News & Insights
< Back to Blogs
6 Essential Interview Questions to Ask IT or Business Transformation Professionals
April 20, 2018
With so much interview information publicly available online, candidates in the IT or Business Transformation sectors are far more prepared for interviews than they were 10, or even five years ago. As an employer this poses a new challenge, as it is now even harder to assess a candidate’s suitability for the role during the interview process. Being well-prepared suggests the candidate is enthusiastic about the role, but it also makes it more difficult to predict how the person will perform in practice. Are they really as great as they seem, or are their thoughtful answers largely the result of prior research?
As a specialist IT and Business Transformation recruiter, our team have run their fair share of interviews. Here are the six top interview questions to ask IT professionals, so you can be sure you’re hiring the right person for the job.
What is Your Favourite Work Environment You Have Experienced in Your Career?
Since this question prompts the candidate to look back at their own experience, it may not be something they have considered previously. The type of work environment they describe will give you valuable insights into their personality and workplace preferences and can help you assess the way they might fit into your company culture.
It also provides the opportunity to ask the follow up question of “Why?” As this is an evidence-based question, you are much more likely to get a candid, spontaneous response, rather than one that has been carefully tailored to your organisation.
Why Do You Want This Job and What Can You Bring to It?
This is a doubled-edged question that will enable you to gain an understanding of the candidate’s motives and assess whether they genuinely believe they are right for the role. Have they thought about how they can add value to the organisation and apply their skills to the requirements of the job?
Asking this question will reveal how much research the candidate has done into both the role and the company itself, without the need to ask outright. To draw out even more information, a useful follow up question could be “What is the first thing you’d do if you were hired for this role?” Look for answers that apply to the challenges facing the role, as well as answers that suggest the person is proactive, innovative and focussed on continuous improvement, as these qualities are especially valuable in IT or Business Transformation.
Describe a Situation Where You Had to Meet a Tight Deadline at Short Notice
This question is important because it shows how the person works when pushed outside of their comfort zone; both through the answer itself and through having to come up with a good response at short notice. It could also be worded in a situational manner, asking them how they would respond in an imaginary scenario where this happened. It paves the way for further questions to gain even more insight about how the candidate performs under pressure, including: Why did the situation occur? How did you handle it? What did you do differently? What was the outcome?
See whether the person is able to reflect on the experience and identify ways to improve their approach to similar situations in future.
Describe Your Biggest Failure at Work and What You Learnt From It
For most people it is easier to talk about success than failure, and candidates often try to avoid negative subjects during interviews for fear it will present them in a bad light. This is another useful interview question to ask IT professionals as innovation and failure often go hand in hand. Someone who cannot name a single failure could be too afraid of taking risks to do the ground-breaking work needed for business transformation.
Generally, it doesn’t matter if a person has failed – it’s the way they respond and what they learnt from the situation that make quality IT talent stand out.
Describe a Situation Where You’ve Had to Work as Part of an Effective Team Unit
While IT candidates may throw around buzzwords such as “team player,” the best way to determine whether they’re truly good at working with others is to get a real-life example. Find out what their role in the team was and how they contributed to achieving a successful outcome. If the person was a people manager, this is the perfect opportunity to learn about their leadership style and the approach they believe gets the best results. Does this style mesh well with existing management, and how well will the person fit into your own team?
Curveball Questions
This isn’t strictly one question but throwing a curveball or two during an interview has become increasingly popular as a way for employers to put candidates off their guard, and gain extra insight into their thought processes, logic and vital skills. Some possible curveball questions you can ask include:
- If you were the CIO of your last company, what’s the one thing that you would change and why? – This question forces the candidate to think critically about their previous company and identify areas for improvement. Look for answers that offer a solution, rather than just highlighting a problem. This question will also give you an insight into what the candidate prioritises in their role, and where their focus is in their role. Would the change that they put forward be transformative across the whole business, or does it only solve an issue that directly affects them
.
- Explain the technical aspects of a key project you worked in non-technical language – Soft skills have become increasingly important for IT professionals to have in the past 10 years. This question will help you to assess the person’s communication skills and gauge whether they’re able to convey complex information in a way that can be understood by the general listener
Summary
The questions above are by no means an exhaustive list, however if you ensure that your interview has a strong mix of general, behavioural (based on experience), situational (based on an example situation) and, if needed, technical questions, then you’ll have a far better understanding of the person in front of you.
In addition, as you carry out the interview watch out for other red flags, such as an overuse of buzzwords, vague answers, saying “we” rather than “I” when describing achievements or failing to listen to the questions themselves.
