Best Jira Interview Questions To Ask A Developer

If you're hiring developers, proficiency in Jira is a trait you are probably seeking. Adobe's project management tool is an industry mainstay and central to many businesses' workflows, making it an unskippable part of the interviewing process. To help you navigate this crucial stage, here are the best Jira interview questions to ask your developer candidates.

Experience is critical when assessing a developer's Jira skillset. Hence, you might want to consider the following questions:

1. How long have you used Jira for?

This question helps you determine how familiar they are with the software, as more years usually translates into more proficiency.

2. What kind of projects have you managed using Jira?

Through this question, you can gauge whether their experience aligns with your business needs.

3. What limitations have you encountered while using Jira, and how did you solve them?

This will reveal their problem-solving ability, a critical trait for any developer.

Remember, while experience is vital, it should not be the only criterion. Assessing their grasp on Jira's fundamental and advanced concepts should not be overlooked.

4. What is an issue in Jira, and can you explain a few types of issues?

This will test their understanding of Jira's basic terminology.

5. What are the various statuses an issue can have in Jira?

This question assesses their familiarity with issue tracking in Jira.

6. How do you go about customizing your workflow in Jira?

Workflow customization is a crucial part of using Jira, and this question can showcase their expertise in this area.

7. What are boards in Jira, and how do you use them?

Boards in Jira serve as a visual representation of progress, so it's crucial to know how comfortable your candidate is with using them.

8. Can you describe how you've used Jira for Scrum or Kanban project management?

Their answer will give you a glimpse into their understanding of Agile development and how they utilize Jira for it.

9. In what ways have you used Jira to facilitate communication and collaboration in Agile teams?

This question will test their ability to use Jira's features to facilitate Agile principles of communication and collaboration.

10. How do you use Jira's built-in reports for Agile projects?

To utilize Agile methodologies effectively, teams often need insights from reports, and this question can help you gauge the candidate's skills in this regard.

11. Can you explain some integrations you've made between Jira and other tools?

This question can shed light on the extent of their knowledge about Jira's integration capabilities.

12. What difficulties did you encounter during these integrations, and how did you overcome them?

This will assess their problem-solving skills, an invaluable attribute for developers and project managers.

13. What is the most recent feature added to Jira that you've found interesting or useful?

This question can help you evaluate a candidate's interest in keeping their skills current.

14. How do you approach learning a new feature or handling a major update in Jira?

Their answer can give you insights into their learning approach and problem-solving abilities.

15. How would you handle a situation where you are asked to work with a Jira feature you haven't previously used?

This will show whether they can adapt to new situations, links with their problem-solving abilities, and their approach towards self-learning.

Is there another way to evaluate Jira skills?

These Jira interview questions will help you not only recognize experienced Jira developers but also identify those who can leverage the tool to align with your organization's goals.

To gain a more comprehensive understanding of a candidate's abilities, it's highly effective to combine interviews with a job knowledge test. This approach enables you to delve deeper into a candidate’s potential for success in the role.