HackerEarth

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Insights & Stories by Kumari Trishya

Read Kumari Trishya for deeply reflective takes on automation, AI interviews, and what fair, inclusive hiring could look like in tomorrow’s workplace.

Hiring Strategies

4 Things The Pandemic Taught Us About Diverse Tech Teams

Over the last decade, organizations from all over the world were slowly gaining momentum when it came to diversity and inclusion at the workplace. But studies show that ever since the pandemic hit, the importance of diversity and inclusion slowly took a backseat while organizations focused on more pressing issues at hand.Now that the world is slowly easing back into the pre-COVID life, what can you do, as an employer, to make sure your workforce is diverse and inclusive? Let’s take a look.

What the pandemic taught us about diversity

One way that companies are managing diverse teams is by having employees participate in virtual meetups. We can now see how computers have changed business and how virtual meetups help all members be heard, no matter their location or background.There is no denying that hybrid working is the future. When telecommuting became the new reality, managers who didn't think it was a natural extension of team collaboration were forced to reevaluate and change their approach.

Employers must also take into consideration the fact that some groups are more privileged than others. Organizations should make provisions for additional L&D programs and tech support for these less fortunate workers who might not have the same opportunities in their careers.One of the most important things that the pandemic taught us is the importance of a work-life balance. With the increase in remote and hybrid working, more and more employees found it difficult to disconnect from work and strike a clear distinction between work and home. Working in, and managing diverse teams can often be overwhelming for people without much experience of dealing with differences in personalities, approach, backgrounds, and working styles.The pandemic also taught us the importance of investing in technology that supports diverse and unbiased hiring. Online skills assessment software tools provide fair and objective information about candidates to help managers make better-informed decisions. Interactive tools can also be used to onboard new employees faster by objectively documenting their skill sets and past experiences.

Recommended Read: Remote Hiring And Onboarding Tips For Technical Roles

How to strive for diversity in the workplace during and after the pandemic

Diversity Hiring 101 for Building Diverse Teams

Managing inclusive and diverse teams across cultures can be challenging in times of crisis but with the right approaches and resources, employers can put together and maintain a diverse and inclusive workforce. Following are a few ways in which organizations can continue encouraging diversity and inclusion in the workplace:

1. Remove unintended bias during the hiring process

Hiring managers spend a lot of time and effort trying to find the right employee for their company. This is where employee skill assessment tools come into play: these are tools that hiring managers can use to help determine whether or not potential candidates would be good fits for the roles. Such software developer assessment tests measure variables such as creativity, analytic skills, and teamwork with many questions aimed at determining specific strengths and weaknesses in these areas.Thus, rather than having a biased opinion about an employee due to his/her background, hiring managers can directly assess the skills of the candidate as per their needs.

Recommended read: 7 Steps To Eliminate Unintended Bias In A Hybrid Workplace

2. Invest in technology that supports a hybrid work environment

The role of technology in the workplace is constantly evolving. Telecommuting is rapidly becoming a standard option, with employee work-from-home days being an integral part of employee perks. This brings up great opportunities for companies to attract top talent by offering flexible work options, but can also create new consequences regarding employee productivity, company culture, and company images.Today's workforce must be equipped with the right tools that will allow them to thrive in their roles as remote employees.

3. Focus on the overall wellness of employees

Employees want to be valued for more than their professional lives, yet companies don’t always give them the opportunity to succeed in other areas outside of work. Today's workforce wants options that allow them to balance being productive at work with being physically and mentally fit. Companies can provide employees with flex schedules, exercise facilities, employee assistance programs (EAPs), employee education funds for mental health seminars, employee skills assessment tools to upskill, etc.With this increase in employee loyalty and productivity will come an increase in company reputation and customer satisfaction.

4. Conduct learning and development programs for continued learning

Learning and development programs allow employees time to hone their skills or learn new ones related to their current job role or even find novel ways to use existing skills in new ways. By providing continued learning for employees, companies are not only increasing employee satisfaction but also employee competence which benefits employee retention rates.Employee education is becoming more accessible than ever before, thanks to modern-day software tools like HackerEarth. With HackerEarth, you can continuously assess developers across 41+ programming languages and 80+ skills. Being the most advanced assessment platform out there to accurately analyze their progress, you get accurate reports on each candidate with highly detailed analysis!

Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic, many companies are still struggling to provide employees with the support they need. This is particularly true while managing diverse teams of groups of workers, who have had a hard time both at work and outside of it. With the above methods, companies can move one step closer to creating a truly diverse and inclusive workplace.