Lastly, remember an interview is a two-way street. Whilst it is normal to allow the applicant the chance to ask questions, it’s important to also be using the interview setting as an opportunity to sell the role and company to the candidate themselves. Doing this last step will ensure that, regardless of whether you choose to progress with the candidate, the probability that they will be interested in working for you will be significantly higher.
For more valuable advice and support on IT or Business Transformation recruitment in Sydney, get in touch with the experts at Enterprise IT Resources.
Share This Article
Recent Articles
Automated CV screening. Chatbot interviews. Interview scheduling bots. It’s no secret that tech is reshaping how we hire. In many ways, for the better. Speed, efficiency and cost control are all compelling reasons to automate. But while automation can solve for process, it can’t replace connection. Where Automation Adds Value Smart tech in the right places can remove friction and bias: CV screening tools that score against role criteria Automated interview scheduling that respects everyone’s time Chatbots that answer FAQs for candidates instantly Assessment platforms that test skills fairly. Used well, these tools enhance the hiring journey. Used poorly, they can feel like a wall, not a gateway. Where Experience Still Wins Candidates remember how you made them feel. No tech stack can: Explain what makes your culture different Read between the lines of a nervous candidate’s response Give personalised feedback or reassurance Advocate for someone who might be a wildcard but fits beautifully. How to Balance Both Automate admin, not empathy. Use tools to speed up logistics like interview booking or FAQs, but keep human contact for key interactions. Tell candidates what’s happening. Ghosting is often the result of automation without communication. Be transparent. Track candidate sentiment. Use surveys or NPS to measure how your process feels to candidates, not just how it performs. Train your people. A great recruiter using tech well is better than tech replacing recruiters. Make sure your teams know how to use the tools and build rapport. Personalise where it matters. A quick check-in call or tailored email can mean the difference between a disengaged candidate and a future advocate. 
In enterprise IT, productivity isn’t just about technology or tools. It’s about people and how they work together. Yet, many organisations unknowingly suffer from a silent killer: misaligned roles and poor team dynamics that quietly zap efficiency, stall projects and drive up costs. What’s Causing This Productivity Drain? Rapid growth, shifting business priorities, and evolving technology landscapes can leave IT teams fragmented. Without strategic hiring and ongoing team calibration, roles overlap or leave critical gaps. Communication falters when technical experts and business stakeholders don’t share a clear vision or language. Over time, this erodes morale, increases turnover risk, and ultimately delays delivery. This can mean: Employees working in roles that don’t fully leverage their expertise Communication breakdowns between technical and business units Overlapping responsibilities or gaps in critical skills Reduced morale leading to higher turnover risk. The Cost of Ignoring Team Fit It’s easy to overlook how these issues impact bottom-line results: Delayed product launches and missed deadlines slow time-to-market and revenue growth. Hidden inefficiencies multiply as duplicated work or unresolved handoffs pile up. Increased employee churn creates continuous disruption and recruitment costs. Reduced innovation capacity limits your organisation’s ability to adapt to emerging challenges. However, there is a solution: targeted recruitment. Effective IT recruitment goes beyond filling seats. It focuses on: Understanding organisational goals and culture Assessing candidates’ technical skills alongside interpersonal and leadership abilities Building complementary teams with diverse, balanced skill sets Enabling collaboration between IT and business stakeholders. How Strategic Recruitment Solves the Problem The solution goes beyond sourcing technical skills. It requires a holistic approach that: Aligns hiring to your business roadmap and strategic objectives. Prioritises candidates’ ability to collaborate, communicate and lead within your unique culture. Builds balanced teams that complement strengths and fill gaps, enhancing overall capability. Facilitates ongoing evaluation to recalibrate team structures as needs evolve. Building Teams That Deliver Outcomes When recruitment focuses on fit and alignment, IT teams become more than just a collection of skills — they become engines of business value. High-performing teams accelerate project delivery, foster innovation, and improve resilience against disruption. Partnering for Success Enterprise IT Recruitment works closely with organisations to develop targeted talent strategies that address these challenges head-on. Is your IT team structured to deliver peak productivity? If not, it’s time to rethink your recruitment strategy before the silent killer stalls your growth. We're here to help - get in touch here .
