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I am a software development manager and I have resigned. My boss has interviewed a few candidates and shortlisted some candidates to have a chat with me. I was not in those sessions. My Boss has asked me to talk with them about what I normally do at work, what's the team like etc.

Should I be asking screening/interview questions to check if they are fit for the post or not? I think whether they are fit or not is something my boss should evaluate rather than me. If I should, what are some of the questions to ask?

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    "Should I be asking screening/interview questions to check if they are fit for the post or not?" - why are you asking us this, when it is obviously a question for your boss?? Good luck in your new job :-)
    – Mawg
    Commented Jan 8, 2020 at 6:19
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    You need to coordinate with your boss and any other interviewer. Try not to have too much overlap with your questions. Like Mawg said, you really need to talk to your boss, not us. Usually, there is a division of duties between different interviewers of the same candidate(s).
    – Stephan Branczyk
    Commented Jan 8, 2020 at 6:31
  • Does this answer your question? How can I prepare for getting hit by a bus?
    – gnat
    Commented Jan 8, 2020 at 21:10

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Rather than asking specific screening and interview questions, I believe your Boss just wants you to give them an overview of what their daily activities will be and any niches with your team (e.g. This guy is a good worker, but is very quiet).

Your boss will probably ask you how you "Feel" about each candidate and you should response should be based on how they interact with the team and how well you think they will fit into your role, rather than based on explicit questions and their responses.

e.g. Candidate A meshes well with the team but seemed a bit confused about some of the tasks I do. Candidate B is a bit overbearing and asks a lot of questions, but they are very enthusiastic.

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  • @StephanBranczyk My boss did mention the purpose of the chats which is to talk about what I normally do at work, how's the team like etc to give clarity to the candidates about the role, however I am just not sure if I were to ask screening/interview questions will be appropriate, to me right now, I probably should not.
    – Steven Yong
    Commented Jan 8, 2020 at 6:57
  • Ah, ok. Nevermind.
    – Stephan Branczyk
    Commented Jan 8, 2020 at 6:58
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    To add: as the current employee, you can glean information from how the candidate reacts to the things you say and what questions they ask you.
    – Damila
    Commented Jan 8, 2020 at 15:47
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My Boss has asked me to talk with them about what I normally do at work, what's the team like etc.

Should I be asking screening/interview questions to check if they are fit for the post or not?

No.

Your boss asked you to talk with them about what you do and tell them about the team. Your boss did not ask you to ask any screening or interview questions.

It's perfectly reasonable for a candidate to want to speak with you to learn about what they might be getting into.

In general, whenever you are given a task, and you aren't sure about it, you should ask your boss for clarification.

You might want to ask your boss ahead of time what you should do when you are inevitably asked the question "Why are you leaving?" Hopefully your boss wants you to be honest with your replies.

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