DEI Hiring

2025 is here, and it is time to look ahead. Start planning your tech hiring needs as per your business requirements, revamp your recruiting processes, and come up with creative ways to land that perfect “unicorn candidate”!

Right? Well, jumping in blindly without heeding what this year holds for you can be a mistake. So before you put together your plans, ask yourselves this—What are the most important 2025 recruiting trends in tech hiring that you should be prepared for? What are the predictions that will shape this year?

We went around and posed three important questions to industry experts that were on our minds. And what they had to say certainly gave us some food for thought!

Before we dive in, allow me to introduce you to our expert panel of six, who had so much to say from personal experience!

Radoslav Stankov has more than 20 years of experience working in tech. He is currently head of engineering at Product Hunt. Enjoys blogging, conference speaking, and solving problems.

Mike “Batman” Cohen is the Founder of Wayne Technologies which is a Sourcing-as-a-Service company. It provides Recruitment Data and Candidate Outreach services and aims to elevate the talent acquisition journey.

Pamela Ilieva is the Director of International Recruitment at Shortlister, a platform for connecting employers to wellness, benefits, and HR tech vendors.

Brian H. Hough is a Web2 and Web3 software engineer, AWS Community Builder, host of the Tech Stack Playbook™️ YouTube channel/podcast, a 5-time global hackathon winner, and a tech content creator with 10k+ followers.

Steve O’Brien serves as Senior Vice President, Talent Acquisition at Syneos Health where he leads a global team of the world’s best recruiters hiring talent in over 30 countries and engaging markets in over 24 languages. He has nearly twenty years of diversified recruitment experience.

Patricia (Sonja Sky) Gatlin is a New York Times featured activist, DEI Specialist, EdTechie, and Founder of Newbies in Tech. She has worked 10+ years in Higher Education and 3+ years in Tech. She’s recently merged the two fields and currently works part-time as a Diversity Lead sourcing and recruiting STEM professionals to teach gifted students. She aims to inspire people, and become a Chief Diversity Officer and Tech influencer.

Let’s get to it, shall we?

Overview of the upcoming tech industry landscape in 2024

Continued emphasis on remote work and flexibility: As we move into 2024, the tech industry is expected to continue embracing remote work and flexible schedules. This trend, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, has proven to be more than a temporary shift. Companies are finding that remote work can lead to increased productivity, a broader talent pool, and better work-life balance for employees. As a result, recruiting strategies will likely focus on leveraging remote work capabilities to attract top talent globally.

Rising demand for AI and Machine Learning Skills: Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) continue to be at the forefront of technological advancement. In 2024, these technologies are expected to become even more integrated into various business processes, driving demand for professionals skilled in AI and ML. Companies will likely prioritize candidates with expertise in these areas, and there may be an increased emphasis on upskilling existing employees to meet this demand.

Increased focus on cybersecurity: With the digital transformation of businesses, cybersecurity remains a critical concern. The tech industry in 2024 is anticipated to see a surge in the need for cybersecurity professionals. Companies will be on the lookout for talent capable of protecting against evolving cyber threats and ensuring data privacy.

Growth in cloud computing and edge computing: Cloud computing continues to grow, but there is also an increasing shift towards edge computing – processing data closer to where it is generated. This shift will likely create new job opportunities and skill requirements, influencing recruiting trends in the tech industry.

Sustainable technology and green computing: The global emphasis on sustainability is pushing the tech industry towards green computing and environmentally friendly technologies. In 2024, companies may seek professionals who can contribute to sustainable technology initiatives, adding a new dimension to tech recruiting.

Emphasis on soft skills: While technical skills remain paramount, soft skills like adaptability, communication, and problem-solving are becoming increasingly important. Companies are recognizing the value of these skills in fostering innovation and teamwork, especially in a remote or hybrid work environment.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI): There is an ongoing push towards more diverse and inclusive workplaces. In 2024, tech companies will likely continue to strengthen their DEI initiatives, affecting how they recruit and retain talent.

6 industry experts predict the 2025 recruiting trends

#1 We’ve seen many important moments in the tech industry this year; such as the wave of quiet quitting, and tech companies standing up for their female employees against Roe vs. Wade. Do you foresee any of these carrying over to 2025 and why?

Rado: In my opinion, a lot of those will carry over. I felt this was a preparation year for what was to come. I expect next year to have a lot of turmoil. There is still a raging war in Europe, the economy is a stretch team, and for the first time since the dot-com, bubble tech is not out of this.

Mike: I wish I had the crystal ball for this, but I hope that when the market starts picking up again (rapidly I’m inclined to think) that companies will have to adopt more and higher levels of support for the employees as it relates to culture, DEI, and general happiness. As competition picks back up for top candidates across the board, especially in high-tech, what we’ve learned and where the market has been heading since 2020 will play an even bigger and more important role in the attraction and retention of talent.