DEI Hiring

What Recruiters Forecast For Tech Hiring

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a record-breaking 2.9% of the workforce quit their jobs in August 2021 to seek better opportunities. Many are demanding increased flexibility in their employment search—from remote and hybrid options to more work-life balance—as companies are desperate to fill roles.

HackerEarth’s 2021 State of Developer Recruitment Report is based on survey data from around 2,500 engineering managers and HR professionals from 79 countries; across industries including technology, pharmaceutical, retail, automobile, construction, banking, media, finance, and insurance. The report aims to outline the best practices for hiring professionals and developer candidates and determine what the post-pandemic hiring landscape looks like.

Here are some of the important tech hiring trends we forecast for 2022 based on our survey:

Doing away with the ‘generalist’ approach to hiring

Before the pandemic, we would hear a lot of recruiters talk about the ‘black hole’ in tech hiring. While the final veto on hiring a candidate lay with the CTOs and engineering managers, the lack of a proper communication channel between recruiters and tech hiring managers meant that many companies took a ‘generalist’ approach to hiring.

In 2022, companies are coming back to hybrid work with a very specific agenda - make business future-proof, update legacy tech stacks for flexibility; and adopt trustless, permission-less systems that do not require central governance. The use of AI will deepen across sectors - even verticals that have not traditionally been AI-dependent will open up to the use of smart machines for improved functioning.

Our survey shows that companies need to update about 42% of their legacy tech stack to make businesses impervious to rapid technological and process changes such as the one we saw in 2020. Many companies are looking to make architectural changes in their tech stack which is also one of the reasons why hiring top talent is so crucial in the coming year.

It is therefore important to hire based on data insights. Recruiters should create a specific profile or candidate personas for each role. This should highlight the outcome expected from the role, the competencies required from the candidate, the assumed interests and needs for each specific role. These details can be used to create a competency framework that aligns with the ‘persona’. Only then, do you get down to the business of hiring.

Dealing with attrition

2021 brought us the ‘Great Resignation’. A Forbes from April last year piece shows how employee burnout increased from 43% in 2020 to over 52% in 2021. It’s safe to assume the number must have grown over time.

Burnout needs to be addressed promptly and before your teammates start to leave for companies that put more emphasis on their ‘wellbeing’. As this survey from Microsoft points out, high productivity should not be a reason to ignore the emotional and mental wellbeing of our employees. One of every 5 employees feels that their company does not prioritize their work-life balance and over 54% feel overworked. Giving employees the choice and flexibility to pick their own work hours, location, might help in stemming some of this tide. However, proper processes need to be put in place to ensure developers do not feel pressured to overachieve.

It’s also important to note that employees have voiced concerns about the lack of training among managers to handle the hybrid new work paradigm. Yes, we have talked ad hominem about empathy and being ‘flexible’, but changing from a work model which revolves around a specific time and place, to an ‘anywhere, anytime’ model needs more than that. Flexibility is undoubtedly the number 1 reason employees are leaving current jobs for the ones that offer them the choice to work remotely, and without the constraints of time.

Protecting diversity when hiring at scale

The upsurge of hiring demands in 2022, and the aftermath of the Great Resignation, has shown us that there’s far too much demand for the average qualified developer. The priority is hiring someone, over hiring that perfect diverse candidate. Diversity as a criterion might just be an added burden in the current recruiting process.Our year-end survey shows us that in an ideal world, over 30% of recruiters would never compromise on candidate quality to fill a role. Compare this with 35% of engineering managers who said they would make the compromise to hire faster. When it comes to diversity though, recruiters are slightly split between wanting to hire diverse candidates and filling roles early. An overwhelming number of engineering managers, though, care more about shipping code than building diverse teams.

Candidate quality statistics - State of Development Recruitment Report 2021 - HackerEarth

Candidate quality statistics - State of Development Recruitment Report 2021 - HackerEarth

The spotlight is therefore on the HR leaders to uphold diversity mandates, and keep the focus on skills when hiring in such large numbers. Two years of statistics have proven that the pandemic disproportionately affects labor outcomes for minority groups. The focus areas for companies should include updating their brand research and outreach initiatives and integrate with grassroots communities. There is an imminent need to adapt policies, benefits, and messaging to the current market and prioritize diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in talent attraction and retention.

Also Read: 7 Steps To Eliminate Bias In A Hybrid Workplace

Tech hiring tools will rule the roost

When the pen-and-paper assessment method went out the window in 2020, tech hiring tools replaced the traditional.

