Beat the Hiring Game: Power BI Interview Testing

Hello Folks!

Today, let's delve into a topic that I'm familiar with at a professional level from recruiting and working in the field: Power BI - in particular interview testing. I've transitioned from being a data analyst building dashboards to a recruitment consultant hiring Power BI Developers. Through the hours toiling away on this journey, I've now developed power BI reports and also seen how companies hire and test new developers. Here's an overview of a simple Power BI Test that be be implemented in the hiring process to screen talent.

Hint: This can also be used by job seekers as interview practice

The Reality of Interview Testing

Technical testing is now a paramount in many interview processes, yet there remains uncertainty around what a "good" Power BI test should look like. The depth of technical skills required can range widely. Tests I've seen in the industry for this area:

1. Build a Dashboard with data supplied, candidate finds data

2. Build a Dashboard with data supplied, company provides data

3. Fix a Dashboard, company provides .pbix file

These are all implementable with a range of time investments needed to get them running. There'll be a link at the end of this article to one that can be used TODAY.

The Core Areas of Focus

While Power BI is a versatile tool with a broad range of functionalities, interviews often need to hone in on specific key skills. Here are the core areas I recommend focusing on:

1. Data Connectivity: How well can the candidate integrate different data sources?

2. Data Modeling: Does the candidate understand how to design an effective data model?

3. DAX and Measures: Can the candidate perform necessary calculations and aggregations?

4. Insights and Analytics: How effectively can the candidate derive meaningful insights from the data?

5. Visualisation and Presentation: Does the candidate have the skill to present these insights in an understandable, visually appealing way?

The Golden Rule: does the visualisation meet the business scope. e.g. is a question being answered?

Crafting a Fair Test

When developing a technical test for Power BI candidates, here are some general guidelines to consider:

1. Skill Level: Make sure the difficulty of the test aligns with the job role. A test suitable for a junior role shouldn't have the same expectations as that of a senior role.

2. Time Frame: Be respectful of candidates' time. A test should be sufficiently challenging but doable within a reasonable period.

3. Real-world Application: Whenever possible, make the test scenario closely aligned with real-world business problems.

4. Clear Assessment Criteria: Clearly define how you’ll evaluate the results. This is crucial both for fair assessment and for candidates to understand what’s expected of them.

Here's to getting some dashboards like this! Cybersecurity Dash Examples

Technical testing is an indispensable part of hiring for Power BI roles. It provides objective measures of a candidate's capabilities. For employers, it can serve as a valuable tool to sift through the talent pool. For job seekers, it’s an opportunity to showcase their skills and stand out from the crowd.

Looking to implement a Power BI test in less than 10 minutes?

Look here

Visit our GitHub to view the quick an easy solution to get you from 0 to 1 when it comes to interview testing.