Assess an operations candidate’s AI automation by examining the workflow it supports and how the candidate verifies its behavior. A working demo does not establish that the process is dependable or appropriate for sensitive work.
The candidate does not need to be a software engineer for every automation role, but the responsibility must match their technical depth and available support.
Review an authorized example
Ask for a public-safe explanation or a fictional demonstration. Do not request private business records, credentials, or access to a former employer’s systems.
Have the candidate explain the input, transformation, output, and human decision points.
Use a workflow review
| Area | Question |
|---|---|
| Purpose | What work does the automation help someone complete? |
| Inputs | Where does information come from, and is it appropriate to use? |
| Verification | How is the output checked before someone relies on it? |
| Exceptions | What happens when data is missing or contradictory? |
| Actions | Which changes require human approval? |
| Maintenance | Who notices failures and updates the workflow? |
| Limits | When should the automation stop or involve a specialist? |
Introduce a fictional failure
Tell the candidate that a generated summary contains a plausible statement absent from the source. Ask how they would detect it, correct the affected output, and reduce recurrence.
Then ask what happens if the automation has already triggered another action. Look for recognition that correcting text may not reverse a downstream effect.
Assess understanding, not tool count
A candidate who can explain a simple workflow’s limits may be better suited to the role than someone with many elaborate demos they cannot troubleshoot.
Ask which parts they built, which parts came from templates, and where they would need engineering help.
Set the role boundary
Specify whether the person will prototype internal workflows, operate approved automations, or build systems others depend on. Higher-consequence uses need the appropriate technical and domain review.
Use the enterprise agent exercise for deeper engineering responsibilities and generalist role charter for scope. Discuss an operations hire with Refery.