One can argue that a tech interview can be done over a Zoom call, and candidates can showcase their coding experience via their resumes. However, there are proven benefits to using dedicated hiring tools. In our survey, companies that use assessment tools for their tech hiring reported a more standardized process. The process is also more objective, and more accurate. Neither engineering managers nor recruiters seem to be paying much mind to the fact that technical skill assessment software can also reduce TTH and CTH; proving that in most cases they care more about the bigger picture than immediate gains.

The survey also highlights the pains of using multiple tools/platforms when conducting a tech interview. Most of the time, candidates use a video calling tool, along with a code editor to be able to showcase their skills live. This is in stark contrast to our findings from our annual Developer Survey , where over 40% of coders said that they would like to be interviewed via dedicated interview platforms.

Of late, recruiters have come to recognize the importance of candidate experience during interviews. Companies that have taken the initiative to integrate tech hiring tools in their processes see the benefits in a more homogeneous, and equitable hiring environment. Using coding interview tools also helps provide a better candidate experience for developers and ties in with their expectations from interviewers.

The takeaways

2022 might not have started exactly the way we hoped (hello Omicron!), but the insights we have gained over the last two years remain. The empathy and people-first approach we have used to navigate the pandemic so far needs to continue, and maybe even stepped up in some cases. Coming back to some sense of normalcy in the shape of hybrid work might be nice, but it needs to be done with patience and with keeping employee welfare at the forefront.Leadership teams need to address difficult topics like burnout, and work-life balance, when discussing retention strategies. They also need to ensure that DEI does not take a backseat when it comes to hiring.The gains - both big and small - accrued over the last two years should not be let go of in the face of the high numbers and targets that the tech recruiting community is faced with in 2022.

Tech Assessment

How To Hire Tech Talent When You Don’t Have A Technical Background

You are reading this, nodding your head because you have been there before. You've tried hiring tech talent when you yourself do not have a technical background and it has been a total nightmare. You do not know where to start, how to assess their skills, or even if they are qualified for the position! Don’t worry—we got you.In this blog post, we will outline some technical recruiting tips on how to successfully hire tech talent even if you do not have a technical background. Let's get started!

If you're an entrepreneur

Seek help from your co-founder or Chief Technical Officer(CTO). In this day and age, it's not uncommon for companies to have a CTO. They're often responsible for making sure that everything from technology decisions to project management is handled with care, and sometimes they even look into more than just these two things.

Technical co-founders or CTOs can be invaluable in helping your company succeed because they understand the technology inside out which means less time wasted on research missions while recruiting tech talent!

If you're a recruiter or hiring manager

If you're from the hiring team, the best thing to do while hiring tech talent is to ensure that individuals who are specialists in that field are involved in the hiring process.If you want someone who can do a specific programming language, involve the experts in that field and ask them about their knowledge on job descriptions for different languages.

Recommended read: 3 Skills For Digital Transformation and How To Hire For Them

Tips for Hiring Tech Talent As A Non-Technical Recruiter

Tech Hiring Challenges - What NOT To Do When Recruiting Fresh Talent

Let them know what position they'll be applying for

Talk about the position - Give a link to the applicants for them to learn more about it. This gives them insight into what they can expect if hired and also helps you stay updated on their applications.

Be sure of what type of skills you need exactly

We all have different needs when it comes to hiring tech talent. What do you really need from them? For example, if your team needs an innovator with less experience in programming languages but who is motivated by solving technical problems and building products, then you should look for candidates that meet these criteria over somebody more specialized towards one particular skill set (even though this may be what they're most qualified in).

Have a standardized list of questions ready

Standardized hiring processes are great for reducing bias and putting together not just a skilled, but also a diverse and inclusive team. While there is a wide range of DevOps interview questions out on the web, your questions should be tailored to specific skills needed for this job. If you need fast-paced developers who can work quickly and efficiently in an agile environment then it won't help greatly if we come up with long lists containing very math-based queries - after all, they would only test what already exists within their abilities.A better idea would involve researching such jobs and talking to CTOs or team leads before crafting your own list of questions. It may require hiring managers to conduct some manual research of their own for questions that feel more suited to your company's needs.

Avoid yes or no questions

To get a sense of how experienced the candidate is, avoid leading questions like "Have you used Eclipse or Java before?" Instead, ask open-ended queries that will lead them into giving more detailed answers that will help you analyze their skills and problem-solving acumen.

Conduct virtual coding assessments

While hiring tech talent, non-technical hiring managers are often faced with the challenge of determining whether or not candidates have what it takes to work in their profession. Resumes might not always paint the complete picture, and asking questions solely on the basis of resumes could cost your company precious time and resources.Instead, conduct online coding tests via a reliable pre-employment testing software that can assess candidates accurately. Tech hiring platforms have a whole bunch of features that make it easy even for somebody with a non-technical background to pick out the top candidates. From a library of tech questions to automated leaderboards that highlight top talent, these platforms have all the tools you need to come to a hiring decision.

