DEI Hiring

Diversity and Inclusion: 5 Essential Rules to Follow

Enough data is in to inform us that diversity and inclusion are not only worthwhile societal imperatives but also make for good practical business sense. D&I still matter in the workplace in 2023.

While knowing what to strive for is great, it’s only half the battle. We have to create and implement strategies that ensure we can effectively reach our objectives.

In this short article, we’ll take a look at what exactly diversity and inclusion in the workplace means, why it’s important, and how we can make the goal a reality.

What is D&I and why is it important?

When we talk about D&I, we’re talking about much more than gender, ethnicity, or sexual orientation. A D&I approach seeks to have the makeup of the company - the employees, spokespersons, and representatives - more accurately reflect the makeup of the customer base and society at large that the company works within. This includes the diversity of thought, worldview, and priorities as well as other characteristics people identify with such as race, gender, age, etc.

Following - or leading - the trend to increase diversity and inclusion in the workplace should not be considered as an act of charity or compliance with yet another regulation on business. Rather, companies should seek to increase the level of diversity and inclusion in the workplace because it increases their market share and improves their bottom line. When D&I in the workplace lead to demonstrable positive results, that’s when we know it has been done right and that it’s sustainable.

Recommended ebook: 10-Step Diversity Hiring Handbook

Diversity and inclusion: 5 rules to follow

1 - Expand the talent pool

It stands to reason that when a company limits the talent pool from which they hire, they stand a much lower chance of getting the best people to fill the positions needed.

If a recruiter notices a lack of diversity in the applications they receive, this should prompt them to reexamine the job description and/or the platforms used to advertise the position.

Diversity and inclusion don’t start at the hiring process. It should be in place well before that: at the conception of the position and the communication of the job being offered.

2 - Expand the perspectives

It makes little sense to strive for diversity and inclusion and not take advantage of the benefits that come with it. A diverse workforce - one where different thought processes and different ways to look at problems or challenges are celebrated and encouraged - can help a company stay innovative and current in a fast-changing economic landscape.

This is one of the main reasons why diversity is not enough. It must come with inclusion. This means that the diversity in a company’s workforce must be empowered to express its diversity.

Companies that are successful in increasing D&I in the workplace are always flexible companies. They do not strive to impose their way of doing things on their employees, but rather they strive to make those processes better and more effective by remaining open to the new perspectives and thought processes that come with having a diverse workforce.

3 - Be a company we can identify with

Today’s consumer is looking for far more than simply purchasing a product or service. Today’s consumer demands an experience. It is no longer enough to simply provide the right product at the right price. Today’s consumer wants to buy from a company they are happy to identify with. Their purchases and the companies they are associated with form an integral part of their identity. Today’s consumer expresses him or herself through their purchases and through brand loyalty.

It is important that your company reflects the values of your customer and that your company can be one that your customer can identify with.

4 - Inclusion happens at the decision-making level

D&I is diversity and inclusion. Inclusion means giving people a voice, giving them a say in defining company strategy, and empowering them to take the right actions to steer the company where it wants to go.

While having a diverse workforce on the ground level is commendable, it does not mean that the company is diverse and that it benefits from inclusion. For D&I to be in effect and in order for the company to reap the rewards of D&I, there must be diversity and inclusion at the upper managerial and decision-making levels.

5 - If you’re doing it right, you should see quantifiable results

D&I is good for society, and it’s good for business. Successful implementation of D&I will yield an expanded customer base and an increase in customer loyalty. You will know your company has implemented a successful D&I strategy when you see the positive results.

In a nutshell

Diversity and inclusion are not only important for the betterment of society as a whole, but it’s simply a fact of good business sense. By successfully diversifying your workforce at all levels of the organization, you will be taking an important step towards improving the quality of your workforce, building lasting relationships with your customers, and preparing for changes and fluctuations in the market and in the economic landscape.

This post has been contributed by the team at Lensa.

DEI Hiring

What is Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) At The Workplace?

Figuring out the ins and outs of as broad a subject as diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) can be tough. You could be chasing the wrong goals too. And as someone who has worked at places that had zero education and sensitization on this subject, I know firsthand the hit their workplace culture would take.

I am passionate about creating awareness around diversity, equity, and inclusion, which is why I am very vocal about my learnings on this journey. While there never is a one-size-fits-all solution to any problem, there are some actionable hiring tips to ensure that DE&I at the workplace is a priority and also that it is done right.

Here’s my take on how best to embrace your journey with open arms. #DEI 101, let’s go!

7 step framework for DE&I at the workplace

Breaking the stereotype for diversity equity and inclusion in the workplace

Going back to the basics, diversity refers to building a multicultural workplace with people and minorities from different backgrounds. You foster inclusion by making people feel like they belong and that they can bring their whole self to work. Simply put, diversity is the mix. Inclusion is making that mix work.

Equity recognizes that the needs of different people are different and focuses on providing opportunities and resources for equal participation without bias, harassment, or discrimination of any kind.

In 2021, it is high time we break the stereotype that hiring for diversity where there is a visible representation of minority groups will naturally ensure that inclusion will follow. My personal learning – don’t run behind the mix. Make your workplace culture inclusive for the people inside your organization. It’s basically about providing a space of ‘psychological safety’ for people. Diversity of thought will organically follow.

Embedding inclusion into the DNA of your company

The first step in your DEI journey is to understand if your company needs it or not. And then go on to the ‘how’ of it. Some food for thought –

Why are you doing this: What makes you want to be diverse & inclusive?
Inclusion is personal: What does I&D mean personally to you, as a company?
Analyze your I&D growth so far: Where do you stand today?
The desired goal of your strategy: Where do you want to be? Visualize the end outcome & state.
Final question: Ah, do you still want to do it?

I think the message that I’m trying to leave you with, is that it’s important to spend time on exactly why you want to do this. And to check in with the above questions and see if you still want to do this. If you’re choosing to be inclusive, then make it impactful, genuinely, not just for the sake of it. Otherwise, don’t waste your time.

HackerEarth’s DE&I strategy is a must-have. Not a to-do

At HackerEarth, we believe inclusion is personal and start the dialogue from there. It’s not something we do as a one-off on special days – we invest in giving our people the correct language to use; we ask them to call out behaviors that are not ok, and educate and sensitize others towards these behaviors. We believe in educating people on ally-ship and support – and not educating them only on the marginalized groups.

In this company, inclusion is everyone’s responsibility – not just a mandate for HRs, or the top management. With my experience, I can tell you that it is possible to build such inclusive workplaces, but it needs heart. And a lot of effort. And nope, there is no one size that fits all.

Measuring your DE&I efforts at the workplace

Targets and metrics for your DEI journey can make for great indicators of progress if used wisely. The minute you look upon them as your be-all and end-all, your journey can become severely crippled.