Pamela: Quiet quitting has been here way before 2022, and it is here to stay if organizations and companies with poor management and leadership are unwilling to inspire and motivate people. The only difference I see in 2025 is that some small part of those poorly managed companies will become more aware of the reality that quiet quitting is happening in their backyard. Tech companies are now setting the trends for creating benefits policies that protect everyone equally, and this won’t be any different in 2025.

Also, read: What Tech Companies Need To Know About Quiet Quitting

Brian: Yes, absolutely. In the 2022 Edelman Trust Barometer report, the global agency surveyed more than 36k+ people across 28 countries, and out of this pool, almost 1 in every 2 people interviewed said they see government and media as divisive forces. We as a global population are looking at increasing levels of our local, national, and global companies, nonprofits, communities, and organizations to be champions for our rights, ideologies, and values.

On the other hand, the report also found that people do not think businesses are doing enough to solve society’s issues, be that climate change; economic inequality; healthcare; wellness; diversity, equity, inclusion; reskilling; and many more. For people to work at their best, their (company) environments will need to be supportive and conducive to their growth, optimization, and potential. The companies that find a way to balance business growth and personal growth will do disproportionately well compared to those that don’t.

Steve: Quiet quitting in the tech space will naturally face pressure as there is a redistribution of tech talent. Over the past few years, major employers gobbled up tech talent in part catalyzed by the further normalization of virtual working decreasing locations’ role as “friction” in the labor market. That said, the dialogue between “talent” and “employer” will continue to play out with quiet quitting and benefits related to the Dobbs decision being examples of this dialogue. For example, I expect the idea of dual employment and fractionalized employment to remain a vibrant point of discussion in 2023.

Patricia: Quiet quitting has been around for generations—people doing the bare minimum because they are no longer incentivized to stretch themselves thin. Right now we’re in an economic crunch so companies are downsizing and tripling people’s workload. No one wants to talk about that. The same pay for a two-people workload is why gen Z are no longer betting on staying with companies until they die. They invest 5-6 years if they have a 401k or make a switch as soon as another opportunity. I don’t blame them because companies are not giving out promotions, bonuses, or even perks like they use to. But they are happy to have you work harder for less. No one discusses employees who were furloughed during the pandemic and how they suffered in silence.

Companies want to hold on to women in the workforce. Let’s be honest, there are more women in the world, black women are one of the most educated, and studies show that women outlive men. Women rock! They come up with amazing ideas and expedite growth by being mentors and role models.

#2 What is your pro tip for HR professionals/engineering managers who are currently dealing with the hiring freeze and anticipating a huge deluge of vacancies next year?

Rado: Engineering managers should be able to do “more-with-less” in the coming year.

Mike: Well first, (shameless plug), be in touch with me/Wayne Technologies as a stop-gap for when the time comes.

It’s in the decrease and increase where companies find the hardest challenges. Dealing with low levels of recruitment needs, or even very high levels with tons of open roles, while they present challenges, they are things that companies have, more or less, figured out. It’s the transition between the two that causes struggle.

Pamela: Remain calm – no need to “add fuel to the fire”! I know it is easier said than done, but in situations when you don’t have control over the outcome, the best thing to do is focus on the day-to-day priorities to get that feeling of control over your work and keep a positive mindset.

Brian: We have to build during the bear markets to thrive in the bull markets.

Companies can create internal hackathons to exercise creativity and shipping muscles for their teams to flex a growth mindset.

Companies can also invest in upskilling their current members so they stay agile when responsibilities shift or requirements change. When there are economic difficulties, hard times, or stressful situations, this warrants more company-wide compassion with a mindset centered around abundance and growth so everyone can survive and thrive together.

Also, read: Internal Hackathons – Drive Innovation And Increase Engagement In Tech Teams

Steve: HR professionals facing a hiring freeze will do well to “upgrade” processes, talent, and technology aggressively during downtime. Manufacturing plants have shutdowns.

Patricia: Talk to hiring managers in all your departments. Ask, what are the top 3-5 roles they are hiring for in the new year? Let’s be honest, budgets are set between January and June. Start creating pools of candidates that you think would be the best fit. A lot of people get laid off in January too because some companies don’t want to do it during the holidays. Also, those end-of-the-year evaluations might not be so favorable. Either way, people are always looking for work. Get in front of your company’s needs but also the candidates’ needs.

Audit your company’s hiring process as sometimes your process can be extremely outdated! Sometimes your tech can be outdated as well. Do you need to create a better hiring process, onboarding, and off-boarding experience? Look at search committees. See if those persons in them have proper training on DEI, interviewing, or know the recruiting process in detail. Understand your retention rates and how effective are ERGs. Sometimes you’re great at getting talent but not at keeping them.

Also, watch: 5 Recruiting Tips To Navigate The Hiring Freeze With Shalini Chandra, Senior TA, HackerEarth

#3 What top 3 skills would you like HR professionals/engineering managers to add to their repertoire in 2025 to deal with upcoming challenges?

Rado: Prioritization, team time, and environment management.

I think “prioritization” and “team time” management are obvious. But what do I mean by “environment management”?