Recommended read: How To Create An Automated Assessment With HackerEarth

Recruiting Top Tech Talent Just Got Easier With HackerEarth

HackerEarth is the ultimate recruiting software for finding top-notch developers that will help you not only source tech talent but also hire, onboard, and upskill them along the way.Our assessments include -

1. 80+ skills with 13,000+ questions at your disposal

You can now create highly accurate coding assessments with minimal technical know-how using the rich library of questions available on HackerEarth Assessments. If needed, you also get access to custom-made ones for specific needs and requirements.

2. Project type problem questions

When simulating on-the-job problems, it is important to ask different types of queries. We provide you with 12 question sets that include project-type inquiries as well.

3. Automated invigilation

HackerEarth's automated invigilation helps you create robust proctors with powerful image processing and reporting. It also allows for customized settings that ensure completely fair assessments, eliminating any chance of impersonation or copying code from one assessment to another.

4. Real time code editor with Jupyter Notebooks integration

It has a real time code editor with 40+ languages that can be programmed in, Jupyter Notebooks integration to make it easier on you when collaborating between teams or simply saving your work offline without the worry of losing data if there's an internet connection failure which makes the tech recruiting process more manageable. And most importantly - HackerEarth assessments are highly dev-friendly.

5. Detailed Reporting

HackerEarth provides you with a detailed report on each candidate’s performance with insight-rich details that highlight their strengths and weaknesses in coding.

6. Facecode

FaceCode is a revolutionary tech hiring platform that lets you easily invite and conduct coding interviews on a real-time editor and also automates your summary notes.

With FaceCode, you'll never have to juggle more than one tool during your coding interview. A state-of-the-art collaborative code editor for all programming needs, it comes equipped with a built-in question library, a diagram board, and more. It has an HD video chat facility as well.

Hiring processes can be lengthy and time-consuming, but with the right tools, you can simplify them and find fresh talent that will help propel your business forward. Remember the above tips when searching for a new developer so you can hire someone who fits your company’s needs and culture!

DEI Hiring

Tips to Identify and Remove Unintended Bias In the Assessment Process

If you are reading this article, you are probably looking to make your tech recruitment process more equitable and fair. Over the years, several developers have called out the unintended bias involved in the coding assessment process. It’s hard to accept the reality of inherent biases because it always exists unconsciously in the form of racism, ageism, and sexism.Sometimes, recruiters obscure the fact that they are prejudiced in their assessment practices. A lot of the time, these biases stem from a lack of awareness and can be stemmed easily. Here are a few tips that can help you, and your managers, conduct a bias-free assessment the next time.

How To Avoid Bias In Tech Assessments

Awareness of what's happening is crucial

The vital step to solve any issue is to know what's happening in the first place. The same applies to a biased assessment process. Try to analyze the assessment in detail by discussing it with your team. Understand how the assessment is prepared, starting with how it is conducted, and how the test results are evaluated. Look for signs of bias in each of these steps.Once you identify the root cause, see if you can conduct awareness campaigns in your company to help your staff learn more about unconscious bias in the assessment process. This will go a long way in establishing transparency in your team and motivate them to take corrective steps collectively.

Recommended read: Recruiters Vs Bias – Who’s Winning This War?

Keep an eye on the job descriptions

Job descriptions play an essential role in any assessment process irrespective of the domain. It is important to keep a close eye on them to nip bias in the bud. The job description should never be inclined towards a particular gender, race, or orientation. It should always be gender-neutral and promote a sense of inclusiveness and inclusivity.Moreover, if your job description looks like a laundry list of must-haves, then you stand to scare away a big chunk of interested candidates. This too is a manifestation of bias where recruiters think an ideal candidate is someone who checks an exhaustive list of boxes. There needs to be a clear demarcation between must-have skills, and good-to-have skills in the job description so that it allows room for a diverse set of developers to apply for the role.

Recommended read: A Checklist For Writing Job Postings That Actually Work

Conduct mock interviews

While there is no exact structured method to eliminate bias in the assessment process, mock interview ‘drills’ can be helpful. Biases often creep in because of stereotypes and short-sighted perspectives. As a manager, you can conduct mock interviews for your recruiters and take them through the motions of potential employees for a given role. If they are hiring more candidates of the same gender, race, or ethnicity, there could be a high chance that the assessment process at your organization is biased. Understanding how certain stereotypes can influence your team’s decisions can help you find the best measures to weed them out.