I’ve personally seen metrics limit people from creating a larger impact. People get hung up only on meeting those numbers. What you end up doing then – creating a diverse team, on the short term and miss creating an inclusive culture, for the long term.

Key to an inclusive leadership

What is the role of a CEO and any company’s management team on this journey? They play a significant role in making their employees feel like they belong. That they are respected and treated fairly.

According to the Harvard Business Review, a leader’s awareness of personal and organizational biases is the most important trait in generating a sense of inclusiveness in the workplace. Read more about the signature traits of inclusive leadership and how leaders can put these traits into practice in this insightful article.

I’ve been a firm believer of not holding only the ‘leaders’ responsible for anything and everything in a company. I strongly believe that inclusion is something that will fall flat if the CEO/leaders/ of a company do not visibly and authentically commit to and be a role model for their employee to follow suit.

HackerEarth has an inherently non-judgemental culture, which appears as if it is entirely natural without too much work going into it. That is not the case of course. Inclusion is at the heart of everything we do as a company; we have expanded our umbrella over time to touch upon topics that most of us were taught to shy away from.

It is not a one-time activity to do and then dust your hands off but more of a process that needs to be carefully woven into the threads of your company.

What is Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the workplace?

Diversity in the workplace

Diversity in the workplace refers to the presence of individuals from various backgrounds, demographics, and perspectives within an organization. It encompasses differences in race, gender, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, abilities, and more. Diversity recognizes that each employee brings unique experiences and talents to the table, enriching the collective knowledge and creativity of the workforce.

Equity in the workplace

Equity in the workplace is the commitment to fairness and impartiality in all employment practices. It ensures that everyone has equal access to opportunities and resources, regardless of their background or circumstances. Equity strives to rectify historical and systemic disparities by addressing biases and leveling the playing field, ultimately fostering a more just and inclusive work environment.

Inclusion in the workplace

Inclusion is the active effort to create a work culture where all employees feel valued, respected, and empowered to contribute their best. It goes beyond mere diversity by fostering an environment where diverse perspectives are not only welcomed but also integrated into decision-making processes and daily operations. Inclusion is essential for harnessing the full potential of a diverse workforce and promoting a sense of belonging among employees.

This is one of the reasons why I decided to keep an open dialogue going to exchange thoughts, opinions, and ideas from different perspectives on my LinkedIn channel. Now that you have an initial framework for your DE&I strategy to work with, let’s talk about positive discrimination next. Watch this space for the second part of this blog series.

DEI Hiring

This Is Recruiting: Increasing Your Diversity Hiring ROI

The ‘kickoff meeting’ is an important part of technical hiring. It is also usually the first time that a recruiter and a tech hiring manager get together to discuss an open requirement.

Now, let’s think about what has gone behind the scenes of this meeting. The technical hiring manager has had weeks; probably even months, of asking for approvals for this role to be opened up. They have waited for paperwork to be done, for budgets to be finalized, and are now at the table hoping the recruiter in front of them will help them fill this role URGENTLY.

The recruiter in question has come in prepared to turn this role into a diversity hiring opportunity, and has perhaps a whole presentation about strategy and tactics.

It’s a 30 minute conversation; perhaps even lesser. There is no way that a recruiter can walk into that meeting and convince a hiring manager who has an urgent requirement to throw everything they know about finding the right candidate outside the window, and use a fresh approach.

This is not a random prophecy. John Vlastelica, founder of Recruiting Toolbox, well knows this to be a fact. He has been in enough kickoff meetings to know that urgency triumphs over other values. Every single time.

So what does the modern recruiter do?

Tech has always had a diversity problem. The industry acknowledges it and we know recruiters are getting more aware of how they can help reduce the gap. The smart recruiter, however, does not wait till the kickoff meeting to effect a change. The smart recruiter creates a strategy where diversity is baked into the company’s hiring practices from the get go.As always, this is easier said than done. Here are some of the tactics John has found to be useful when creating an effective diversity hiring process and improving diversity hiring ROI:

#1. Farm your talent pool, as opposed to hunting

Diversity hiring is not just about going to, say, a historically Black university and organizing a hiring drive to get more African American employees on board. That is what recruiters do when they ‘hunt’ for talent. Investing in these diverse student groups, and keeping them engaged even when you are not actively sourcing is what John calls ‘farming’.Salesforce’s Pathfinder Program is one of the examples of how companies can invest in and cultivate relationships with future talent. Such initiatives provide commitment as well as opportunity for companies to engage with marginalized communities, and build a robust pipeline of diverse IT talent.For this to happen successfully, recruiters need to be prepared. Opportunity is relative to several parameters like location, race, age, and gender. Use tools like LinkedIn talent and SeekOut to understand what the supply of talent looks like when viewed through the lens of diversity, and then create talent ‘farming’ initiatives that will help you create more opportunities where they matter. A data-driven pre-sourcing strategy like this would also make it easier for you to justify remote hiring or a relocation - both of which can enable you to hire a more diverse workforce.

#2. Bust the myth of the ‘perfect candidate’

Have you ever read a job description for a tech role? Most of the time, it is full of jargon and a near-impossible list of must-haves. This ‘wishlist’ of skill sets creates a very narrow target profile, and makes our job as recruiters even harder.Every time a recruiter says yes to such a hiring requirement, they give away the power to hire well to someone else. Instead, ask for a conversation with your hiring manager. List down the actual - and realistic - list of ‘must haves’. These are non negotiable. Then, make a list of ‘adjacent skills’ which can either be fulfilled by someone else in the team, or can be foregone when hiring.If hiring was like ordering a good burger, then your must haves would be the bun, the meat, the onion and lettuce, cheese, and the sauce that goes on the meat. You wouldn’t say no to a good burger just because it didn’t come with five additional dips, would you? Tech hiring simplified

Busting the myth of the ‘perfect hire’ also keeps the hiring centered on skills, and not a bunch of keywords. Some skills are trainable, and a good candidate would be able to learn them on the job easily. More and more hiring managers are realizing this, and trying to hire generalists who have a hunger to learn and upskill, instead of chasing pedigree. As recruiters, it is our job to ensure our managers know the value of a candidate who is adaptable and quick to learn.So, instead of trying to hire the mythical ‘ideal hire’, widen the aperture to create multiple success profiles for each role and share them with your hiring manager. Then go back to the talent ‘farm’ you created in Step 1, and find people who fit these multiple success profiles.

#3. Train. Talk. Tweak.

Biases can creep into any hiring environment. With so many of our meetings happening over video now, in non-professional settings, it has become even easier to judge someone for the art on their wall, or their choice of pet. These biases can cause all your best-laid plans to go awry. Hence, the need for frequent communication and training.

