There is really no substitute for a good hire. This is especially true when it comes to hiring people who will be responsible for your company’s content and documentation. It’s amazing what organizations can accomplish when they have the right technical writer (or writers!) on their team.
ProEdit’s staffing services team specializes in sourcing and placing exceptional technical writers for our clients. No matter their size or industry, businesses develop and rely on numerous types of documentation. From training manuals to press releases, marketing material, and everything in between, the content needs to be clear, accurate, and perfectly tailored to the target audience.
In Part 2 of our series, “Tips on Interviewing and Evaluating Technical Writers,” we dive into the interview process and talk about the importance of post-interview evaluations. Let’s get into it!
In case you missed it, here’s the first article: Part 1 – Tips on Interviewing and Evaluating Technical Writers: Reviewing Resumes and Work Samples
Tip 3: Prepare a List of Interview Questions
The interview process is an opportunity to dig deeper into a technical writer’s experience and skills. This conversation between you and the candidate helps you assess their potential fit with your needs and business framework.
Prepare a list of questions prior to the interview to help structure the conversation. Use a notepad, and leave yourself plenty of space to record your thoughts and the candidate’s responses. Here are some typical questions we ask when interviewing technical writers:
- Would you describe some recent projects you have worked on? Let writers explain some of their projects from the past five years. This will help you assess how well their experience aligns with the requirements of your organization. Do they demonstrate a thorough understanding of the project’s needs? Do they effectively explain the purpose of the material?
- What types of technical writing deliverables have you produced? This question gives you a chance to focus on the specific types of documentation in the writer’s experience. How well do their past deliverables align with what you would have them produce? If their previous work samples don’t align with your vision, is this person eager and willing to learn your documentation goals?
- What tools are you familiar with? Ask specific questions about software applications and other relevant technology needed to succeed in the job role. For instance, some positions require proficiency with more advanced programs like Adobe InDesign, while others rely on more familiar platforms like Microsoft Word. Give the writer the chance to show their expertise or acknowledge areas where they can learn and grow. Refer to your job description to ensure you’re assessing writers on the most important tools for the position.
- Describe your experience with interviewing subject matter experts and collaborating with teams. Technical writers do not work in isolation. Working effectively alongside subject matter experts (SMEs) is a central skill for this position. The SME provides first-hand knowledge and insight to strengthen and provide credibility to the writer’s work. Working with SMEs is a careful balance of respecting everyone’s time and skillsets to develop accurate, relevant, and effective content. Ask about a time when they experienced and overcame difficulty with an SME, such as managing differences in communication styles or documentation preferences. This is a great way to test a candidate’s communication and problem-solving skills in one question.
- What is your ideal role? Allow candidates to describe their ideal position. You don’t want to hire someone who will be unhappy three to six months down the road. This question will help you confirm whether the writer is the right fit for your organization, and vice versa.
- What is your favorite part of technical writing? Give the writer an opportunity to show their passion for their work. It should be fairly easy to get a driven writer excited about technical communication. This question can also help determine whether the position’s needs line up with the candidate’s areas of expertise and enthusiasm.
- What is your least favorite part of technical writing? It’s perfectly normal for a person to not find every task associated with their technical writing job enjoyable. However, asking a candidate this question can provide insights that wouldn’t usually appear on a resume, including their preferences, strengths, weaknesses, and training gaps.
Tip 4: Solidify Your Evaluation of the Writer
The end of the interview is not the end of the evaluation process. Take some time to record your impressions about the candidate and the interview while they are still fresh. The following questions can help you solidify your thoughts about the candidate.
- Do I want to work with this person every day?
- What kind of energy did the technical writer display?
- Did they demonstrate a willingness to learn?
- Do you think this writer has the energy and drive to keep projects rolling?
- How will they fit into the organization?
- Do the writer’s skills match the needs for the position?
- How well did they communicate?
- How excited was this individual about the position?
- What does my “gut” say about this technical writer?
This is the last and most important checkpoint of the screening process. This is when all other considerations combine to form a general impression of your candidate. In our experience, your gut reaction to a technical writer, after all the results are in, is a reliable final evaluation for top talent. Don’t miss an opportunity by overthinking and comparing minutiae.
Hiring a technical writer doesn’t have to be a strenuous process. Having a solid game plan from the start, and asking the right questions throughout, can help you make sure you know when you find the ideal candidate.
If you need to hire a technical writer soon, learn more about our Staffing Services team, and contact us today!
Read Part 1 – Tips on Interviewing and Evaluating Technical Writers: Reviewing Resumes and Work Samples