If you're not technical yourself, then you might not be able to gauge the efficiency of a candidate's algorithms or critique her code.

But there are still some higher-level, more behavioral things that a non-technical interviewer should be looking for in a strong development candidate:

1. What are some tech blogs that you follow? Explain an interesting article to me that you read from one of them.

The software development world changes all the time. Best practices are constantly evolving and new libraries are regularly released which make developers more productive. If a candidate doesn't keep up with the latest software news, that might be a red flag that they're not curious or trying to improve themselves.

Also, having them explain a technical concept to someone who's non-technical is a great way to gauge their communication skills. Do they seem like someone you could work with and understand easily? Do they care about pausing to make sure you understand, or do they just drone on with jargon? If you feel overwhelmed while they're explaining this answer, imagine how you'll feel when they're telling you why the product has bugs or isn't going to be done on schedule.

2. Tell me about a time you ran into a big roadblock with something you were building. How did you get past it?

It's inevitable that a software developer will get tripped up or have to solve some Gordian Knot. Everyone has to bang their head against the wall from time to time. Maybe an API didn't have the data they needed or some function was running too slow and they weren't sure how to speed it up.

You're looking to see how they are as a problem solver. Did they come up with a clever but hacky solution? Were they methodical or did they fly by the seat of their pants? Did they go back to the stakeholders and see if the feature's requirements were flexible? Did they work on it for hours and hours trying new things? Did they ask for help from colleagues or on the internet?

No right or wrong answers here, but you want to get the sense that this isn't someone who throws up their hands when they hit some friction.

3. Tell me about your favorite project that you worked on. What work are you most proud of?

By asking them about the project they're most proud of, you'll get to see what it is that they value most. Maybe one candidate is most proud of a side project they built, even if it wasn't that technically complex, while another candidate is proud of their esoteric PhD project or some specific algorithm they improved.

Again, no right or wrong answers, it really depends what type of candidate you're looking for. But it lets you see into their mind a bit, and get at some of the aspects that can make someone a strong development candidate.

If you want to talk more specifically about hiring for your team, I'd be happy to do a call!