Hiring managers need to be aware of their own subconscious biases in different scenarios. They need to be provided with the right training and tools to beat these biases. Hiring managers also need to understand and learn to create inclusive interview settings and prioritize candidate experience. John suggests a quarterly health check between recruiters and managers to stay on top of these issues.

It’s also important for managers to understand that some of this talking and training and tweaking will affect the speed of hiring. Speed is the love language of hiring managers, and John says he has never met a hiring manager who didn’t want a role to be filled yesterday. However, with diversity as the main focus, speed is not always possible. At least, in the initial stages when you are still perfecting your strategies.Sometimes, putting the brakes on isn’t that bad, right?

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#4. Set realistic goals to improve your diversity hiring ROI

Diversity hiring isn’t a one off. It is a continuous process, and John suggests that you have very realistic benchmarks for your team. Look at Google for instance. One of the biggest IT giants in the world with all the resources at its disposal has not been able to crack diversity hiring at scale. It’s difficult, that is why!You’re not Google. So, don’t begin by setting yourself up for failure. Expectation and goal setting is very important here, as is measuring progress. Don’t forget to include your people leaders and tech managers when setting goals, but also do not accept unachievable success standards.

Source: Google Diversity Report 2020

The bottom-line for better diversity hiring: Look for real improvements

A few years ago, Deloitte started the practice of matching new hires with a ‘career coach’ to understand the issues minority technologists face in the organization in their first two years. Now, this is real improvement.Metrics, charts, numbers are a good measure of progress, but they don’t paint the whole picture accurately. While you keep track of these, don’t take your eye off the bigger goal. Train your managers to recognize practices that are meant to screen out potential hires. Create inclusive interviewing and engagement processes. Effect change at the grassroots so that diversity is included in all your pre-sourcing activities, instead of waiting for that job requirement to land at your table.Real change may come slowly, but the diversity hiring ROI of these efforts is more long-term. And that’s the only ‘ideal’ that all of us should be chasing! ****

Learn more about bettering your diversity hiring ROI with John below:

DEI Hiring

3 Reasons Why I'll Continue Using Remote Interviewing Tools Even Post-Pandemic

When the pandemic began, businesses were focused on putting their heads down and weathering an uncertain economic environment. For many, this meant a temporary freeze on hiring. As things thawed, hiring came back, but this time, it was virtual.

A Gartner poll found that “86% of organizations were incorporating new virtual technology to interview candidates” by the second month of the COVID-19 pandemic. This mad scramble to integrate new interviewing tools was, for some, disorienting. In tech hiring, it’s been a godsend. While we still appreciate face-to-face interaction, the digital nature of remote interviews comes with so many benefits that we won’t be doing whiteboard coding challenges with candidates ever again.Here are three reasons why:

1. Less work = More data

I work in tech, and I love data. Tech companies evangelize harvesting data wherever possible, but before the pandemic, interviews were a data dark spot. Most of the information conveyed lived either in the mind of the interviewer or via their notes. Even if there were coding assessments that added a quantitative element to the interview, these were often done on whiteboards or pieces of paper that then needed to be digitally transferred. The result was that interviewers often spent an extra 30 minutes simply capturing what had already transpired.

Today, the entire process is digital, which means that so much more data is automatically captured, and it’s now being put to use. We have transcription tools and video recordings that make reviewing the interview that much easier.

According to our annual State of Developer Recruiting 2020 report, 56.9% of recruiters said a major benefit of remote interviewing came from pair programming with a collaborative code editor, as this automatically captures and assesses a candidate’s coding skill in a collaborative, work-like environment. We even have automatic feedback generators that request performance input after specific questions. These are then compiled into an after-action report that simply needs to be edited rather than written from scratch.

Check out our annual 'State of Developer Recruiting' report here!

This means that interviewers spend less time writing and more time carefully weighing a candidate’s skill. Starting digitally puts all the data at our fingertips and allows us to make the most informed decision. Instead of a data dark spot, remote interviews are now richer than a resume.

2. Geographic flexibility

There’s no question that tech has a talent shortage. Only 60% of all tech positions are filled. When we were dependent on in-person interviews, we constrained our talent pipeline even further. With tech roles only becoming more important over time, we can’t think locally about tech hiring anymore.

The pandemic opened up new talent reserves in geographically diverse locations. We can now hire anyone from anywhere. Analysis from the State of Developer Recruiting 2020 revealed that 50.6% of recruiters said that remote interviews are beneficial due to their logistical flexibility. A further 40.4% said they saved significant time. Remote interviews with built-in features like pair programming and real-time code editing—which now constitute 11.1% of all remote coding interviews conducted—have basically solved the problem of onboarding the most qualified candidates regardless of location.

There is now a bigger pool of tech talent that can work from anywhere, and assessing them remotely has never been easier. In fact, 30.7% of recruiters said that remote hiring had actually increased their talent funnel. As the global workforce becomes even more accustomed to remote work, this means that remote interviews will be a feature of the hiring process for years to come.

3. Reduced bias

More than half (57.6%) of enterprises have placed extra emphasis on hiring for diversity in 2020. As much as I love meeting candidates face-to-face, first impressions are often clouded by personal biases that can unintentionally limit diversity. Recruiters and hiring managers tend to prefer candidates that mirror their own backgrounds in what has been termed by researchers “Looking Glass Merit.” While interpersonal and other soft skills are absolutely important, face-to-face interviews sometimes overvalue them relative to hard skills.Thankfully, remote interviews add a layer of separation that gives interviewers input on things like body language without placing undue influence on them. While 10.2% of recruiters at SMEs say that challenging unconscious bias is still a major pain point, and 13% of recruiters are specifically choosing assessment tools that help eliminate bias in the interviewing process.One way to combat this problem is to mask personally identifiable information (PII) during remote interviews so a candidate’s skills can speak for themselves. This means that name, gender, academic background, etc. are hidden during the interview itself, so the interviewer’s impression of a candidate is solely based on their skills.

Looking for an objective, bias-free interview tool? Take HackerEarth's FaceCode for a spin right now!

A remote interviewing future

Even after a vaccine is widely available and things start to return to “normal,” we won’t be looking back at how we used to hire. I may still meet candidates for in-person interviews from time to time but will certainly continue to use digital interviewing tools for a better interviewing experience.Today, hiring—especially in tech—is more competitive and geographically untethered than ever, so we need to make the interviewing process as convenient and flexible for candidates as possible. In the end, remote interviewing saves the company and the candidate time, and more importantly, allows interviewers to limit bias significantly relative to in-person interviews. These more objective interviews are helping managers create the best teams where skills matter. P.S. - An edited version of this article was published in FastCo.

DEI Hiring

Tech Hiring Post-COVID: Key Shifts and Strategies

I’m writing this from a newly locked-down chilly California; reflecting on 2020 and all that it has taught us. Nikola Tesla, whom many tech enthusiasts worship, is supposed to have said “our virtues and failures are inseparable, like force and matter.” Just as how hardship and learning are intrinsically intertwined.