Make skill tests a must

Skill tests can be a great way to uncover biased assessment processes. Shortlist potential candidates and direct your team to send a skill test to candidates before hiring them. This helps assess the expertise of the interviewees. Ensure that the questions sent out are spontaneous or digitally generated to avoid potential malpractice.

Pay attention to ‘how’ you ask your questions

Pay attention to what your recruiters ask a candidate during the assessment process as these questions could trigger the candidate. For instance, the interviewer might decide to break the ice with a joke, which they find amusing. The candidate may find it off-color and racial. Comments about a candidate’s caste, sex, race, or color should not feature in any interviews. If a candidate has listed their preferred pronouns, then be considerate enough to address them in their chosen manner.While it is hard to always be politically correct, there can be directives laid out to ensure boundaries are not crossed.

The first impression can be the best impression, but not always

The first impression is always the best impression but it might not be true when hiring a candidate from an underprivileged background. An interviewer can be too quick to judge an interviewee based on a single interaction, without checking for a skill fit.As a manager, if you feel a recruiter is too quick to reject a candidate, you can always object and conduct another round of interviews.

Weigh the eligibility criteria

Unconscious bias in assessments makes recruiters choose a candidate based on a single quality while ignoring several other factors. For instance, a recruiter might choose a candidate just because they had a pleasant conversation with them over the phone. In such scenarios, communication skills overshadow other qualifications like the technical skill set that is expected, knowledge of programming languages, diligence, and discipline.This is where it is hard to notice one's own bias in the assessment process. The best way to avoid it is to let your recruiters be accountable for a weighted evaluation of the candidates, where equal importance is given to every aspect mentioned in the job description.

Equality is important

Always provide equal hiring opportunities across genders. Never decide the wage based on gender; conduct negotiations based on a candidate’s previous experience and last drawn salary. Remuneration can often be a point of contention in the workforce, so show your employees that you value them by being non-judgemental and fair when talking about money. This encourages them to perform at their best.Now that you know about the root causes of bias in the assessment process and the countermeasures you can take to eliminate them, let’s get to how HackerEarth can help you conduct unbiased assessments.

Here Is How You Can Conduct Fair Assessment Tests With HackerEarth

HackerEarth is an online platform that offers tools for remote hiring, onboarding, upskilling and engaging developers. With our platform's help, several companies have built advanced technical teams that empowered them to win accolades and respect in the IT industry.What makes HackerEarth different?

FaceCode platform to conduct real-time technical assessments
Comprehensive, convenient, and easy to deploy test framework
24*7 customer care support to answer all your queries
Unique assessments for university or remote hiring

Here Is How You Can Conduct Fair Assessment Tests With HackerEarth

With HackerEarth, you can -

Attract potential employees

The platform has an innovative assessment process and conducts various coding tests to attract potential talent and reward them. Many skilled coders and developers enroll in these tests and get rewarded. On HackerEarth, the more rewards a candidate earns from the platform, the higher their coding caliber. This provides companies with an easy way to hire the best talent.

Conduct screening tests and real-time coding interviews

Choose us as your assessment process partner and get instant access to thousands of technical assignments that can help you evaluate developers using advanced coding assessments. We conduct virtual coding interviews for candidates with the help of our unique real-time code editor. This can help you test the candidates' spontaneity and problem-solving skills.

Upskill your employees

When you choose us as your assessment partner, you will get to conduct timely assessment tests right after an employee joins your company. This can help leverage the technical skills of your employees faster as it speeds up onboarding them to new projects.

Engage with developers

We set the proper engagement path to entice tech talent globally using innovative assessment tests that are based on deep industry knowledge and experience.For more details on HackerEarth, get in touch with us. We are just a call, text, or mail away. Hope this blog has helped you to learn everything you need to eliminate bias during the assessment process. Stay tuned for our next blog.

Until then, Happy Coding!

AI Recruiting

Top Developers Point Out 4 Mistakes With Tech Hiring Assessments

Tech recruiting can get a bit dull at times. That’s when I turn to my tried-and-tested source of humor - Dilbert. A laugh-and-a-half helps me remember why I love doing this job - because it matters! I enjoy talking to recruiters and hiring managers and writing about real-life tech hiring problems and their solutions. Here's a recent Dilbert strip I chanced across while working on this piece.

