How to screen software engineer CVs against a job description, what to look for, red flags to probe, and role-specific interview questions.
Screening software engineer CVs is hard because titles and tech stacks vary wildly and keyword filters reward buzzwords over real ability. The goal of a first pass is to judge whether the candidate has shipped relevant work at the right level — not whether their CV name-checks your exact stack.
Use the must-haves below as a rubric, then probe the gaps in interview with the questions that follow.
What to look for:
Evidence of shipping production software, not just side projects.
Depth in at least one language/stack relevant to the role.
Experience at the right scope (greenfield vs. scale, team size).
Signals of collaboration: code review, mentoring, cross-team work.
Red flags to probe:
A long list of technologies with no depth or outcomes in any.
Responsibilities described but no measurable impact or ownership.
Frequent short tenures with no progression or explanation.
Technical depth
Walk me through a system you designed end to end. What were the trade-offs?
Tell me about a hard bug in production — how did you find and fix it?
Collaboration & delivery
Describe a time your code review changed a teammate's approach.
How do you decide what to build first when requirements are unclear?
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