For businesses, 2020’s learnings have mostly centered around ‘our people’. First up, the people who make up our loyal client base and whom we are grateful for. Next, the dependable teams who stood by us through pay cuts, layoffs, and policy changes. This focus on ‘people’ has also had a very sharp impact on the HR-tech industry -- in a way, it’s been a culmination of all the innovations that have made up this decade of AI and automation-led hiring. Distilling this impact in a page is hard, but the Christmas decorations are calling so I’ll do my best.

There are four phrases we’ve all heard often this year. I think they’d do well for an abridged guide to 2020, and what they’ve taught me about tech hiring. Let's begin.

1. ‘Can You Hear Me?’

The last year of this decade has literally Zoom-ed past us. *Insert wise chuckle*.Zoom fatigue has been real, but so has this incessant need to stay connected. I cannot recall another moment in my living years when checking up on your neighbors, colleagues, and the alley cat was the coolest thing to do. We’ve cared more than we ever did in 2020.As I have learned from my conversations with many hiring managers, this ‘connectedness’ has its pitfalls when it comes to working. Burnout has been a beast, and so wellness breaks, carer’s leave, and flexi-work hours have become our biggest allies. As we saw in our ‘State of Developer Recruitment 2020’ report, companies have changed their EVPs (Employee Value Propositions) to reflect how they’ve been looking after their employees. To me, this phrase isn’t just about a work call gone wrong. It’s also a siren call for businesses to become more empathetic and ‘hear’ their employees out. I take that as a big positive. All industries; and especially the tech world with its love for deadlines, could do with some more empathy.

2. Cookathons, Marathons, And Almost Everything-athon

I love cake, but the constant smell of #quarantinecooking on my Instagram has been giving me nightmares lately. I get why; when the world outside was going to pieces it was but natural that we gravitate internally, towards all that we hold dear.For some, it was cooking, for others a new-found fascination with running on empty beaches. Developers took the extra time on their hands to find their own version of #QuarantineandChill by upgrading their coding skills. Customer needs have changed, and businesses now need developers who can enable transformation with ease. With COVID and the need to augment traditional human interaction with technology solutions, sharp coding skills have become necessary. Upskilling is also going to be an ongoing theme for the future, and companies looking to build healthy tech teams better include this on the list.

This year, we’ve seen the HackerEarth developer community grow 1.6x to 5 million skill-seekers. Our Slack channel has been abuzz with AMAs, webinars, podcasts and so much more. We thought conducting virtual hackathons wouldn’t be the same, but instead, we saw a lot of developer love pour in for our online events. From India’s first hackathon aimed at helping the LGBTQ+ community to hacking COVID, we found enthusiastic participants for every challenge. We helped companies organize virtual hackathons to keep their tech teams perked up and beat the WFH monotone. The demand for hackathons for boosting internal engagement and upskilling has grown tremendously this year, providing new - and exciting - options for the HackerEarth team as well.

3. Stop The Count

This election chant, and its inherent divisiveness and biased nature, has defined the US in 2020. The aftershocks spilled over global boundaries and gave us a new lens to filter our actions. George Floyd, BLM, and a notable CEO apologizing publicly for his insensitive comments, all forced us to take stock of our own unconscious biases.

Tech hiring is famously riddled with biases. Developers from non-Ivy league colleges face a lack of opportunities due to their academic background. The percentage of African-American employees in tech remains low, even in the big companies (2.9% at Salesforce, 3.8% at Facebook, 4.4% at Slack, 4.5% at Microsoft, and 6% at Twitter), and this number decreases further when we look at those in leadership roles.

The conversation around bias is always painful. Acknowledging that we might unintentionally harbor prejudices can be life-changing, but it is here that we honestly mustn’t stop the count. Whether it is our dislike of face tattoos or people with pink hair, these prejudices need to be packed up and buried in a deep, dark grave.

Also Read: 7 Types Of Hiring Bias And How To Avoid Them

It heartens me to know that many tech recruiters are showing these biases the door. They have, in fact, prioritized diversity and geographically-unspecific hiring during this year and adopted tools to help achieve this. In Q3 2020, for instance, we saw a massive adoption of our developer assessments platform which assists in skill-based hiring. The use of our technical interview solution FaceCode, with its blind hiring feature, also increased dramatically. Overall, we have experienced a 250% YoY increase in remote assessments, and a 4,000% YoY increase in remote interviews conducted via FaceCode (Q3 2019 vs. Q3 2020).

4. The New Normal

Ah yes! The war cry of all those fed up with the pandemic. Hate it as much as you want, our personal lives will carry the imprint of COVID for years to come. Sanitizers will have a dedicated place at the altar even post-COVID.Professionally, too, the “new normal” will be colored by the remnants of 2020. The empathy we talked of before means that companies would not be forcing apprehensive employees to return to workplaces anytime soon. Remote working and hiring will be the norm, putting a bigger spotlight on skills than before.What this has taught us in tech hiring is that it doesn’t matter where a developer works from, or what’s their academic pedigree. What’s most important is how skilled a developer is, and how quickly they can pivot and adapt to changing business needs. Our survey shows that recruiters are prioritizing geography-unspecific hiring to bring talented developers on board. Most businesses have contingency plans, but a ‘what if’ year like 2020 can throw all that on its head. A 5-star resume will not help you in such circumstances. The right set of skills always will.

To Borrow From The Great Tesla, Again.

“As I review the events of my past life I realize how subtle are the influences that shape our destinies.”If years could be weighed, 2020 would be a metric ton of unexpected left curves, adaptability, and finding the silver lining behind everything. If a year could make you spiritual, 2020 was the one tailor-made for it.Five Christmases from now, the year the world stopped might feel like a distant memory. The subtleties of 2020 will, however, continue to shape our collective destinies for a long while. For those of us in the tech world, it presents a unique opportunity to make electricity out of hatred (Tesla 3.0), and light up the coding hallways with boughs of holly, and hope.

Happy 2021.

DEI Hiring

This Is Recruiting: What Makes A Good Coding Assessment?

There may be very few old-timers left in the tech world today who would swear by the benefits of a whiteboard. However, even the new league of extraordinary recruiters find it hard at times to deal with this beast called ‘assessments’.

Does a perfect assessment really exist? And if so, then is there a one-size-fits-all recipe that every company can use to craft their assessments? We have been hankering for the answer to these questions even as we continue to upgrade and better our own Coding Assessments platform. Thankfully, we found a kindred spirit in Martin Kelly, Principal Recruiter Engineering at HubSpot, who helped us find the answers we were looking for.

Here are some excerpts from the conversation between Martin, and HackerEarth’s VP of Marketing, Alfred Alexander.