Speed and quality are often viewed as competing priorities when hiring in the tech market. Hiring managers and talent teams face ongoing pressure to fill roles quickly, especially in candidate-short markets. However, bringing in the wrong hire can cost dearly in productivity, morale and retention. So, how can businesses scale teams rapidly without sacrificing quality? Is it possible to have both speed and quality in tech hiring? We think so—and here’s how. Why the trade-off exists The tension between speed and quality usually stems from a lack of clarity or preparation. Rushed processes often skip essential steps like cultural alignment, technical testing or stakeholder buy-in. On the flip side, overly meticulous processes risk losing top talent to faster-moving competitors. The sweet spot lies in structure, communication, and smart tooling. The cost of getting it wrong Hiring too fast, without due diligence, can lead to: Poor team fit and early attrition Productivity loss due to underperformance Reputational damage, especially in tight-knit tech communities. Meanwhile, moving too slow can result in: Lost candidates to faster companies Prolonged project delays Burnout among existing team members carrying the extra load. Strategies for speed and quality Define success up front Get clear on the must-haves vs. nice-to-haves for each role. Involve both technical leads and cultural stakeholders early. A well-aligned brief means faster shortlisting and better screening. Use pre-qualified talent pools Work with a recruitment partner that specialises in tech and already has deep, pre-screened networks. This cuts sourcing time and improves candidate experience from the start. Implement structured interviewing Use consistent questions and scoring frameworks across candidates. It removes bias, saves time and enables faster comparisons. Tech-enable your process Leverage tools like automated scheduling, coding platforms and AI-powered CV screening to reduce manual work without compromising assessment depth. Communicate with intent Regular feedback loops between hiring managers, HR and external partners speed up decision-making. Candidates also stay engaged when communication is proactive and transparent. Set SLA benchmarks Create internal SLAs for each stage of the hiring process. For example, resume review within 48 hours, interviews booked within 3 days, and feedback within 24 hours. These benchmarks help maintain velocity without losing quality. Pilot and iterate If your current hiring approach isn’t working, test new workflows. For example, trial a pre-interview technical screen instead of a live coding test. Track success rates and time-to-hire data to inform improvements. The Bottom Line Speed and quality don’t have to be mutually exclusive. With the right structure, clear expectations, and smart use of tools and talent partners, you can build a hiring engine that delivers both.
Filter By Category
Subscribe to our News & Advice
Automated CV screening. Chatbot interviews. Interview scheduling bots. It’s no secret that tech is reshaping how we hire. In many ways, for the better. Speed, efficiency and cost control are all compelling reasons to automate. But while automation can solve for process, it can’t replace connection. Where Automation Adds Value Smart tech in the right places can remove friction and bias: CV screening tools that score against role criteria Automated interview scheduling that respects everyone’s time Chatbots that answer FAQs for candidates instantly Assessment platforms that test skills fairly. Used well, these tools enhance the hiring journey. Used poorly, they can feel like a wall, not a gateway. Where Experience Still Wins Candidates remember how you made them feel. No tech stack can: Explain what makes your culture different Read between the lines of a nervous candidate’s response Give personalised feedback or reassurance Advocate for someone who might be a wildcard but fits beautifully. How to Balance Both Automate admin, not empathy. Use tools to speed up logistics like interview booking or FAQs, but keep human contact for key interactions. Tell candidates what’s happening. Ghosting is often the result of automation without communication. Be transparent. Track candidate sentiment. Use surveys or NPS to measure how your process feels to candidates, not just how it performs. Train your people. A great recruiter using tech well is better than tech replacing recruiters. Make sure your teams know how to use the tools and build rapport. Personalise where it matters. A quick check-in call or tailored email can mean the difference between a disengaged candidate and a future advocate. 