A productive environment is one of the key ingredients for a productive team. Look at where your team wastes most time, which can be automated. For example, end-to-end writing tests take time because our tools are cumbersome and undocumented. So let’s improve this.

Mike: Setting better metrics/KPIs, moving away from LinkedIn, and sharing more knowledge.

1. Metrics/KPIs – become better at setting measurable KPIs and accountable metrics. They are not the same thing—it’s like the Square and Rectangle. One fits into the other but they’re not the same. Hold people accountable to metrics, not KPIs. Make sure your metrics are aligned with company goals and values, and that they push employees toward excellence, not mediocrity.
2. Freedom from LinkedIn – this is every year, and will probably continue to be. LinkedIn is a great database, but it is NOT the only way to find candidates, and oftentimes, not even the most effective/efficient. Explore other tools and methodologies!
3. Join the conversation – I’d love to see new names of people presenting at conferences and webinars. And also, see new authors on the popular TA content websites. Everyone has things they can share – be a part of the community, not just a user of. Join FB groups, write and post articles, and comment on other people’s posts with more than ‘Great article’. It’s a great community, but it’s only great because of the people who contribute to it – be one of those people.

Pamela: Resilience, leveraging data, and self-awareness.

1. Resilience is a “must-have” skill for the 21st century due to constant changes in the tech industry. Face and adapt to challenges. Overcome them and handle disappointments. Never give up. This will keep HR people alive in 2025.
2. Get some data analyst skills. The capacity to transfer numbers into data can help you be a better HR professional, prepared to improve the employee experience and show your leadership team how HR is leveraging data to drive business results.
3. Self-awareness allows you to react better to upsetting situations and workplace challenges. It is a healthy skill to cultivate – especially as an HR professional.

Also, read: Diving Deep Into The World Of Data Science With Ashutosh Kumar

Brian: Agility, resourcefulness, and empathy.

1. Agility will allow professionals to move with market conditions. Always be as prepared as possible for any situation to come. Be flexible based on what does or does not happen.
2. Resourcefulness will allow professionals to do more with less. It also helps them focus on how to amplify, lift, and empower the current teams to be the best they can be.
3. Empathy will allow professionals to take more of a proactive approach to listening and understanding where all workers are coming from. Amid stressful situations, companies need empathetic team members and leaders alike who can meet each other wherever they are and be a support.

Steve: Negotiation, data management, and talent development.

1. Negotiation – Wage transparency laws will fundamentally change the compensation conversation. We must ensure we are still discussing compensation early in the process. And not just “assume” everyone’s on the same page because “the range is published”.
2. Data management and predictive analytics – Looking at your organization’s talent needs as a casserole of indistinguishable components and demands will not be good enough. We must upgrade the accuracy and consistency of our data and the predictions we can make from it.

Also, read: The Role of Talent Intelligence in Optimizing Recruitment

3. Talent development – We’ve been exploring the interplay between TA and TM for years. Now is the time to integrate your internal and external talent marketplaces. To provide career experiences to people within your organization and not just those joining your organization.

Patricia: Technology, research, and relationship building.

1. Technology – get better at understanding the technology that’s out there. To help you speed up the process, track candidate experience, but also eliminate bias. Metrics are becoming big in HR.
2. Research – honestly, read more books. Many great thought leaders put out content about the “future of work”, understanding “Gen Z”, or “quiet quitting.” Dedicate work hours to understanding your ever-changing field.
3. Relationship Building – especially in your immediate communities. Most people don’t know who you are or what exactly it is that you do. Build your personal brand and what you are doing at your company to impact those closest to you. Create a referral funnel to get a pipeline going. When people want a job you and your company ought to be top of mind. Also, tell the stories of the people that work there.

Hire IQ by HackerEarth is a new initiative in which we speak with recruiters, talent acquisition managers, and hiring managers from across the globe, and ask them pertinent questions on the issues that ail the tech recruiting world.

Next up in this edition is Patricia Gatlin, Diversity Lead/Talent Sourcing Specialist, at Johns Hopkins. She is also the curator of #BlackLinkedin ✊🏾 where she mentions how biased the LinkedIn algorithm is due to which her DEI posts were not getting the same exposure as everyone else.

We keep saying the tech world needs to break out of its “boys only” mode and become more inclusive when the tech we use on an everyday basis could be the very reason that relevant voices like hers are not getting seen, or heard.

All the more reason for this conversation with Patricia—to learn about her journey and understand inclusivity and diversity in the tech world, at a micro level.

Settle in, and let’s get to it!

P.S. If you missed the previous edition of HireIQ where we sat down with Colet Coelho from Recruit CRM, you can read it here 🙂

HackerEarth: You mention on your site that #BlackLinkedin was born out of shared knowledge of how Black and brown voices are discriminated against by the AI on LinkedIn. Have you seen this discrimination on other social sites, too? Could you share a few examples of this discrimination and how it has affected your work in the DEI space?

Patricia: Yes, I have seen it on other sites such as Instagram, Tiktok, Youtube, Facebook, etc.