How to target passive candidates and build talent pools proactively

Alfred: To begin, let me ask you about how HubSpot uses coding assessments at the moment?

Martin: Before I jump into the coding assessments, I would like to talk about the changes we made to our face-to-face interview process, and how that has inspired the coding assessments in its current form. A little while back, we reviewed how we were doing interviews at our office and we really wanted to move away from those Google-type interviews which were all about whiteboards and had a lot of focus on whether a candidate knows how to solve a particular algorithm or not. We wanted to make it more realistic to how an engineer works day-to-day when they’re at the office. As a result of that, we moved away from whiteboard coding as much as possible, in favor of having the interviewee bring their own laptop to the interview, use their own IDE which they are familiar with, use their own documentation, and really have an environment as close as possible to how it would be if they were at work. As we made those improvements, we then moved on to making changes in our coding assessments. When I first started at HubSpot we were using a third-party provider for coding assessments, which was good but we needed something different. Engineers are in so much demand that it can be hard to get them to commit to doing a coding assessment before they come into the hiring process.

We really felt we needed to invest in getting the assessment experience right so we could get these people to move through the process with us. At the heart of it was the idea that we should give engineers a problem to solve at home, in an environment that is as close to their normal working environment as possible.

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Alfred: I think what you’re also trying to say is that it’s important to give a candidate an improved experience while passing through the entire hiring process. More often than not, I see interviewing and hiring processes that are so disconnected from what one would be doing once you get hired and onboarded.

Martin: Exactly! Companies put so much effort into finding great candidates, and if you think about it us recruiters spend a lot of time on LinkedIn and while interviewing. It’s that middle stage - the coding assessment - which can sometimes feel like the unloved middle child who is forgotten about a little bit, and who is always competing with their siblings on either side. If you look at the tie-to-hire, it’s really the middle stage - the coding assessment - which is sort of the make or break in getting people to move through the process.

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Alfred: And I think this also gives the candidates an experience of HubSpot and what they will be working on, the tools they will be building once they get onboarded.

Martin: Yes, this is a two-way evaluation process, right? You’re judging the engineer, but they are also judging your process for the first time. And when it comes to the later stages of the hiring funnel - once they interview and you are ready to make them a final offer - hopefully it will be this experience of going through the assessment process, and understanding what your company has to offer which they will remember vividly. So, there is an opportunity to use the coding assessment to get you and your company some competitive advantage when it comes to the closing stages.

********

Well, that was just a sneak peek of everything that Alfred and Martin talked about. We have the full podcast for you here if you’d like to know more about HubSpot’s hiring secrets and Martin’s own recipe for concocting the perfect assessment.

Authors

Meet our Authors

Get to know the experts behind our content. From industry leaders to tech enthusiasts, our authors share valuable insights, trends, and expertise to keep you informed and inspired.

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Hiring Strategies

7 Tech Recruiting Trends To Watch Out For In 2024

The last couple of years transformed how the world works and the tech industry is no exception. Remote work, a candidate-driven market, and automation are some of the tech recruiting trends born out of the pandemic.

While accepting the new reality and adapting to it is the first step, keeping up with continuously changing hiring trends in technology is the bigger challenge right now.

What does 2024 hold for recruiters across the globe? What hiring practices would work best in this post-pandemic world? How do you stay on top of the changes in this industry?

The answers to these questions will paint a clearer picture of how to set up for success while recruiting tech talent this year.

7 tech recruiting trends for 2024

6 Tech Recruiting Trends To Watch Out For In 2022

Recruiters, we’ve got you covered. Here are the tech recruiting trends that will change the way you build tech teams in 2024.

Trend #1—Leverage data-driven recruiting

Data-driven recruiting strategies are the answer to effective talent sourcing and a streamlined hiring process.

Talent acquisition leaders need to use real-time analytics like pipeline growth metrics, offer acceptance rates, quality and cost of new hires, and candidate feedback scores to reduce manual work, improve processes, and hire the best talent.

The key to capitalizing on talent market trends in 2024 is data. It enables you to analyze what’s working and what needs refinement, leaving room for experimentation.

Trend #2—Have impactful employer branding

98% of recruiters believe promoting company culture helps sourcing efforts as seen in our 2021 State Of Developer Recruitment report.

Having a strong employer brand that supports a clear Employer Value Proposition (EVP) is crucial to influencing a candidate’s decision to work with your company. Perks like upskilling opportunities, remote work, and flexible hours are top EVPs that attract qualified candidates.

A clear EVP builds a culture of balance, mental health awareness, and flexibility—strengthening your employer brand with candidate-first policies.

Trend #3—Focus on candidate-driven market

The pandemic drastically increased the skills gap, making tech recruitment more challenging. With the severe shortage of tech talent, candidates now hold more power and can afford to be selective.

Competitive pay is no longer enough. Use data to understand what candidates want—work-life balance, remote options, learning opportunities—and adapt accordingly.

Recruiters need to think creatively to attract and retain top talent.

Recommended read: What NOT To Do When Recruiting Fresh Talent

Trend #4—Have a diversity and inclusion oriented company culture

Diversity and inclusion have become central to modern recruitment. While urgent hiring can delay D&I efforts, long-term success depends on inclusive teams. Our survey shows that 25.6% of HR professionals believe a diverse leadership team helps build stronger pipelines and reduces bias.

McKinsey’s Diversity Wins report confirms this: top-quartile gender-diverse companies see 25% higher profitability, and ethnically diverse teams show 36% higher returns.

It's refreshing to see the importance of an inclusive culture increasing across all job-seeking communities, especially in tech. This reiterates that D&I is a must-have, not just a good-to-have.

—Swetha Harikrishnan, Sr. HR Director, HackerEarth

Trend #5—Embed automation and AI into your recruitment systems

With the rise of AI tools like ChatGPT, automation is being adopted across every business function—including recruiting.

Manual communication with large candidate pools is inefficient. In 2024, recruitment automation and AI-powered platforms will automate candidate nurturing and communication, providing a more personalized experience while saving time.

Trend #6—Conduct remote interviews

With 32.5% of companies planning to stay remote, remote interviewing is here to stay.

Remote interviews expand access to global talent, reduce overhead costs, and increase flexibility—making the hiring process more efficient for both recruiters and candidates.

Trend #7—Be proactive in candidate engagement

Delayed responses or lack of updates can frustrate candidates and impact your brand. Proactive communication and engagement with both active and passive candidates are key to successful recruiting.

As recruitment evolves, proactive candidate engagement will become central to attracting and retaining talent. In 2023 and beyond, companies must engage both active and passive candidates through innovative strategies and technologies like chatbots and AI-powered systems. Building pipelines and nurturing relationships will enhance employer branding and ensure long-term hiring success.