Tech Assessments - Dilbert Cartoon

So, let’s talk about the problem at hand - Assessments - and the many ways in which recruiters can get it wrong. (Not intentionally, of course. No offense meant, amigos! I’ll leave that to Dilbert and his ilk :))

The Unintentional Mistakes Recruiters Make With Tech Assessments

Finding good tech talent is every recruiter’s dream. Sometimes, it can feel like you’re doing everything right; and yet the results are not coming in. We have asked this question to many recruiter friends and they say that many times, the problem lies in the assessment phase of the hiring funnel.Tech assessments sound simple, right? Send a developer a problem statement, ask them to hand in code submissions, review the code and voila! You have a match. In reality, quite a few things can go awry with your tech assessments. Let’s take a look:

1. Long Tech Assessments = Time Sink

Tech hiring is known to be a notoriously long process. However, before you send in another tech assessment that requires days to complete, ask yourself if that’s really necessary. The longer a take-home assessment requires to finish, the less likely it is that the candidate will complete it.Assume that candidates interested in your role are also talking to other companies, many of which will require them to complete take-home projects. As such their projects will stack up, and if your candidates are also working full-time jobs, they simply won't have enough time to complete long projects for free. Additionally, good engineers know how much their time is worth—asking for hours of free code is going to lead experienced engineers to drop off.

So, what can you do to reduce drop offs? Respect your candidate’s time. Keep your assessments short and timely as much as possible. If a certain role requires a long take-home project then consider making it a paid project to retain interest, and to not let the developer feel like their time has been taken for granted.

2. Take Home Assessments + Onsite = Too Many Expectations!

Many companies combine take-home assessments with an onsite test as well. For engineering candidates, this can turn out to be a severely demoralizing experience. Imagine spending hours on a take-home to showcase their best efforts, only to be called into an onsite interview where the manager clearly has no clue about your skills because they never looked at your submission.Recruiters in today’s day and age cannot expect candidates to be at their beck and call. If a take-home needs to be coupled with an onsite assessment, then begin by clearly defining these expectations during the initial screening round. If an engineer is walking through your office doors (virtual or otherwise) for an onsite project, they respect the time they put into the project.

How can you make the onsite experience better for your candidates? First up, understand if your candidate is ready for this. With the pandemic, many of us have become caregivers for our families, and it may not be possible for every candidate to dedicate extra time for both a take-home and an onsite test. If they do agree to an onsite, use the opportunity wisely to see how they integrate with the team. Talk through their code-writing process with them, understand their decision-making process, and become privy to how they think about software.
Don’t, and I repeat - don’t, make it just another hoop for them to jump through.

3. Picking Resumes Over Assessments for Lateral Hires

One of the biggest mistakes many recruiters and hiring managers make when selecting lateral hires is the decision to skip assessments for experienced developers. Sometimes this decision can also be taken in order to prevent any discord - experienced developers have been known to take offense at being asked to ‘prove’ their skill.Allow me to present an analogy - the recipe for baking cake is the same, innit, but not every chef cooks up the exact same dish. Oven temperatures differ. Techniques change. Even the minutest of alterations in the recipe can provide for amazing differences.

So while it’s true that experienced devs come with a proven skill-set, it does not automatically make them the right fit for your team. Technical assessments are a proven way of judging for this ‘team fit’, and you should not gloss over it just because someone has an impressive resume.

What is the secret to using technical assessments for better lateral hiring? When hiring experienced developers you are not looking at problem-solving ability, or a skill fit. Your candidate already has that. What you need to check from a hiring perspective, is what it would be like if the candidate worked on your production code in real time. The closer the prospect’s project is to the real work you and your team does, the better the signal that they are the right choice for your team.

4. Using Manual Reviews Without Proper Benchmarks

There’s proven data to show that top talent is ‘off the market’ within 10 days of them becoming ‘available’. There is a very small window to attract the best of the best, and the scope for errors is nil.Now, imagine you’re a recruiter trying to tap into this talent pool. You spend a couple of days talking to and screening candidates. Then you send across a 2-day project to a candidate. On submission, you can email it across to your hiring manager for review. The manual review takes another two days. By this time, a week has already passed and you just have 3 days to schedule interviews, and make an offer. Another company that uses automated assessments gets the edge over you because they used a much more efficient method of assessing and evaluating candidates. Developer Hiring Statistics - hackerEarth

Developer Hiring Statistics - hackerEarth

Automation ensures speed, accuracy, and an objective bias-free evaluation process where every developer is assessed according to standardized benchmarks. Apart from efficiency, automated assessments are also beneficial in removing errors during manual reviews. In short, by using automated assessments over manual reviews you are creating an error-free process where only the top skills filter through.

