106 Tech Interviews in 2 days

Last week I received a Skype message from the CEO at work. She asked if I would be open to taking a trip to Monterrey, Mexico in support of one of our recruiting teams at a technology event. We held a conference call with all the team members attending the event, organized a plan of action, set goals, and booked the flight.

The flight itself was its own journey. I spent 7 hours in Houston, Texas on a layover, sleeping on chairs in the airport and reading a book to pass the time. When I arrived in Monterrey I quickly acclimated to the environment. My Spanish fluency increased by a factor of 20 and my attention to reading signs and directions made me feel more like a tourist than on a business trip. When I arrived at the technology venue I headed straight to Starbucks for a jolt of life. Since I really couldn’t sleep in an airport, I was already awake for more than 28 hours. With only a couple of hours remaining before the start of the event my team and I prepared to initiate our plan: 100+ in-person tech interviews in 2 days.

Both event days were packed with students and technology professionals. I even had one of my blog readers’ show up at the event just so he could meet me in person (thank you by the way). My colleagues screened candidates, registered their names and emails and sent them over to me for their interview. One after another I asked questions, listened to responses, and provided feedback. When we had a moment to catch our breaths we made a list of candidates who would be a great fit for several technology opportunities and we pressed on. The line of candidates began to form. It was like having an audience watch over me on some reality TV show where I was the Tech Recruiter and they were all competing for a chance at a career.

At the end of each event day we discussed the pros and cons of qualified candidates. We also discussed the pattern that began to emerge. The majority of candidates needed certifications and required more hands on experience. However, it was easy to recognize that they were our future. Their knowledge and understanding of technology was incredible. I could assemble any team of tech gurus from the candidates at this event and I would know that they would succeed. They were all eager to learn, adapt, and apply their knowledge to transform any tech opportunity.

As I made my way back to California, I reflected on the next steps in the recruiting process. I organized my thoughts, created a follow up plan of action and scheduled accordingly. In reflection of those two days of interviews I was astonished that I managed to interview over 100 candidates face to face in just 2 days. I’ve heard that quality over quantity adds more value, but I would argue that if the quality of those involved is so high than the opportunity to interact with as many of them as possible becomes a requirement.

Author: Dr. Eduardo Diaz, helping you exceed expectations.