—Narayani Gurunathan, CEO, PlaceNet Consultants

Recruiting Tech Talent Just Got Easier With HackerEarth

Recruiting qualified tech talent is tough—but we’re here to help. HackerEarth for Enterprises offers an all-in-one suite that simplifies sourcing, assessing, and interviewing developers.

Our tech recruiting platform enables you to:

Tap into a 6 million-strong developer community
Host custom hackathons to engage talent and boost your employer brand
Create online assessments to evaluate 80+ tech skills
Use dev-friendly IDEs and proctoring for reliable evaluations
Benchmark candidates against a global community
Conduct live coding interviews with FaceCode, our collaborative coding interview tool
Guide upskilling journeys via our Learning and Development platform
Integrate seamlessly with all leading ATS systems
Access 24/7 support with a 95% satisfaction score

Recommended read: The A-Zs Of Tech Recruiting - A Guide

Staying ahead of tech recruiting trends, improving hiring processes, and adapting to change is the way forward in 2024. Take note of the tips in this article and use them to build a future-ready hiring strategy.

Ready to streamline your tech recruiting? Try HackerEarth for Enterprises today.

Hiring Strategies

(Part 2) Essential Questions To Ask When Interviewing Developers In 2021

The first part of this blog stresses the importance of asking the right technical interview questions to assess a candidate’s coding skills. But that alone is not enough. If you want to hire the crème de la crème of the developer talent out there, you have to look for a well-rounded candidate.

Honest communication, empathy, and passion for their work are equally important as a candidate’s technical knowledge. Soft skills are like the cherry on top. They set the best of the candidates apart from the rest.

Re-examine how you are vetting your candidates. Identify the gaps in your interviews. Once you start addressing these gaps, you find developers who have the potential to be great. And those are exactly the kind of people that you want to work with!

Let’s get to it, shall we?

What constitutes a good interview question?

An ideal interview should reveal a candidate’s personality along with their technical knowledge. To formulate a comprehensive list of questions, keep in mind three important characteristics.

Questions are open-ended – questions like, “What are some of the programming languages you’re comfortable with,” instead of “Do you know this particular programming language” makes the candidate feel like they’re in control. It is also a chance to let them reply to your question in their own words.
They address the behavioral aspects of a candidate – ensure you have a few questions on your list that allow a candidate to describe a situation. A situation where a client was unhappy or a time when the developer learned a new technology. Such questions help you assess if the candidate is a good fit for the team.
There is no right or wrong answer – it is important to have a structured interview process in place. But this does not mean you have a list of standard answers in mind that you’re looking for. How candidates approach your questions shows you whether they have the makings of a successful candidate. Focus on that rather than on the actual answer itself.

Designing a conversation around these buckets of interview questions brings you to my next question, “What should you look for in each candidate to spot the best ones?”

Hire GREAT developers by asking the right questions

Before we dive deep into the interview questions, we have to think about a few things that have changed. COVID-19 has rendered working from home the new normal for the foreseeable future. As a recruiter, the onus falls upon you to understand whether the developer is comfortable working remotely and has the relevant resources to achieve maximum productivity.

#1 How do you plan your day?

Remote work gives employees the option to be flexible. You don’t have to clock in 9 hours a day as long as you get everything done on time. A developer who hasn’t always been working remotely, but has a routine in place, understands the pitfalls of working from home. It is easy to get distracted and having a schedule to fall back on ensures good productivity.

#2 Do you have experience using tools for collaboration and remote work?

Working from home reduces human interaction heavily. There is no way to just go up to your teammate’s desk and clarify issues. Virtual communication is key to getting work done. Look for what kind of remote working tools your candidate is familiar with and if they know what collaborative tools to use for different tasks.

Value-based interview questions to ask

We went around and spoke to our engineering team, and the recruiting team to see what questions they abide by; what they think makes any candidate tick.

The result? – a motley group of questions that aim to reveal the candidate’s soft skills, in addition to typical technical interview questions and test tasks.

#3 Please describe three recent projects that you worked on. What were the most interesting and challenging parts?

This is an all-encompassing question in that it lets the candidate explain at length about their work ethic—thought process, handling QA, working with a team, and managing user feedback. This also lets you dig enough to assess whether the candidate is taking credit for someone else's work or not.

#4 You’ve worked long and hard to deliver a complex feature for a client and they say it’s not what they asked for. How would you take it?

A good developer will take it in their stride, work closely with the client to find the point of disconnect, and sort out the issue. There are so many things that could go wrong or not be to the client’s liking, and it falls on the developer to remain calm and create solutions.

#5 What new programming languages or technologies have you learned recently?

While being certified in many programming languages doesn't guarantee a great developer, it still is an important technical interview question to ask. It helps highlight a thirst for knowledge and shows that the developer is eager to learn new things.

#6 What does the perfect release look like? Who is involved and what is your role?

Have the developer take you through each phase of a recent software development lifecycle. Ask them to explain their specific role in each phase in this release. This will give you an excellent perspective into a developer’s mind. Do they talk about the before and after of the release? A skilled developer would. The chances of something going wrong in a release are very high. How would the developer react? Will they be able to handle the pressure?

SUBSCRIBE to the HackerEarth blog and enrich your monthly reading with our free e-newsletter – Fresh, insightful and awesome articles straight into your inbox from around the tech recruiting world!

#7 Tell me about a time when you had to convince your lead to try a different approach?

As an example of a behavioral interview question, this is a good one. The way a developer approaches this question speaks volumes about how confident they are expressing their views, and how succinct they are in articulating those views.

#8 What have you done with all the extra hours during the pandemic?

Did you binge-watch your way through the pandemic? I’m sure every one of us has done this. Indulge in a lighthearted conversation with your candidate. This lets them talk about something they are comfortable with. Maybe they learned a new skill or took up a hobby. Get to know a candidate’s interests and little pleasures for a more rounded evaluation.

Over to you! Now that you know what aspects of a candidate to focus on, you are well-equipped to bring out the best in each candidate in their interviews. A mix of strong technical skills and interpersonal qualities is how you spot good developers for your team.

If you have more pressing interview questions to add to this list of ours, please write to us at contact@hackerearth.com.

(Part 1) Essential Questions To Ask When Recruiting Developers In 2021

The minute a developer position opens up, recruiters feel a familiar twinge of fear run down their spines. They recall their previous interview experiences, and how there seems to be a blog post a month that goes viral about bad developer interviews.

While hiring managers, especially the picky ones, would attribute this to a shortage of talented developers, what if the time has come to rethink your interview process? What if recruiters and hiring managers put too much stock into bringing out the technical aspects of each candidate and don’t put enough emphasis on their soft skills?

A report by Robert Half shows that 86% of technology leaders say it’s challenging to find IT talent. Interviewing developers should be a rewarding experience, not a challenging one. If you don’t get caught up in asking specific questions and instead design a simple conversation to gauge a candidate’s way of thinking, it throws up a lot of good insight and makes it fun too.

