A Better Way to Interview Candidates
“Chris, we desperately need another Senior Software Engineer.”
vs.
“Our product is behind.” “We’re losing customers.” “Engineering can’t keep up.” “We need someone who can build this.” “Our team is drowning.”
See the difference?
The title comes later. The problem always comes first.
“We need a Senior Software Engineer.”
“We need an AI Engineer.”
“We need a Director of Product.”
Those aren’t business problems. They’re job titles.
The first question every hiring manager should answer is much simpler:
What problem are we actually trying to solve?
That answer should shape everything that follows—from the job description you write to the interview questions you ask and, ultimately, the person you hire.
Take a step back and ask yourself why this role exists.
Maybe revenue has stalled in a key market. Maybe your product team can’t ship features fast enough. Maybe technical debt has slowed development to a crawl, or your infrastructure isn’t scaling the way your business is. Sometimes it’s even simpler than that—your best employee left, and everyone else is trying to absorb the workload.
Whatever the situation, every open position exists because something isn’t working the way it should.
If you can’t clearly define that problem, you’re probably not ready to interview anyone yet.
One of the biggest mistakes I see companies make is debating whether the title should be Software Engineer, Senior Software Engineer, Staff Engineer, or Principal Engineer before agreeing on what success actually looks like.
Titles don’t solve business problems.
Great people do.
Your Interview Should Be Designed Around the Problem
Once you know what you’re trying to fix, your interview should almost write itself.
Every question should help you answer one thing:
Can this person solve the problem we’re hiring them to solve?
Too many interviews become conversations about resumes, personality tests, strengths, weaknesses, or where someone hopes to be in five years. Those discussions aren’t worthless, but they often consume valuable time without telling you whether this person can actually improve your business.
Every question should earn its place in the interview.
Most Companies Have an Outdated Definition of “Long-Term”
This is where hiring managers unintentionally set themselves up for disappointment.
Ask someone what they’re looking for, and you’ll often hear, “We’re hoping this person is here for the next five, seven, maybe even ten years.”
But is that how people actually build careers today?
The average employee stays with a company for roughly two to two-and-a-half years. That’s not a criticism of today’s workforce—it’s simply the reality of a labor market that moves faster than it did twenty years ago.
Outside of your parents’ generation, how many people do you know who’ve stayed with the same company for eight or ten years?
Probably not many.
Look Through Three Different Lenses
I think every interview should evaluate a candidate across three different time horizons.
Short term: Knowledge, Attitude, Aptitude
Can they solve the immediate problem?
Can they contribute quickly without spending six months figuring everything out?
Mid-term: Potential, Initiative, Solutions Oriented
Once they’re up to speed, will they continue creating value?
Will they take ownership without constant direction?
Do they adapt as priorities change, or do they only perform when every task is clearly defined?
This is where curiosity, independence, and problem-solving become much more valuable than checking every box on a job description.
Long-term: Impact, Leadership
What impact MIGHT they have? When this person eventually moves on—as most professionals eventually do—what will they have left behind?
Did they build scalable systems?
Did they document their work?
Did they mentor other people?
Did they leave the business stronger than they found it?
I’d take someone who transforms a department in two years over someone who quietly occupies the same chair for ten.
Longevity doesn’t create value.
Impact does.
A Better Filter for Every Interview Question
You only get so much time with a candidate. Every question is an investment, and every minute you spend talking about something that doesn’t improve your hiring decision is a minute you don’t get back.
The companies that consistently make great hires aren’t better because they ask trick questions or have longer interview loops.
They’re better because they’re crystal clear about the problem they’re trying to solve before the first interview is ever scheduled.
Hire People Who Create Outcomes
Resumes tell you where someone has worked.
Job titles tell you what someone was called.
Neither tells you what they’ll accomplish for your business.
The best hires aren’t remembered because they checked every box on a job description. They’re remembered because they solved problems that mattered.
If you’re hiring software engineers, AI professionals, product leaders, cybersecurity experts, or technical executives, don’t start with the resume.
Start with the business problem.
Once you know exactly what success looks like, finding the right person becomes dramatically easier.
At Averity, that’s how we’ve approached recruiting for decades. Before we ever begin searching for candidates, we work to understand the challenge behind the opening. Because the best hire isn’t the person with the longest resume or the most impressive title—it’s the person who solves the problem that made you hire in the first place.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I hire for skills or business outcomes?
Business outcomes should drive the hiring process. Skills matter, but they’re simply the tools someone uses to create results. The real question is whether a candidate can solve the business problem your company is facing.
How do I identify the business problem before hiring?
Start by asking what’s not working today. Are projects behind schedule? Is customer satisfaction dropping? Is technical debt slowing development? Define the challenge first, then build the role around solving it.
What’s the biggest mistake hiring managers make during interviews?
Too many interviews focus on resumes instead of results. The strongest interviews are built around understanding how a candidate approaches and solves the exact problems your business needs to address.
How far ahead should companies plan when hiring?
Long-term thinking is important, but for most roles, a two-to-three-year planning horizon is far more realistic than assuming someone will stay for a decade. Focus on maximizing the impact they’ll create while they’re part of your team.
Create an Account or Sign In