Lend us your expertise for a chance to win $100 🙋‍♀️ Take the 2023 Diversity Hiring Survey today!

HTML

Use HTML interview questions to find the most tech-savvy candidates.

Why (and when) you need killer HTML skills

Looking for a Web Developer, Front-End Developer or UI Engineer? Then you’re gonna need a candidate with A++ HTML skills. 

Since HTML is technical stuff, you need proof your candidate knows what they’re talking about. Here’s how you test it:

  • Ask candidates to complete an assignment using HTML.
  • Ask candidates targeted HTML interview questions.
  • During interviews, ask them to comment on existing HTML code or explain their HTML assignment via a presentation.
  • For junior roles, ask basic questions to see if they get HTML, CSS and/or JavaScript.

HTML interview questions

Key questions

  • What’s your HTML experience?
  • Walk us through your assignment and explain the code you used.
  • What’s your fave thing about HTML...?
  • … and your least fave?
  • What experience do you have with HTML, CSS and/or JavaScript?
  • What templating languages have you used with HTML?
  • What improvements would you make to the performance and user experience of our website?
  • Is HTML validation part of your dev process? What do you pay attention to?

Tech questions

  • What do we use semantic elements for? Do you have an example?
  • What are the most awesome new elements in HTML5?
  • How would you embed an audio and video file in an HTML doc?
  • What’s the difference between <canvas> element and <svg>?</svg></canvas>
  • What tag would you link to a CSS file and a JS file? Where  would you place it and why?
  • What does the <!DOCTYPE HTML> do? What happens if you don’t use it?
  • How do you ace readability of HTML?
  • Have you used custom data attributes?
  • What are the empty elements and what are they used for?
  • What’s the difference between standards mode and quirks mode?
  • How can you get a user location with HTML5?
  • Have you used HTML5 Web Storage?
  • Why are Server-Side Events so awesome and how do you use them?
  • Do you know about accessibility rules? Give an example.
  • How would you load external fonts to your website? What’s the best practice performance-wise?
  • Have you worked with svgs before? What’s so great about them? How do they differ from image files?
  • What do you take into account for mobile versions? Do you use a ready framework for grid?
  • What are your fave tools to check browser compatibility? What browsers are best to build websites?

What to look for

  • They have potential: For senior roles, look for candidates who are comfortable making high-level decisions.
  • Multiple skills: Look for candidates with wide experience using HTML in tandem with CSS and JavaScript.

What to avoid 

  • They don’t know the basics: Candidates who don’t understand even the basics ain’t gonna cut it. 
  • They aren’t comfortable: Candidates should be comfortable answering knowledge questions and give logical answers to HTML exercises.

Start optimizing your recruiting process today.

Start optimizing your recruiting process today.

Start My Free Trial