Developer Hiring Statistics

Asking the right technical interview questions when recruiting developers is important but so is clear communication, good work ethic, and alignment with your organization’s goals.

Let us first see what kind of technical interview questions are well-suited to revealing the coding skills and knowledge of any developer, and then tackle the behavioral aspects of the candidate that sets them apart from the rest.

Recruit GREAT developers by asking the right questions

Here are some technical interview questions that you should ask potential software engineers when interviewing.

#1 Write an algorithm for the following

Minimum Stack - Design a stack that provides 4 functions - push(item), pop, peek, and minimum, all in constant order time complexity. Then move on to coding the actual solution.
Kth Largest Element in an array - This is a standard problem with multiple solutions of best time complexity orders where N log(K) is a common one and O(N) + K log(N) is a lesser-known order. Both solutions are acceptable, not directly comparable to each other, and better than N log(N), which is sorting an array and fetching the Kth element.
Top View of a Binary Tree - Given a root node of the binary tree, return the set of all elements that will get wet if it rains on the tree. Nodes having any nodes directly above them will not get wet.
Internal implementation of a hashtable like a map/dictionary - A candidate needs to specify how key-value pairs are stored, hashing is used and collisions are handled. A good developer not only knows how to use this concept but also how it works. If the developer also knows how the data structure scales when the number of records increases in the hashtable, that is a bonus.

Algorithms demonstrate a candidate’s ability to break down a complex problem into steps. Reasoning and pattern recognition capabilities are some more factors to look for when assessing a candidate. A good candidate can code his thought process of the algorithm finalized during the discussion.

Looking for a great place to hire developers in the US? Try Jooble!

#2 Formulate solutions for the below low-level design (LLD) questions

What is LLD? In your own words, specify the different aspects covered in LLD.
Design a movie ticket booking application like BookMyShow. Ensure that your database schema is tailored for a theatre with multiple screens and takes care of booking, seat availability, seat arrangement, and seat locking. Your solution does not have to extend to the payment option.
Design a basic social media application. Design database schema and APIs for a platform like Twitter with features for following a user, tweeting a post, seeing your tweet, and seeing a user's tweet.

Such questions do not have a right or wrong answer. They primarily serve to reveal a developer’s thought process and the way they approach a problem.

Recommended read: Hardest Tech Roles to Fill (+ solutions!)

#3 Some high-level design (HLD) questions

What do you understand by HLD? Can you specify the difference between LLD and HLD?
Design a social media application. In addition to designing a platform like Twitter with features for following a user, tweeting a post, seeing your tweet, and seeing a user's tweet, design a timeline. After designing a timeline where you can see your followers’ tweets, scale it for a larger audience. If you still have time, try to scale it for a celebrity use case.
Design for a train ticket booking application like IRCTC. Incorporate auth, features to choose start and end stations, view available trains and available seats between two stations, save reservation of seats from start to end stations, and lock them till payment confirmation.
How will you design a basic relational database? The database should support tables, columns, basic field types like integer and text, foreign keys, and indexes. The way a developer approaches this question is important. A good developer designs a solution around storage and memory management.

Here’s a pro-tip for you. LLD questions can be answered by both beginners and experienced developers. Mostly, senior developers can be expected to answer HLD questions. Choose your interview questions set wisely, and ask questions relevant to your candidate’s experience.

#4 Have you ever worked with SQL? Write queries for a specific use case that requires multiple joins.

Example: Create a table with separate columns for student name, subject, and marks scored. Return student names and ranks of each student. The rank of a student depends on the total of marks in all subjects.

Not all developers would have experience working with SQL but some knowledge about how data is stored/structured is useful. Developers should be familiar with simple concepts like joins, retrieval queries, and the basics of DBMS.

#5 What do you think is wrong with this code?

Instead of asking developer candidates to write code on a piece of paper (which is outdated, anyway), ask them to debug existing code. This is another way to assess their technical skills. Place surreptitious errors in the code and evaluate their attention to detail.

Now that you know exactly what technical skills to look for and when questions to ask when interviewing developers, the time has come to assess the soft skills of these candidates. Part 2 of this blog throws light on the how and why of evaluating candidates based on their communication skills, work ethic, and alignment with the company’s goals.

View all

Hiring Strategies

Best Pre-Employment Assessments: Optimizing Your Hiring Process for 2024

In today's competitive talent market, attracting and retaining top performers is crucial for any organization's success. However, traditional hiring methods like relying solely on resumes and interviews may not always provide a comprehensive picture of a candidate's skills and potential. This is where pre-employment assessments come into play.

What is Pre-Employement Assessment?

Pre-employment assessments are standardized tests and evaluations administered to candidates before they are hired. These assessments can help you objectively measure a candidate's knowledge, skills, abilities, and personality traits, allowing you to make data-driven hiring decisions.

By exploring and evaluating the best pre-employment assessment tools and tests available, you can:

Improve the accuracy and efficiency of your hiring process.
Identify top talent with the right skills and cultural fit.
Reduce the risk of bad hires.
Enhance the candidate experience by providing a clear and objective evaluation process.

This guide will provide you with valuable insights into the different types of pre-employment assessments available and highlight some of the best tools, to help you optimize your hiring process for 2024.

Why pre-employment assessments are key in hiring

While resumes and interviews offer valuable insights, they can be subjective and susceptible to bias. Pre-employment assessments provide a standardized and objective way to evaluate candidates, offering several key benefits:

Improved decision-making:

By measuring specific skills and knowledge, assessments help you identify candidates who possess the qualifications necessary for the job.
Reduced bias:

Standardized assessments mitigate the risks of unconscious bias that can creep into traditional interview processes.
Increased efficiency:

Assessments can streamline the initial screening process, allowing you to focus on the most promising candidates.
Enhanced candidate experience:

When used effectively, assessments can provide candidates with a clear understanding of the required skills and a fair chance to showcase their abilities.

Types of pre-employment assessments

There are various types of pre-employment assessments available, each catering to different needs and objectives. Here's an overview of some common types:

1. Skill Assessments:

Technical Skills: These assessments evaluate specific technical skills and knowledge relevant to the job role, such as programming languages, software proficiency, or industry-specific expertise. HackerEarth offers a wide range of validated technical skill assessments covering various programming languages, frameworks, and technologies.
Soft Skills: These employment assessments measure non-technical skills like communication, problem-solving, teamwork, and critical thinking, crucial for success in any role.

2. Personality Assessments:

These employment assessments can provide insights into a candidate's personality traits, work style, and cultural fit within your organization.

3. Cognitive Ability Tests:

These tests measure a candidate's general mental abilities, such as reasoning, problem-solving, and learning potential.