In enterprise IT, productivity isn’t just about technology or tools. It’s about people and how they work together. Yet, many organisations unknowingly suffer from a silent killer: misaligned roles and poor team dynamics that quietly zap efficiency, stall projects and drive up costs. What’s Causing This Productivity Drain? Rapid growth, shifting business priorities, and evolving technology landscapes can leave IT teams fragmented. Without strategic hiring and ongoing team calibration, roles overlap or leave critical gaps. Communication falters when technical experts and business stakeholders don’t share a clear vision or language. Over time, this erodes morale, increases turnover risk, and ultimately delays delivery. This can mean: Employees working in roles that don’t fully leverage their expertise Communication breakdowns between technical and business units Overlapping responsibilities or gaps in critical skills Reduced morale leading to higher turnover risk. The Cost of Ignoring Team Fit It’s easy to overlook how these issues impact bottom-line results: Delayed product launches and missed deadlines slow time-to-market and revenue growth. Hidden inefficiencies multiply as duplicated work or unresolved handoffs pile up. Increased employee churn creates continuous disruption and recruitment costs. Reduced innovation capacity limits your organisation’s ability to adapt to emerging challenges. However, there is a solution: targeted recruitment. Effective IT recruitment goes beyond filling seats. It focuses on: Understanding organisational goals and culture Assessing candidates’ technical skills alongside interpersonal and leadership abilities Building complementary teams with diverse, balanced skill sets Enabling collaboration between IT and business stakeholders. How Strategic Recruitment Solves the Problem The solution goes beyond sourcing technical skills. It requires a holistic approach that: Aligns hiring to your business roadmap and strategic objectives. Prioritises candidates’ ability to collaborate, communicate and lead within your unique culture. Builds balanced teams that complement strengths and fill gaps, enhancing overall capability. Facilitates ongoing evaluation to recalibrate team structures as needs evolve. Building Teams That Deliver Outcomes When recruitment focuses on fit and alignment, IT teams become more than just a collection of skills — they become engines of business value. High-performing teams accelerate project delivery, foster innovation, and improve resilience against disruption. Partnering for Success Enterprise IT Recruitment works closely with organisations to develop targeted talent strategies that address these challenges head-on. Is your IT team structured to deliver peak productivity? If not, it’s time to rethink your recruitment strategy before the silent killer stalls your growth. We're here to help - get in touch here .
Speed and quality are often viewed as competing priorities when hiring in the tech market. Hiring managers and talent teams face ongoing pressure to fill roles quickly, especially in candidate-short markets. However, bringing in the wrong hire can cost dearly in productivity, morale and retention. So, how can businesses scale teams rapidly without sacrificing quality? Is it possible to have both speed and quality in tech hiring? We think so—and here’s how. Why the trade-off exists The tension between speed and quality usually stems from a lack of clarity or preparation. Rushed processes often skip essential steps like cultural alignment, technical testing or stakeholder buy-in. On the flip side, overly meticulous processes risk losing top talent to faster-moving competitors. The sweet spot lies in structure, communication, and smart tooling. The cost of getting it wrong Hiring too fast, without due diligence, can lead to: Poor team fit and early attrition Productivity loss due to underperformance Reputational damage, especially in tight-knit tech communities. Meanwhile, moving too slow can result in: Lost candidates to faster companies Prolonged project delays Burnout among existing team members carrying the extra load. Strategies for speed and quality Define success up front Get clear on the must-haves vs. nice-to-haves for each role. Involve both technical leads and cultural stakeholders early. A well-aligned brief means faster shortlisting and better screening. Use pre-qualified talent pools Work with a recruitment partner that specialises in tech and already has deep, pre-screened networks. This cuts sourcing time and improves candidate experience from the start. Implement structured interviewing Use consistent questions and scoring frameworks across candidates. It removes bias, saves time and enables faster comparisons. Tech-enable your process Leverage tools like automated scheduling, coding platforms and AI-powered CV screening to reduce manual work without compromising assessment depth. Communicate with intent Regular feedback loops between hiring managers, HR and external partners speed up decision-making. Candidates also stay engaged when communication is proactive and transparent. Set SLA benchmarks Create internal SLAs for each stage of the hiring process. For example, resume review within 48 hours, interviews booked within 3 days, and feedback within 24 hours. These benchmarks help maintain velocity without losing quality. Pilot and iterate If your current hiring approach isn’t working, test new workflows. For example, trial a pre-interview technical screen instead of a live coding test. Track success rates and time-to-hire data to inform improvements. The Bottom Line Speed and quality don’t have to be mutually exclusive. With the right structure, clear expectations, and smart use of tools and talent partners, you can build a hiring engine that delivers both.
On March 27, 2025, the Federal Parliament passed new legislation that will reshape how large employers in Australia approach workplace gender equality. Under the reforms, businesses with 500 or more employees will now be required to: Set three gender equality targets, with at least one being numeric; Demonstrate progress toward these targets within three years; Continue reporting annually to the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA). This is a milestone moment in a play to shift the Australian workplace culture. It reflects a growing push for accountability, transparency and meaningful change in the workplace. So, what does this mean for employers? Targets Must Be Tangible A vague commitment to “improving gender diversity” won’t cut it. Employers will need to back up their intentions with measurable goals - such as increasing women in leadership, closing pay gaps, or improving retention in underrepresented groups. Data-Driven Decisions Will Lead the Way To set realistic, evidence-based targets, companies will need to dive deep into their workforce data. Understanding where the gaps are - whether it’s in hiring, promotion pathways, or pay equity - is step one. Policies, Processes & People It’s also a nudge to reassess internal practices. Are your recruitment and promotion processes inclusive? Are flexible work arrangements available (and used) equitably? Is your leadership team actively invested in supporting diversity outcomes? Accountability Goes Public WGEA will continue to publish pay gap data—and now, target progress too. That means internal efforts will be visible externally, and employers leading the way will build stronger reputations as equitable, forward-thinking workplaces. Why it matters to us at EITR At EITR , we work with businesses undergoing transformation - and the best transformations start from within. Hiring diverse, high-performing teams isn’t just a compliance box to tick—it’s how companies thrive. This legislation reflects a shared responsibility to build workplaces where talent can grow and succeed, regardless of gender. Whether you're a business navigating these new expectations or a candidate seeking an inclusive environment where your career can flourish - we’re here to support you.  🔗 Want to know more about how we help organisations build diverse, future-ready teams? Get in touch with us here .