Creating The Perfect Tech Assessment

We’ve spoken to many tech recruiters over the years to understand what makes a good coding assessment. Here’s what we gathered:

A good coding assessment is true to the role at hand, and is customized to assess the exact skills required for the role. You cannot hire exceptional people with generic assessments.
It needs to be standardized. So, if there are 20 applicants for a given role, all 20 should be asked to take the exact same test, so that the results can be benchmarked.
A good coding assessment should provide a more accurate work sample than whiteboard interviews or timed challenges can ever do.
With a take-home coding assessment, the key is to allow the candidate to out their best foot forward. The assumption is that by taking the test in the comfort of their homes at their own convenience, they will be under less pressure and will perform better. So, there should not be an element of unwanted stress by making the assessment more complex than is necessary.
At all times, it is imperative to RESPECT the candidate, their time, and their skills. If you’re asking them to code for 10 days for free, that’s not the hallmark of a good employer.
Using automated assessment tools and question templates can go a long way in helping you make your assessment process error-free. At the end of it all, do remember that while there may not be a one-size-fits all solution, there are some tenets that will remain permanent.

Don’t use the take-home assessment as ‘just another step’ in the hiring process. Use it wisely, so you can save time in the interview process, and not lose out on hiring the top talent due to inefficient processes. A well-crafted technical assessment can help you better evaluate your talent pool, and take some of the stress off of your hiring managers -- but it works well only when you remember to respect and stay invested in your candidates.

AI Recruiting

Complete Coding Assessment Guide - Definition, Advantages, and Best Practices

Finding the right talent to fill a vacancy always poses a unique set of challenges. Most hiring processes and coding assessments, while having their advantages, are inherently flawed. There are many talented individuals who may never receive the right opportunity. Conversely, there are also many job posts that are filled with people that are unsuitable for the role.

Resumes can’t always be trusted, which is why it is important to have interviews and assessments. This way, you can accurately gauge the level of skill and expertise possessed by a potential candidate for hire.

When it comes to the technical hiring process, the importance of a coding assessment cannot be understated. Coding assessments are a way of evaluating the technical talent of an individual. The challenge of how to test coding skills needs to be solved as it can negatively impact the entire hiring process if it’s not set up correctly.

What is a coding assessment?

A coding assessment is a structured evaluation process where individuals are tested on their programming skills and problem-solving capabilities. It typically comprises coding challenges, algorithms, and real-world problem scenarios that aim to gauge the candidate’s proficiency in writing, analyzing, and debugging code.

These assessments are prevalent in technical hiring processes, where companies aim to measure the competence of prospective candidates in specific programming languages or tools, and in education settings where students’ understanding of coding concepts is evaluated.

In essence, coding assessments provide a more objective means of evaluating technical talent. Rather than relying solely on a candidate’s credentials or self-reported skills, recruiters and educators can gain a firsthand view of their actual coding prowess.

How to conduct a successful coding assessment

Be concise – It is impossible to test every area of a candidate’s knowledge of coding. This means that employers must prioritize certain skills and knowledge over others to arrive at an accurate assessment. High-level candidates are aware that they have plenty of opportunities, which is why they typically do not concern themselves with taking lengthy assessments.

Maintain objectivity – Creating an in-house coding assessment platform is something that many companies that are hiring, are willing to do. It is a common practice to design a custom coding assessment process that can’t even be solved by members of the hiring team! Custom coding assessments generally create more problems than solutions.

Narrow it down – When conducting a general coding assessment, ask yourself whether algorithmic knowledge is really required for a given role. If yes, can you measure the extent of knowledge that is required for the job? Also, try to understand the demographic that you are trying to target. Is it an industry-experienced coder you need, or a graduate fresh out of college? Answering these questions will give you a broad view of the qualities you want in a candidate.

Cover a range of topics – The tech stack required for any role keeps morphing constantly. Coding assessment platforms should cover new and pre-existing programming languages, advent in technology, and skill requirements to tackle the modern coding battlefield.

Avoid time sinks – Most candidates will not have a huge chunk of time to spend on coding assessments. This is why it is better to use assessments that can be completed within an hour. It is also beneficial to frame direct questions so that candidates can focus on how to answer them, as opposed to spending too much time deconstructing what the question implies.

Coding Assessment Platform Benefits - HackerEarth

Benefits of selecting candidates based on coding assessments

Optimal use of organizational resources – The recruitment process in any industry generally proves to be lengthy and arduous. This is because of the numerous steps procedures to be followed, as well as the fact that at the end of it all, landing the perfect candidate isn’t a given. Using the right technical screening tools can help you reduce the burden on your workforce by creating a more efficient recruitment process.

Retention of skilled individuals – Employees that possess a highly specialized skill set are aware that there is no lack of opportunities for them. A well-constructed coding assessment platform ensures that the skills of a potential candidate are noticed early on. Based on this assessment, recruiters can accurately gauge the right compensation and incentives for the role.

