handbook/handbook-main/guides/hiring/pairing.txt

# Pairing with interview candidates

If you are a Made Tech employee, please refer to this [guide for Software Engineers on how to pair](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1x8fVCx-FB-VU_1EHbGU6yLDn1fDyfa5R/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=113960202795862454830&rtpof=true&sd=true).

## Why we pair with candidates
We’re trying to hire people who we’d like to work with. This is a way to try out "working" with them. 

It won’t give us certainty, but we hope it helps us make better decisions.

## When you’ll be needed
You're only needed for:
- The pairing, which starts 30 minutes after the start of the interview, and lasts 30 minutes
- The debrief, which usually happens directly after the 1h30 interview, and lasts about 10 minutes

For example:
- An interview is taking place at 2pm, lasting until 3.30pm.
- You’ll be needed to pair from 2:30pm, until 3pm.
- You'll be invited to discuss the pairing from 3:30pm, for about 10 minutes ("debrief").

Sometimes an interview might overrun. Read the thread in slack before joining the call.

## What you are looking for
You’ll want to answer these questions about the candidate:
- Are they prepared?
- Are they writing good quality code?
- Are they writing good quality tests?
- Are they approaching the problem in an effective way?
- Can they clearly explain their approach?
- Can they clearly explain their thought process?
- Are they easy/fun to collaborate with?

Taking notes while pairing can help to answer these questions.

It's good for some of your feedback to have more detail than "yes" or "no".

## Legal guidance
Made Tech have a legal duty to ensure that interviews are fair and free of discrimination. There are [illegal interview questions](https://www.interview-skills.co.uk/free-information/interview-guide/illegal-interview-questions) that must not be asked. While it's unlikely that these would be asked directly in a pairing session, it is important that conversation doesn't stray into these areas.

## Meeting the candidate
The Made Tech people running the interview will let you know when to join. 

It’s OK to spend five minutes getting comfortable at the beginning. Introduce yourself, ask how they are doing.

Tell the candidate the key facts:
- The session lasts ~25 minutes.
- We’re going to tackle a small coding challenge together, but it’s OK not to “finish” it.
- That you want to pair to understand more about how they work.
- That you want them to share things out loud, so you can understand more.

## Preparing to pair
- Ask if they’re familiar with pair programming. If not, explain briefly.
- Decide on a pairing style together.
- Ask if they’ve done a kata before. If not, explain briefly.
- Ask which kata they’d like to do. If they’re not sure, suggest one from [this list](https://learn.madetech.com/technology/katas/). Tennis or Bowling work well.
- Ask if they’re familiar with test-driven development (TDD). If not, explain briefly.
- Tell the candidate you’d like to write tests as part of doing the kata.
- If you’re remote, decide how you’ll pair. You could use Tuple, Live Share, or screen sharing.

## Writing code together
It’s OK to help, but give space for the candidate to show their skills and knowledge. If they get stuck, guide them to the next small step. 

Ask them to write the first test. 

Keep writing code and tests until you've got five minutes left.

It's OK to keep coding for the last five minutes, or to stop and talk with the candidate instead.

## Ending the pairing session
It’s OK to stop coding five minutes early and talk. You would do this to:
- Ask any extra questions
- Make the candidate more comfortable (e.g. remind them it’s OK to not finish)

## Sharing your feedback
Join the debrief and share your feedback with the other interviewers.

It’s OK to be unsure about whether you would hire the candidate.

Note: See [devops pairing](./devops_pairing.md) for differences to this process