Algorithmic bias is systemic and it creates unfair circumstances for particular users and promotes access to privilege.

At the root of it all, are the rules – the platforms’ IFTTT framework gets coupled with messages from a certain section of society who may be classist, racist, or phobic.

Let’s be honest, not everyone had a computer when they first came out but guess who did? White affluent males, and therefore they were the first ones in the race while everyone else was catching up. We fail to acknowledge that white males have the most disposable incomes because they are getting paid more. So, if you started with a UX being focused on your target audience being white and having white privilege then, of course, you’re going to see AI issues.

Every mainstream social media platform has discrimination built into it. For example, TikTok is a Chinese-based company in a society that is monoethnic, and consequently, they don’t have to live in a polyethnic society like America, and the platform too, isn’t built to accommodate the nuances of a polyethnic American society. In fact, most countries aren’t polyethnic. Most societies don’t deal with the same racial and cultural constructs that America does. If a society deems whiteness as the most virtuous then a video platform will be biased toward that. We live in a global world that centers privilege and access around whiteness.

There is a strong need to be proactive in my quest to support black and brown content over people who are not of color. When I’m building out a talent pipeline I can already assume that if I’m doing a Boolean or X-ray search of Google I will see white candidates first because most likely the algorithm is based on social constructs that don’t support black professionals. Even if you are using YouTube and you search for a video data engineer you will most likely see men, mostly white, and a few men of color.

Why? Because white men most likely had privileged access either to education, the job interview, or to have camera gear to shoot content about their job. As a DEI specialist, it’s my job to find the problem, address it, and correct it with whatever tools I can find. First, I must admit there’s a systemic or institutionalized issue for POC in Tech, and only then can I begin to deconstruct what that looks like for them.

Also, read: 10-Step Diversity Hiring Handbook

HackerEarth: Post creating #BlackLinkedIn, have you seen a change in the way your posts are being received online? Could you detail some of the wins of the movement for us?

Patricia: I have seen a change because the hashtag exists, and people know where to find mine and others’ content on the platform. I think the biggest win of the movement is BIPOCs’ finding each other on the platform, creating safe spaces, and connecting more; which is leading to more people landing opportunities through referrals or getting mentorship.

The hashtag has become a watercooler for us to hang out and tell our truths about what it means to a professional in and outside of the workplace.

We have a long way to go with growing support around it. In addition, I have put up an informative site and added a quarterly virtual event called, The Digital Cookout, where we get to gather and discuss hot topics from the water cooler (hashtag). Our last event was about over employment and how to navigate that as a black or brown professional.

HackerEarth: How do you think the DEI space has evolved since George Floyd and Black Lives Matter? In your opinion, is there an added emphasis on POCs in tech recruiting, or was it just a phase?

Patricia: The DEI space has dramatically changed, there are more activists now than before when everyone was just a human resource professional or community or social justice advocate. DEI has allowed activists, like me, to be considered ‘professionals’ and get paid for the emotional labor we do. Unfortunately, George Floyd had to die for people to really see how racism affects the black community in America. With his death, we saw Fortune 500 companies, and especially tech companies, pledge to become the change we so desperately need.

For some companies, it was just performative because they never put any action behind it or they simply just put money into it and left black and brown people to solve an issue they didn’t create.

Not only that but, many companies secretly support the systematic injustice of black and brown people on the back end. If you donate to politicians or groups who actively support the phobia of blacks, LGBTQ+, women’s rights, etc. then you are canceling out your public displays of advocacy which makes it performative. There’s an added emphasis from those companies now to hire POCs and I’ve seen some great discussions, accelerators, and apprenticeships come out of it but I can’t speak for the results because it may be 2-3 years before we see it.

Also, read: Recruiters Versus Bias: Who’s Winning This War?

HackerEarth: With inflation and layoffs, do you think that the emphasis placed on creating diverse teams in the days right after COVID will be lost?

Patricia: No I don’t think the emphasis will be lost but I believe the reasons could be twisted. Let me explain, junior and mid-level professionals tend to make up the majority of BIPOC. In addition, departments and teams that are deemed unnecessary tend to house a majority of BIPOC for example talent acquisition, administrative, facilities, marketing, etc. When you look at who makes up those teams you will see women and people of color.

The issue with inflation is people are cutting their budgets, but this is the time for companies to start looking at their diversity pipelines and discover what they can do better. Instead, what I see companies doing is, hiring BIPOC in their mid-COVID pipelines for low salaries. They blame it on having a lean budget, but we all know the CEO isn’t getting furloughed. Some companies are targeting BIPOC because they know that inflation can make them desperate. Therefore, some are using diverse pipelines as a lure to keep their ships from sinking and not really because they believe in the mission.

HackerEarth: According to you – what are the top 3 global tech companies who are doing DEI right, and what can others learn from them?

