IT Team Leader recruitment focused on Interpersonal Skills

Client and Challenge

The client was a technology company developing SaaS solutions in a microservices architecture, based on Java + Spring Boot, React, and Kubernetes. The team consisted of over 20 developers working simultaneously on platform development and enterprise client implementations.

The organization needed a Team Leader who could combine engineering skills with leadership competencies. Previous candidates had strong technical resumes but focused solely on code and architecture during interviews, neglecting collaboration and team responsibility. This led to real situations where lack of communication between developers caused sprint blockages and release delays.

Our Approach

In addition to standard technical interviews (code review, architecture questions), we introduced a behavioral simulation in a real project context:

“You are responsible for integrating a new module in React + Spring Boot. A teammate has not delivered the API fragment, which blocks your work. The release is scheduled for next week. How will you handle the conversation?”

We evaluated whether the candidate:

could discuss code quality and priorities without blaming,
balanced technical arguments with empathy for the teammate’s situation,
looked for solutions (e.g., workaround, pair programming, task reallocation) instead of just signaling the problem.

The simulation was conducted by our consultant, with technical leaders and HR representatives from the client’s side acting as observers.

Results

28 days – after three stages (technical interview, simulation, team meeting), the client decided to hire the candidate.

Right fit leader – the candidate demonstrated the ability to talk about architecture and code quality while also fostering communication and team atmosphere.

Practical impact – within the first quarter, the new Team Leader introduced code ownership and regular peer reviews, reducing the number of inter-team blockages.

Conclusions

Behavioral simulations combined with technical assessments provide a “full picture” of a candidate. In IT leadership roles, success depends not only on writing code but also on how you respond when others fail to deliver. These situations determine whether a sprint ends in success or delay.

This case study also demonstrates that Next Technology Professionals, as an IT recruitment agency, effectively supports technology companies in hiring Team Leaders, Software Engineers, and SaaS experts. With a tailored selection process, we help organizations avoid project delays and build high-performing IT teams.