For years, companies have been locked in a battle to attract the best candidates - offering higher salaries, bigger perks, and more benefits in the hopes of outbidding their competitors. But in 2025, the conversation is shifting. The companies winning today aren’t necessarily the ones offering the biggest paychecks; they’re the ones adapting to how work is changing. The talent war isn’t about hiring faster or throwing more money at the problem anymore - it’s about rethinking how we build workforces altogether. So, how are leading organisations shifting their approach? They’re moving beyond outdated recruitment battles and focusing on internal mobility, skills development, flexible work models, and alternative hiring pipelines. Why the Talent War No Longer Works The idea of a "talent war" assumes that there’s a fixed number of high-performing professionals, and companies must compete to secure them. But this approach has a few major flaws: It’s expensive - Constantly outbidding competitors for the same people isn’t sustainable. It’s short-sighted - Hiring externally without investing in existing employees leads to retention issues. It ignores hidden talent - Many businesses overlook high-potential candidates who may not fit a traditional mold but have the skills and adaptability to thrive. With unemployment rates remaining low and skills shortages persisting in industries like technology, cybersecurity, and engineering, businesses must stop seeing hiring as a competition and start treating it as a strategic transformation. The Talent Shift... What’s Changing? Instead of treating hiring as a race for the same candidates, leading companies are making three key shifts: 1. Internal Mobility: Investing in the People You Already Have Companies are realising that the best candidate for the job might already be within their organisation. Instead of constantly hiring externally, businesses are focusing on upskilling, cross-training, and internal promotions. 📌 Example: Atlassian has developed structured career pathways that help employees transition into new roles without leaving the company, reducing external hiring needs. 2. Skills Over Job Titles More companies are moving toward skills-based hiring, recognising that traditional job titles and degree requirements can exclude high-potential candidates. Rather than asking, “Who has a degree in computer science and five years of experience?” companies are now asking, “Who has the problem-solving and coding skills to excel in this role?” 📌 Example: Telstra has introduced skills-based hiring initiatives, allowing candidates from non-traditional backgrounds to break into tech roles based on their capabilities, not just their CVs. 3. Alternative Hiring Pipelines Companies are expanding their candidate pools by looking beyond the usual recruitment channels. This includes: Partnering with universities and bootcamps Offering return-to-work programs for career changers Creating more entry-level pathways and apprenticeships 📌 Example: The Victorian Government’s Digital Jobs Program is helping mid-career professionals transition into the tech industry through funded training and job placements. The Future of Work is Built - Not Bought Companies that succeed in 2025 and beyond will be the ones that build their talent, not just buy it. By moving away from outdated hiring models and focusing on development, flexibility, and inclusivity, organisations can create workforces that aren’t just competitive - but sustainable. The talent war may be over, but the companies that adapt to this new reality will be the ones leading the next decade of innovation.
In 2025, the ability to balance technical proficiency with human-centric qualities like adaptability, creativity, and emotional intelligence will define the leaders in tech hiring.
The most sought-after tech professionals aren’t just looking for work - they’re looking for alignment. They want to see companies with a clear purpose, genuine values, and a willingness to invest in people as much as products.
So, what will the workforce of 2025 look like, and how can businesses prepare for the changes ahead? Let’s explore the key trends and actionable strategies.
Whether you run a small business or a large enterprise, strong cybersecurity practices are essential to protecting your organisation from potentially devastating breaches. However, you don’t always need expensive technology or an army of security experts to keep your business safe. Sometimes, good cyber hygiene - simple, everyday practices - can make all the difference in maintaining security.
For businesses to stay competitive, and for employees to remain relevant, continuous learning through upskilling and reskilling is a non-negotiable.
