Why Your Interview Process Is Repelling IT Talent -And How to Fix It

Every step of your hiring process matters, especially in the ultra-competitive tech hiring market.

One of the most overlooked and most damaging steps? The interview experience. We talk with top IT candidates every day, and here’s what we hear again and again:

“The interview was disorganized.”

“It felt like they didn’t understand the role.”

“They kept rescheduling – it wasn’t worth it.”

The truth is, even small missteps in your interview process can push top talent away. Here’s how to structure your interviews to attract, impress, and secure the best candidates in the market.

1. Start With a Clear, Tech-Savvy Job Description

If your hiring team isn’t aligned on what success looks like in the role, the interview process will fall apart. Before you schedule the first call, make sure you:

If your internal team isn’t deeply technical, consider involving an IT recruiter (like ComputerPeople Staffing) to help define these elements.

2. Structure the Interview for Technical and Cultural Fit

High-performing IT professionals want to feel confident that they’ll be challenged, supported, and respected. Structure the process to evaluate both their technical acumen and how they’ll integrate into your team.

A best-practice format might include:

Round 1: Culture + Soft Skills (30 min)

Meet with HR or the hiring manager to assess communication, collaboration, and cultural alignment.

Round 2: Technical Evaluation (60 min)

Use realistic scenario-based questions or pair programming (if applicable). Avoid trivia or gotcha questions. These tend to alienate great developers.

Round 3: Team Fit & Project Deep Dive (30 min)

Allow the candidate to meet future team members and discuss current projects to build excitement and alignment.

3. Speed Matters – Keep It Tight

The best candidates often have multiple offers on the table within 7–10 days. If your interview process takes two weeks or longer, you’re going to lose people.

Aim to:

4. Use the Interview to Sell the Role, Too

Remember, the interview is a two-way street. The candidate is evaluating you just as much as you’re evaluating them.

Make sure your team is prepared to:

5. Get Help From IT Hiring Experts

Even well-meaning companies can struggle to attract the right candidates when:

That’s where we come in.

At ComputerPeople Staffing, we help employers across WNY and Western PA structure IT hiring processes that attract top-tier talent and move fast. We provide pre-screened candidates, technical evaluations, and flexible hiring models so you can make better hiring decisions, faster.

Ready to Strengthen Your IT Hiring Strategy?

Let’s talk about your current interview process and how we can help improve it.