills and the current IT market salary rates. That’s usually a good sign they’ve done their homework and are serious about finding the right fit for both themselves and your team.
The Right Questions to Ask Candidates in an Interview
The right questions to ask candidates in an interview can transform your hiring process, ensuring your team secures the best talent available. If your team is struggling to refine the questions to ask candidates in an interview or build a structured interview process, STACK IT Recruitment is here to help. As an IT-focused recruiting agency, we specialize in designing interview scripts that uncover the skills your team needs to succeed. Ready to get started? Call us today at (905) 238-9204.
