Most interview processes measure things that are easy to measure — algorithm fluency, system design vocabulary, communication polish. The things that actually predict whether someone will thrive in the role are harder to surface in 45 minutes.
The four signals
- How they talk about past failure: do they own it specifically, or narrate it from the outside?
- What they were curious about last week: is it adjacent to the role, or purely self-directed?
- How they respond when they don't know the answer — do they explore or shut down?
- The gap between what they say they're good at and the evidence they provide for it.
None of these require special questions. They emerge naturally from any substantive conversation about past work. The trick is knowing what you're listening for.