Patricia: If I’m being honest, I don’t co-sign for companies I haven’t been hired to audit myself or been hired at because I have heard horror stories from employees at some of the best companies. We must stop seeing DEI as a badge of honor when it’s actually what should have always been done. You can have the trophy one day and the next it’s been taken away. Don’t incentivize DEI because people will start doing it for the wrong reasons. But if I had to give an answer, from what I’ve heard, Twilio, Microsoft, and Blend (no further comment than that).

Also, read: How To Build Safe And ‘PROUD’ Workplaces – A Personal Story

HackerEarth: What is the on-ground reality among POCs applying for roles in tech? Is there more trust among the community, or are there vital issues that they think are not being addressed?

Patricia: Inflation is not going away or slowing down for another 2-3 years if that.

Hiring freezers are real if you want to get into big tech. Yes, you might be able to snag a contract role but that’s not FTE and people of color need full benefits.

The tech industry has gotten more competitive due to TikTok influencers marketing six-figure salaries and luxury lifestyles. Tech is making it even harder to get an interview or get an offer because tech companies are combating career influencers who give out elaborate narratives about the industry.

We’re also not discussing the Gen Zs who don’t want to work harder but smarter and how that will affect retention rates in the future. Luckily there is more trust amongst POCs who are sharing amazing IRL information about what it means to work in this industry. I love BlackTechTwitter and all the Facebook groups for POCs in different fields. Yet, a vital issue is that there are even more gatekeepers in tech now because of all that I previously mentioned.

HackerEarth: What are 3–5 pieces of advice you have for organizations looking to improve the impact of their D&I strategies?

Patricia: When DEI professionals are burned out they can’t solve problems.

Put your money where the problem is, don’t just say you want to work on DEI strategies and not pay DEI professionals well and then not give them a team to support those efforts.

BIPOCs are just as capable as anyone else but they also need support before, during, and after the interview phase. For every employee it’s going to look different, for example, one might need relocation assistance even if they aren’t a director or VP. The others might need a buddy system or mentorship to guide them through working at your corporation for the first 90 days. Another might simply need a roadmap on how to climb the ladder at your corporation. Have a collaborative plan with your BIPOC so they can become pillars at the job and not just metrics. These are retention methods you should be considering.

Promote black and brown people at the C-Suite level. It’s that simple. Black women are the most educated group in America and eventually the world. Create a seat at the table or be prepared to be sitting alone. The world is becoming more diverse (brown) by the minute and Gen Z will not put up with the same things previous generations have.

Stop taking weeks and months to interview candidates, especially BIPOC because most people are living paycheck to paycheck. The average cost for a company to interview a candidate is 4k and the cost for a candidate to interview with a company given they make it to the last round is half of that. People can’t afford to wait months to go without an answer. Candidates can’t afford to do 3-4 rounds of interviews and an assessment that’s just overkill.

About Patricia Gaitlin

My name is Patricia (Sonja Sky) Gatlin. I’m a New York Times featured activist, DEI Specialist, EdTechie, and Founder of Newbies in Tech. I live in the entertainment capital of the world, Las Vegas, Nevada. I’ve worked 10+ years in Higher Education and 3+ years in Tech. I’ve recently merged the two fields and currently work part-time as a Diversity Lead sourcing and recruiting STEM professionals to teach gifted students. In addition, I’m a full-time Coordinator flexing my project management, instructional design, and community engagement skills. My goal is to inspire people and become a Chief Diversity Officer and Tech influencer.

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Hiring and talent acquisition are the cornerstones of business growth. When you need to scale your business, you look at the recruiting teams to bring in the talent needed for success. Hiring at scale is not an easy feat, and doing it well without having an analytical and data-driven recruiting approach is even harder.

Why is data important in tech recruiting? Let’s break this down logically. When you hire in large numbers – say thousands of tech hires in a year; you want to be as efficient as possible. To do so you need to know which channels are working better than others. Are most of your hires responding to your LinkedIn ad, or is GitHub the platform of choice for new hires? Conversely, are the channels different when it comes to hiring interns versus lateral hires?

What is data-driven recruiting?

TTH (Time To Hire) is a metric every recruiter is familiar with. Ideally, recruiters like to keep their TTH low. You cannot, however, do this if you’re not aware of what works and what doesn’t. This is possible only when you have looked at the hiring data and found patterns that work, and those that don’t. Data-driven recruiting makes this possible.

In the simplest of terms, data-driven recruiting is a scientific method of collecting, analyzing, and using analytical data about candidate behavior to make inferences that are used to drive decisions throughout the tech hiring funnel.

What are the benefits of data-driven recruitment?

We know that tech recruiting is a multi-dimensional process. There are a number of elements that affect every stage of the recruitment funnel. Being aware of the right metrics enables tech recruiters in streamlining and optimizing every step of the funnel to increase overall effectiveness.

Also Read: How To Get Your Recruiting Metrics Right In 2022

There is a singular goal to this process: to hire better and get the best possible ROI for the time that a recruiter spends trying to fill a vacant role. In many ways, data-driven recruitment empowers recruiters to make educated opinions and change their hiring strategy (if needed) through the long-winding process of developer recruitment.