Scientific hiring process – Coding assessment practices ensure that the selection you make is based on hard facts and data. This means that there is a proper, structured method of finding the right talent by doing away with haphazard methods that do not paint an accurate picture.

Unbiased selection – It is all too common for managers and employers to select candidates based on favorable interactions, smooth communication, and shared interests. Unfortunately, this can lead to organizations choosing the wrong individuals to fill vacancies, as the selection is done solely based on the positivity of interaction between employer and candidate, and not much else. Coding skills assessments go a long way in aiding companies to make better choices when it comes to handling their hiring processes. It is essential that organizations select the right coding assessment platforms.

Quotes from developers on coding assessments

Choosing a coding assessment platform—What should you look for?

Diverse question library: A rich set of questions spanning various difficulty levels and categories ensures that you can tailor assessments to the specific skills you’re looking to evaluate.

Customization: The tool should allow you to create custom challenges that reflect real-world scenarios relevant to your industry or specific job role. On HackerEarth Assessments, engineering managers can add their own custom questions in the tests to make the process realistic and relevant to their industry.

Automated code evaluation: Immediate feedback is vital. Choose tools that can automatically evaluate code for correctness and efficiency, delivering instant results. On HackerEarth, for instance, the code submissions are automatically evaluated by our AI-driven engine and the results are benchmarked against previous submissions. This helps interviewers shortlist candidates easily and provide necessary feedback on their performance.

Plagiarism detection: Ensure the tool has robust plagiarism-checking features to maintain the integrity of the assessment. With the advent of ChatGPT, companies also have to look out for candidates using AI tools for answering test questions. HackerEarth Assessments has a new feature called Smart Browser which prevents this from occurring.

IDE (Integrated Development Environment) Features: An intuitive IDE with features like code auto-completion, syntax highlighting, and error prompts can enhance the candidateexperience. Most coders use an IDE to create code on a daily basis and are familiar with it. Providing the same during and assessments puts them at ease, and allows them a fair shot at the test.

Multi-language support: Given the diverse range of programming languages, it’s essential that the tool supports assessing candidates in multiple languages.

Reporting and analytics: Comprehensive reports detailing candidate performance, areas of strength, and areas needing improvement can be invaluable for making informed decisions.

Scalability: If you’re assessing large numbers of candidates simultaneously, the tool should be able to handle the load without any glitches or slowdowns.

Integration capabilities: A good coding assessment tool should seamlessly integrate with your existing HRM (Human Resource Management) or LMS (Learning Management System) solutions.

Security: Ensure the tool maintains high standards of data privacy and security, adhering to relevant regulations and best practices.

Mobile compatibility: In today’s digital age, many candidates may opt to take assessments on mobile devices. Ensure the tool offers a smooth mobile experience.

Customer support: Reliable customer support can be a lifesaver, especially when dealing with technical issues or requiring guidance on best practices. HackerEarth offers 24*7 support across all geographies so that recruiting teams can hire faster and easier.

How to Create the perfect coding assessments with HackerEarth

HackerEarth is an online coding assessment platform and technical screening tool that allows organizations to design specific tests and evaluate candidates to find the right individuals to employ.

These reasons set HackerEarth apart from its competitors:

Versatility – Create customized tests in just a few minutes
Wide reach – Scale the hiring process over a large region by enabling multiple recruiters to hire candidates
Futuristic – Automate the evaluation process to screen for the best candidates
Economical – Reduce the burden on the organization by bringing down manual effort and repetition
Scientific – Create reports on the performance of candidates for further analysis and evaluation
Diversity – Design and implement assessments using over 35 programming languages

Streamline your recruitment process with HackerEarth

HackerEarth enables recruitment teams to streamline their processes, thus bringing down turnaround rates drastically. Performance reports further allow recruitment teams to break down and analyze micro-details, such as the time in which the assessment was completed, replaying the keystrokes used while coding, and so much more. Organizations that use HackerEarth as a coding assessment platform observe a marked rise in the quality of candidates ready for hire. The interview-to-hire ratio was drastically improved in these cases.

Why choose HackerEarth?

HackerEarth has one of the largest databases of questions to choose from when it comes to designing coding skills assessments. The platform also supports international languages making it easier for recruiters to hire across geographies

Additionally, HackerEarth secures the privacy of candidates by masking personally identifiable information in video interviews. Going by these features, it is easy to see why HackerEarth is one of the most highly-rated and trusted coding assessment platforms on the market today. Get in touch with us to learn more.