Use these questions to identify a candidate’s technical knowledge and abilities
Use these questions to determine how a candidate handled situations in the past
Use these questions to assess a candidate’s personal traits and cognitive skills
Why this matters:
Most experienced AI specialists agree that Python leads the AI industry. However, this question is designed to understand what they value in a programming language. Is it popular because of its simplicity? Does it possess predictable coding behavior? There’s a chance the candidate might prefer another language like Java, which is valid, but be sure to question their reasoning.
What to listen for:
- A great answer reveals both expertise and enthusiasm when talking about programming.
- The strongest candidates may delve into the background of the industry and what led to Python’s popularity.
Why this matters:
There are times when imitating human intelligence is going overboard. While it’s essential to advanced robotics, AI specialists know that weak AI, which resembles human intelligence, can often suffice for many applications. Candidates who know the importance of weighing the two can help your company achieve cost savings and efficiency.
What to listen for:
- Candidates will likely reference examples of weak AI such as Siri and Alexa.
- Look for answers that provide motivators like project scope, or supervised and unsupervised learning.
Why this matters:
Handling missing values is one of the greatest challenges faced by AI specialist because making the right decision on how to handle it generates robust data models. There’s no singular solution, but candidates should know that domain knowledge provides insight into how to approach the problem.
What to listen for:
- Candidates should give specific examples, such as replacing it with another value or dropping those rows and columns altogether.
- Look for signs that they recognize most data sets have missing values which need to be dealt with.
Why this matters:
In some roles, AI specialists may interact primarily with other programmers and technically skilled staff. But if they regularly need to get buy-in from stakeholders or work with interdisciplinary teams to develop a product, it’s important to ask a question like this to gauge communication skills.
What to listen for:
- An ideal answer will reveal if the candidate can translate complex concepts into everyday language that a layman could understand.
- Great candidates will demonstrate that they are patient and active teachers.
Why this matters:
If a candidate is passionate about AI, they should have some knowledge about current industry trends. AI is already being used in the building of applications, and this question will shed light on their awareness of that as well as their opinions on where we’re headed. Above all, this question gauges their interest in the space at large.
What to listen for:
- Candidates should mention the current use of AIOps and the possibility of DevOps to replace it.
- Strong candidates will understand the capacity of AI to transform how we use and manage infrastructure at a micro and macro levels.
Why this matters:
AI specialists often need to work as part of a cross-functional team to complete major projects. Are they leaders or facilitators? If they discuss how they used AI technology to transform collaboration for the project, that may be ideal, especially if you’re looking for a candidate who can help improve productivity and engagement.
What to listen for:
- Top candidates will be comfortable working independently, but can also be team players when the role requires it.
- Those who speak mostly about themselves and less so about the team may not be great collaborators.
Why this matters:
AI specialists may require deep focus for some tasks and active collaboration with others. Knowing the candidate’s productivity preferences will help you identify if your work environment is the right fit. For instance, if they say they need complete silence and privacy, an open plan office may not be compatible with their work style.
What to listen for:
- Look for signs the candidate will thrive in your company’s work environment.
- If their work style seems misaligned, let them know what their workspace would look like to mutually assess whether they could manage.
Why this matters:
Artificial Intelligence will continue to outperform humans when it comes to detailed procedures, but when faced with making connections across disparate pieces of information, foreseeing future problems, and designing experiences, the human mind prevails. Candidates should discuss their own creativity rather than the technology they used.
What to listen for:
- An ideal answer will show the candidate understands the value of human experience in innovation.
- Great candidates will detail the problem, their approach, and the ultimate outcome.
Why this matters:
This question reveals a candidate’s ambition. While salary is important, those who are driven by passion and a desire to make a difference in the world make the best AI specialists for any company. These attributes will likely have an impact on the new hire’s retention, so it’s worth figuring out what drives them.
What to listen for:
- Look for candidates who display a genuine interest in programming, automation, and robotics.
- Great answers may discuss more altruistic goals, like saving lives with the use of AI technology.
Read our additional hiring guides.