What kind of data should I be tracking?

One of the most important aspects of using data for decision making is to know which data to look at, and which is irrelevant. Let’s take a look at some of the key recruitment metrics related to tech hiring that every recruiter needs to keep an eye on.

These metrics would provide a good launch platform to optimize your recruiting and onboarding process with available data:

1. Cost To Hire (CTH)

The end result of hiring is onboarding a developer with a definite CTC. That, however, is not the only expense involved in hiring said developer.

The CTH of hiring a developer can be split into two halves:

a. Internal recruiting costs: This involves any and every internal expense including (but not limited to) employee referral incentives, recruiters’ salaries, and interviewing costs. You can calculate interviewing costs by the following formula:

Interviewing Cost = Number of hours of interviews X Hourly salary of involved employees

Since tech recruiting can involve interviews with engineering managers and CTOs, hence the interviewing cost for every developer would take into account all shareholders across the process.

b. External recruiting costs: This includes expenses incurred as part of banding and marketing costs, recruitment software and events, and external recruiter agency fees.

Your final CTH or cost per hire would then be calculated as:

CPH = Total internal cost + Total external cost / Total number of hires

2. Time To Fill (TTF) and Time To Hire (TTH)

While both these terms sound similar, the difference is very important for recruiters.

‘Time To Fill’ refers to the time taken to fill a position from the moment the position was advertised, until a candidate accepts the job offer, and the position is filled.

‘Time To Hire’ on the other hand only estimates the time it takes from first contact (i.e. the first phone call or meeting) until the job offer is accepted.

If a position is taking longer to fill, then you must take a look at the strategy for advertising and outreach. Is the job position easily noticeable and searchable on the website? Has there been enough efforts on the social handles to promote the role?

However, if your TTH is on the higher side, then you have to consider if your interviews are longer than needed. Are you spending too much time on assignments, or are there any other stages of the hiring process that you can cut down? Sometimes, a lot of time goes by in trying to get all stakeholders on the same page, and getting feedback post-interview. If these are the steps that are inflating your TTH, then you should have a talk with all involved team members.

3. Candidate Experience Metrics

In recent years, the term candidate experience has gained notoriety in tech hiring circles. It refers to candidates’ overall impression of your company’s recruitment processes. This takes into account all the various touch points right from the moment a candidate browses your careers page, the emails and other communiques sent out to them, the process of assessments and interviews, up until they receive a job offer or rejection email (or are ghosted in some cases).

At every step of the way, candidates are forming an opinion not just about your company, but also about how you treat a prospective employee. Many developers choose to share their opinions on sites like Glassdoor or with their friends and colleagues, and these reviews and word-of-mouth opinions can impact your reputation as an employer.

In order to understand what candidates think about your brand, get the data from the horses’ mouth (figuratively speaking!). Hiring a third-party research company to create anonymous, objective measurements and surveys is a great idea. Alternatively, you can create a candidate experience survey yourself, and send it to a large pool of candidates and new hires. Remember to include candidates that have rejected your offer, or dropped off after the initial chat. The more diverse the sample pool, the better your insights.

4. Quality Of Hire (QoH)

Quality is indeed a subjective metric, but there are ways in which you can compare the quality of a current hire with past hires. Look at the value the new hire is adding to the organization i.e. the new hire’s performance as compared to pre-hire expectations. The QoH of any hire should be determined within the first year of their joining the organization. Doing so helps you understand the outcomes delivered by your current recruitment practices.

Sometimes, a candidate can check all the right boxes during assessments and interviews, only to find that they are not up to the daily work routine. Research says that as many as 1 in 4 new hires will quit a job in their first six months. If this is an issue you are grappling with, then it’s time to question the quality of your hires and find out ways to improve your QoH.

There is no exact formula to define QoH, but some recruiters like to define it as:

QoH = (Indicator A% + Indicator B% + Indicator C%…) ÷ Number of Indicators

This formula uses agreed upon indicators of performance to calculate QoH. For a tech hire, these indicators can be the number of projects they complete in a month, or their code quality.

Another way to calculate QoH is by using the Net Hiring Score. This is a scale of 0-10 (with 0 being poor, and 10 being excellent), which managers can use to rate a new hire. The employee is also given a similar scorecard which they can use to rate job fit and whether the company meets their expectations.

Your Net Hiring Score is therefore defined as:

Net Hiring Score = Percentage of poor fits (0-6) – Percentage of great fits (scaled 9 or 10) X 100

If the result is <0, too many poor fits are being hired, but a number greater than 0 indicates more great fits are being hired, which is what recruiters should be aiming for.

5. Diversity and inclusion metrics

For a long time, diversity was limited to having an equal ratio of men and women in the workplace. Today, the definition of diversity extends beyond gender to include race, nationality, education level, age, disability, family status, employment status (full-time, part-time, flexible), immigration status, and much more.

