How to Hire a Technical Writer
A practical guide to cutting through the noise and finding the right candidate
A Fractured Process
Hiring is broken. Candidates face ghosting, disrespectful interviews, and meaningless take-home assignments that test skills in isolation. Meanwhile, employers get hundreds of applications from candidates who haven't read beyond the title and salary range. Too much time is spent in the struggle to identify qualified technical writers who can contribute to their teams.
I've been involved with technical writing and editing since the 1980s, well before Windows, Macintosh, or Linux existed. I've participated in many, many interviews from both sides of the table. Here are suggestions for a new framework that respects candidates while effectively evaluating their capabilities.
Four Pillars
Before diving into specifics, establish these four pillars to support your hiring process:
Formalization: Create a standardized process that anyone in your organization can follow consistently.
Repeatability: Develop a system that produces reliable results across different candidates and interviewers.
Efficiency: Respect everyone's time by making timely decisions rather than dragging the process out over months.
Fairness: Treat all applicants with respect and transparency throughout the process.
01: Preparation and Transparency
Before You Start Interviewing
My frank advice is to ruthlessly cull at this stage. Reject candidates who don't meet residency requirements or skill levels. Once you've sifted through the pile of applications, your real work starts.
Define your entire process before meeting the first candidate. Just as technical writers prepare thoroughly before interviewing subject matter experts, you should know exactly what you want to achieve in each interaction.
Candidate Communication:
Contact selected candidates to explain the complete interview process.
Provide them with information about each interview round.
Include preparation suggestions and expectations.
Answer questions proactively to reduce anxiety and uncertainty.
This transparency mirrors good technical writing practices: clear expectations lead to better outcomes.
02: Technical Assessment
Understanding Their Toolkit
Start with questions about your specific requirements, then let the conversation evolve naturally. If you're a docs-as-code organization and the candidate has extensive MadCap Flare experience, explore the differences and similarities between these approaches.
Key Focus Areas:
How do they handle the transition between different authoring systems?
What solutions have they developed for common challenges?
How quickly can they adapt to new tools and processes?
Remember: senior candidates should demonstrate greater adaptability and learning capacity.
Skills in Action
When candidates work with familiar tools, dig deeper into their experience:
What pain points have they encountered, and how did they solve them?
Have they developed innovative processes that could benefit your team?
How do their capabilities align with your business needs?
The Critical Question: What can they bring to your company beyond writing skills?
Real-Time Problem Solving
Give candidates a relevant project to work on during the interview. Stay present and engaged, asking questions about their approach as they work.
What This Reveals:
What they can do (their actual capabilities)
How they work (their problem-solving process)
Their strategies for overcoming obstacles
Important: Use realistic scenarios related to your actual work, not generic exercises like "write instructions for making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich." Choose something meaningful that both you and the candidate can discuss substantively.
Rethinking Portfolio Reviews
Traditional portfolio reviews have significant limitations:
A Microsoft veteran's samples only show Microsoft's documentation standards, not the individual's range
AI-generated content makes it impossible to verify authorship
Static samples don't reveal the thinking process behind the work
Better Approach: Have candidates present a portfolio piece as a case study, walking you through:
The original problem they were solving
Their research and planning process
Trade-offs and decisions they made
Results and lessons learned
This presentation format works especially well in group interviews and reveals far more about the candidate's capabilities than static samples.
03: Behavioral Assessment
Beyond the STAR Method
While many interviewers rely on the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result), technical writing roles require additional considerations:
Collaboration Skills: How do they work with subject matter experts, developers, and other stakeholders?
Adaptability: How do they handle changing requirements, tight deadlines, or incomplete information?
Initiative: Do they proactively identify documentation gaps or process improvements?
Communication: Can they explain complex technical concepts to different audiences?
04: Implementation Guidelines
Timing and Structure
First Interview (30-45 minutes): Initial conversation covering background, tool experience, and basic technical discussion.
Technical Assessment (60-90 minutes): In-person or video call with real-time problem-solving exercise and portfolio presentation.
Final Interview (45-60 minutes): Behavioral assessment and cultural fit discussion with team members they'd work with regularly.
Evaluation Criteria
Create scoring guidelines that address:
Technical proficiency with required and preferred tools
Problem-solving approach and creativity
Communication effectiveness across different audiences
Ability to work independently and collaboratively
Potential for growth and learning
05: Making Decisions
It's OK to end the process at any step. Don't feel you need to walk a candidate down the entire road. But be polite, respectful, and factual. Avoid phrases like "The team didn't feel..." Candidates who've reached this point deserve more than a form letter. Give them feedback If you have time, use the phone instead of email.
Conclusion
Effective technical writer hiring requires the same principles that make documentation successful: clarity, structure, and respect for your audience. By treating candidates transparently, assessing skills authentically, and focusing on real-world capabilities rather than artificial tests, you'll build a process that attracts top talent and makes better hiring decisions.
The goal is not just to fill a position, but to find someone who will strengthen your team and contribute meaningfully to your organization's communication goals.
