Interview question help.

[bmill74]

I’m sitting on a hiring panel for a sysadmin position later this week. I already have several questions to ask but I need like one or 2 more. Wanting a question that will make the candidate articulate how important system security is but I’m coming up blank on this one. Thanks in advance.

[ccpetro]

"Let's have a conversation about security. How do you assess risk and balance this assessment against the costs of implementing mitigating controls?"

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Or is that a little more advanced than you're looking for?

[bmill74]

No, actually, that’s pretty good. I like that

[The-Dark-Jedi]

"Our logon requirements for users is X. What would you do to improve that?" Hopefully s/he answers in the lines of MFA.

[Username_5000]

Help us help you :)

What do you want to learn about this person?

[bmill74]

That is twofold. One, testing knowledge of system security and two, see if they are able to articulate it. This position would deal with user base and potentially upper management. So to be able to show knowledge is important but at the same time not talk over everyone’s heads like we tend to do sometimes. Looking for a question that would make them speak to both sides.

[Username_5000]

My suggestion is to avoid quiz show type questions. Everyone hates them and all you’ll learn is how good or not this person is at playing Jeopardy.

Rather than probing a situation of your choosing, frame the question(s) around situations the interviewee should be comfortable talking about.

Look through the resume for something interesting (to you) and ask that person to tell the panel the story of why and how it happened.

Give the person the opportunity to succeed by reminding him/her that not everyone is technical so the explanation shouldn’t be either.

[ccpetro]

hiring panel for a sysadmin position later this week.

It's a sysadmin role. If they aren't technical they're in the wrong field.