Monitoring these metrics should be contextual to an organization’s local milieu. Recruiters should look at the issues being highlighted by the tech community in their area and try to address those. Every nation has different legal, political, historical, and cultural environments which determine relevant diversity metrics. While gender inequality is a global issue, some locations may have an additional religious or ethnical bias, which you would need to correct.

While we agree that developing a multicultural organization with all-inclusive policies can be challenging, this is where data analytics can play a huge role in creating awareness. By identifying patterns of behavior and bias, we can highlight the areas where a company, or an individual who’s also a decision maker, is being exclusive or prejudiced. Identifying these voids is the first step to adapting and developing diversity in recruitment. You can then use these insights to create a process that sidesteps these challenges and promotes equity and equality.

How to implement a data-driven recruiting process?

There is an apt idiom in the tech world -Data in, Data out. To fuel a data-driven hiring process, you need to first ensure you are collecting data efficiently. Choose the metrics you want to measure, and create a streamlined methods of collecting these data points.

A data-driven recruiting strategy can be designed using the following steps:

• Create Applicant Funnels
• Evaluate At Scale
• Improve Close Rate
• Post-Hiring Evaluations

At HackerEarth, we like to use the following funnel:

Engage > Source > Assess > Interview > Onboard > Upskill

This allows us to have a bird’s eye view of the entire hiring and retention funnel, while being able to break it down into segments and measure each effectively. For instance, if the Source > Assess segment is showing a huge time lag, then we know that we have to increase the speed at which we create and send assessments to candidates. Or if the Assess > Interview segment is what is slowing us down, then we can improve on how we gather feedback and action upon it, and connect with the hiring managers to ensure their availability for interviews.

Whether you are evaluating thousands of developers for a role, or talking to passive candidates for a lateral role, the larger your data set and the more detailed your report, the stronger your process will be. Keep details of every candidate interaction and action. How long did it take candidates to submit a coding assessment? How long for feedback, or interviews? Having these metrics on paper will help you point out the gaps in your process and improve your close rate.

And yes! Don’t forget about the post-hiring evaluations. Many recruiters think their job ends the moment says yes to a role. However, once you have closed a role you can then ask the developer for feedback and improve your data-driven recruiting process. Or, you can look at the segments of the funnel where you think you lost time and figure out to make those time sinks disappear.

Tech recruiting is known to be tedious, and I hope these tips will help you make the long hours more productive. Happy hiring!

Further Reading

Technical Screening Guide: All You Need To Know

Two years of the world adapting to new ways of working and the tech industry has pretty much seen it all. From working fully remote to transitioning to hybrid work models, recruiters know what kind of technology they need to streamline their hiring processes. Be it virtual coding assessment tools or online coding interview tools, the recruitment tech stack has vastly been improved to keep up with the ever-changing hiring landscape.

Consequently, there has been an explosion of tech interview tools that claim to help you at every step of the recruiting life cycle. You, as recruiters know what you need but how would you separate the wheat from the chaff—a good marketing pitch versus a functional tool that does what it claims to do?

And this is where we step in! Allow us to point out the most important elements of coding assessment tools that you need to watch out for.

6 things every online coding assessment tool should have

Choosing the right coding assessment tool may make or break your recruitment process. It is important that whatever tool you decide to run with meets all your requirements and helps simplify finding the best candidate for the job.

We did our research and here are some of the features that constitute a capable and reliable coding interview tool:

Easy integration with your existing ATS

The modern recruiter cannot manage or sift through large volumes of candidate data on a spreadsheet. That’s a recipe for disaster right there.

An applicant tracking system (ATS) is built to solve just that. Work with a tool that offers effortless integration with an ATS, where you can sync all candidate data in one place. It acts as a centralized repository of candidate data—keeps track of resumes and saves all received applications even if they were not hired.

Your ATS helps you effectively screen applications by setting filters instead of doing it manually. It can also ensure that the candidates are all on the same page by sending them real-time updates about their progress at each stage of the interview. Your hiring team can easily check the status of any selected candidate directly from the ATS.

You can create and send assessment invites from the ATS itself and do away with switching between multiple platforms.

Recommended read – Remote Work And Recruitment: An ATS Story

Rich library of questions

Any good online assessment tool will offer a wide array of programming languages, and frameworks as well as tests for both modern and legacy coding skills. You should be able to test for all developer roles whether it is frontend or backend. It should consist of a range of programming languages and frameworks for all coding job roles such as iOS developer, Android developer, web developer, data scientist, and so on.

Automated invigilation with proctor settings

When hiring remotely, it is not possible to closely monitor candidates during the tests. This is where automation takes over. A capable coding assessment tool provides automated invigilation with proctor settings. Proctoring allows you to observe candidates through video during the test and protect the quality of the assessment.

The automated assessment tool should also report tab switching, prevent copy-pasting code, and eliminate candidate impersonation with the help of image processing.

