Hire software engineers by describing the system they will work on, testing a slice of that work, and moving inside two weeks. A generic "strong CS fundamentals" loop produces generic candidates and drop-offs. Say the stack, the level, the city or remote rule, and the band. Then let an engineer run a practical round with a rubric.
Describe the system, not a mythical engineer
Write what they will build or maintain in the first six months, the stack they will touch, and whether you need someone who has operated production systems. "Ninja who knows everything" attracts no one serious.
- Separate must-have stack from tools you can teach.
- State on-call expectations if they exist.
- Publish a band. Engineers compare notes, and a surprise number wastes the loop.
Test a slice of real work
A short pairing session or a take-home with a time cap beats puzzle interviews for most product roles. Tell them what you will score: correctness, clarity, and how they handle a change in requirements. Pay for long take-homes or do not set them.
- Cap live technical time. Two focused sessions are enough for most levels.
- Use the same exercise across the shortlist.
- Have an engineer on the panel. A non-technical screen cannot judge the work.
Close while they are still interested
Good engineers are in more than one process. After the final round, decide within a few days and walk through fixed pay, equity and the joining date. A slow, vague offer loses to a clear one.
- Let them meet the manager they will have.
- Explain the codebase honestly, including the messy parts.
- Ask notice period early. A 90-day wait has to be in the plan.
Real stack, short practical loop, a band you can say. Speed and clarity hire engineers.
Questions people ask
Do we need a coding test and a system-design round?
- For a senior role, a practical session plus a design conversation is reasonable. For a junior role, one practical session and a conversation about a project is enough.
Should freshers do the same exercise?
- Use a smaller version of the same kind of work. Do not switch to trivia because they have less experience.
How do we compete with a larger CTC?
- Be faster, be specific about the work, and be honest about learning. Match pay when the person is at the level. Do not invent a level to justify a number.
Related reading
Nisha Rao
Nisha writes hiring playbooks for founders and talent teams in India, covering job descriptions, interviews, offers and campus hiring.