Recommended read: 3 Things To Know About Remote Proctoring

Assessments created for individual roles

What a hiring manager looks for in a candidate varies from role to role. The platform should enable you to build your custom coding assessments as per your requirements. You should have the choice of creating different types of questions like MCQs, project-type, or subjective questions that simulate on-the-job problems with the help of custom data sets and test cases.

Recommended read: 4 Ways To Create Tests With HackerEarth

Grading based on standard evaluation parameters

It’s always advisable to conduct structured interviews to ensure that the hiring process is fair and impartial. One way to do this is by evaluating every candidate against standardized parameters to keep the assessment objective. Scoring reports that are automatically generated at the end of the assessment make it simple and quick for you to identify who goes on to the next round and who doesn’t.

Not only does it cut bias out of the equation but also lets you update the candidate in real-time and ensure that they are kept in the loop at every step of the hiring lifecycle.

Automated performance reports

Any coding test platform supplies in-depth analytics and insights into a candidate’s capabilities with summarized, auto-generated performance reports. You can identify top performers in an instant and screen them further based on work experience and other relevant criteria. This helps you make data-driven decisions in collaboration with your team as all candidate performance data is available on the dashboard.

Top 5 Online Assessment Tool

Choosing the right online assessment tool can streamline your hiring process, ensuring you find the best candidates for your technical roles. Here are the top five coding assessment tools that stand out for their features and effectiveness:

HackerEarth:

HackerEarth combines coding challenges, hackathons, and real-world projects to assess candidates’ skills. It’s known for its user-friendly interface and detailed analytics, making it easy to identify top talent.

HackerRank:

Known for its extensive library of coding challenges and competitive coding environments, HackerRank, the online assessment tool is ideal for assessing a wide range of programming skills and languages. It offers robust reporting and benchmarking capabilities.

Codility:

This online assessment tool excels in evaluating candidates’ coding skills through real-world tasks and coding scenarios. Codility’s automated grading and anti-cheating measures ensure a fair and efficient assessment process.

LeetCode:

Popular among developers, LeetCode provides a vast repository of coding problems that cover various topics and difficulty levels. It’s excellent for both preparing candidates and assessing their problem-solving skills.

CodeSignal:

With a focus on providing a comprehensive evaluation, CodeSignal offers coding tests, technical interviews, and custom assessments. Its advanced coding environment supports a wide range of programming languages and frameworks.

HackerEarth, the best coding assessment tool for your organization

Online Coding assessment toool enable you to assess a candidate’s technical skills objectively. It helps recruiters zero in on the right talent from among a vast talent pool, quickly. Do your research wisely and choose the best coding assessment tool that fits all your needs.

As we discussed before, a good tool is simple to use, has an enormous question bank, uses a combination of knowledge and application-based techniques such as MCQs and simulators to measure job-relevant skills, and provides data-rich insights into a candidate’s performance.

Here’s why we think HackerEarth Assessments is a great option for a coding assessment tool:

• A rich library of 13,000+ questions across 80+ programming skills helps you to create highly specific coding assessments with zero technical understanding.
• Creation of your assessment for any job role or expected skill in under 5 minutes or based on job descriptions, with the option to build custom questions.
• The choice of designing various types of questions like MCQs or project-type questions that simulate real-time problems.
• Seamless integration with popular ATSs like LinkedIn Talent Hub, Lever, Workable, JazzHR, and more, which means you can sync all your candidate data with your ATS.
• Instantly invite candidates to take the assessment you created on our platform. See at what stage each candidate is in throughout the hiring lifecycle, and avail performance reports, all from your ATS—without switching between multiple tools.
• Robust proctoring efforts with the choice to customize the stringency, data-rich insights on each candidate’s performance, and built-in PII (Personal Identifiable Information) feature that mitigates bias in the process to offer an objective, accurate, and impartial screening process.
• Auto scoring based on standardized evaluation parameters to ensure each candidate is assessed fairly.
• Provides actionable insights into a candidate’s skills with summarized, automated performance reports.

Go on, take HackerEarth for a spin and see for yourself if everything we claimed checks out! Remember, you only know the difference between a tool that’s good on paper and a tool that can provide good results when you actually test it out.

Keep the top features of a coding assessment tool in mind while making your decision, to find the perfect fit for your recruitment tech stack!

FAQs about Coding Assessment Tools

Q: What are coding assessment tools?
A: Coding assessment tools are software platforms that help employers evaluate the coding skills of potential hires through various challenges, tasks, and tests.

Q: How do coding assessment tools work?
A: These tools provide a range of coding challenges and scenarios that candidates must solve. They often include automated grading and performance analytics to streamline the evaluation process.

Q: What should I look for in a coding assessment tool?
A: Key features to consider include the variety of coding challenges, language support, ease of use, anti-cheating measures, and detailed reporting capabilities.

Q: Can coding assessment tools prevent cheating?
A: Yes, many tools include anti-cheating measures such as webcam proctoring, plagiarism detection, and controlled coding environments to ensure the integrity of the assessments.

Q: Are coding assessment tools only for recruitment?
A: No, they can also be used for employee development, training, and identifying areas for improvement within your current team.