4. Integrity Assessments:

These employment assessments aim to identify potential risks associated with a candidate's honesty, work ethic, and compliance with company policies.

By understanding the different types of assessments and their applications, you can choose the ones that best align with your specific hiring needs and ensure you hire the most qualified and suitable candidates for your organization.

Leading employment assessment tools and tests in 2024

Choosing the right pre-employment assessment tool depends on your specific needs and budget. Here's a curated list of some of the top pre-employment assessment tools and tests available in 2024, with brief overviews:

HackerEarth:

A comprehensive platform offering a wide range of validated skill assessments in various programming languages, frameworks, and technologies. It also allows for the creation of custom assessments and integrates seamlessly with various recruitment platforms.
SHL:

Provides a broad selection of assessments, including skill tests, personality assessments, and cognitive ability tests. They offer customizable solutions and cater to various industries.
Pymetrics:

Utilizes gamified assessments to evaluate cognitive skills, personality traits, and cultural fit. They offer a data-driven approach and emphasize candidate experience.
Wonderlic:

Offers a variety of assessments, including the Wonderlic Personnel Test, which measures general cognitive ability. They also provide aptitude and personality assessments.
Harver:

An assessment platform focusing on candidate experience with video interviews, gamified assessments, and skills tests. They offer pre-built assessments and customization options.

Remember: This list is not exhaustive, and further research is crucial to identify the tool that aligns best with your specific needs and budget. Consider factors like the types of assessments offered, pricing models, integrations with your existing HR systems, and user experience when making your decision.

Choosing the right pre-employment assessment tool

Instead of full individual tool reviews, consider focusing on 2–3 key platforms. For each platform, explore:

Target audience: Who are their assessments best suited for (e.g., technical roles, specific industries)?
Types of assessments offered: Briefly list the available assessment categories (e.g., technical skills, soft skills, personality).
Key features: Highlight unique functionalities like gamification, custom assessment creation, or seamless integrations.
Effectiveness: Briefly mention the platform's approach to assessment validation and reliability.
User experience: Consider including user reviews or ratings where available.

Comparative analysis of assessment options

Instead of a comprehensive comparison, consider focusing on specific use cases:

Technical skills assessment:

Compare HackerEarth and Wonderlic based on their technical skill assessment options, focusing on the variety of languages/technologies covered and assessment formats.
Soft skills and personality assessment:

Compare SHL and Pymetrics based on their approaches to evaluating soft skills and personality traits, highlighting any unique features like gamification or data-driven insights.
Candidate experience:

Compare Harver and Wonderlic based on their focus on candidate experience, mentioning features like video interviews or gamified assessments.

Additional tips:

Encourage readers to visit the platforms' official websites for detailed features and pricing information.
Include links to reputable third-party review sites where users share their experiences with various tools.

Best practices for using pre-employment assessment tools

Integrating pre-employment assessments effectively requires careful planning and execution. Here are some best practices to follow:

Define your assessment goals:

Clearly identify what you aim to achieve with assessments. Are you targeting specific skills, personality traits, or cultural fit?
Choose the right assessments:

Select tools that align with your defined goals and the specific requirements of the open position.
Set clear expectations:

Communicate the purpose and format of the assessments to candidates in advance, ensuring transparency and building trust.
Integrate seamlessly:

Ensure your chosen assessment tool integrates smoothly with your existing HR systems and recruitment workflow.
Train your team:

Equip your hiring managers and HR team with the knowledge and skills to interpret assessment results effectively.

Interpreting assessment results accurately

Assessment results offer valuable data points, but interpreting them accurately is crucial for making informed hiring decisions. Here are some key considerations:

Use results as one data point:

Consider assessment results alongside other information, such as resumes, interviews, and references, for a holistic view of the candidate.
Understand score limitations:

Don't solely rely on raw scores. Understand the assessment's validity and reliability and the potential for cultural bias or individual test anxiety.
Look for patterns and trends:

Analyze results across different assessments and identify consistent patterns that align with your desired candidate profile.
Focus on potential, not guarantees:

Assessments indicate potential, not guarantees of success. Use them alongside other evaluation methods to make well-rounded hiring decisions.

Choosing the right pre-employment assessment tools

Selecting the most suitable pre-employment assessment tool requires careful consideration of your organization's specific needs. Here are some key factors to guide your decision:

Industry and role requirements:

Different industries and roles demand varying skill sets and qualities. Choose assessments that target the specific skills and knowledge relevant to your open positions.
Company culture and values:

Align your assessments with your company culture and values. For example, if collaboration is crucial, look for assessments that evaluate teamwork and communication skills.
Candidate experience:

Prioritize tools that provide a positive and smooth experience for candidates. This can enhance your employer brand and attract top talent.

Budget and accessibility considerations

Budget and accessibility are essential factors when choosing pre-employment assessments:

Budget:

Assessment tools come with varying pricing models (subscriptions, pay-per-use, etc.). Choose a tool that aligns with your budget and offers the functionalities you need.
Accessibility:

Ensure the chosen assessment is accessible to all candidates, considering factors like language options, disability accommodations, and internet access requirements.

Additional Tips:

Free trials and demos: Utilize free trials or demos offered by assessment platforms to experience their functionalities firsthand.
Consult with HR professionals: Seek guidance from HR professionals or recruitment specialists with expertise in pre-employment assessments.
Read user reviews and comparisons: Gain insights from other employers who use various assessment tools.

By carefully considering these factors, you can select the pre-employment assessment tool that best aligns with your organizational needs, budget, and commitment to an inclusive hiring process.

Remember, pre-employment assessments are valuable tools, but they should not be the sole factor in your hiring decisions. Use them alongside other evaluation methods and prioritize building a fair and inclusive hiring process that attracts and retains top talent.

Future trends in pre-employment assessments

The pre-employment assessment landscape is constantly evolving, with innovative technologies and practices emerging. Here are some potential future trends to watch:

Artificial intelligence (AI):

AI-powered assessments can analyze candidate responses, written work, and even resumes, using natural language processing to extract relevant insights and identify potential candidates.
Adaptive testing:

These assessments adjust the difficulty level of questions based on the candidate's performance, providing a more efficient and personalized evaluation.
Micro-assessments:

Short, focused assessments delivered through mobile devices can assess specific skills or knowledge on-the-go, streamlining the screening process.
Gamification:

Engaging and interactive game-based elements can make the assessment experience more engaging and assess skills in a realistic and dynamic way.

Conclusion

Pre-employment assessments, when used thoughtfully and ethically, can be a powerful tool to optimize your hiring process, identify top talent, and build a successful workforce for your organization. By understanding the different types of assessments available, exploring top-rated tools like HackerEarth, and staying informed about emerging trends, you can make informed decisions that enhance your ability to attract, evaluate, and hire the best candidates for the future.

Hiring Strategies

Tech Layoffs: What To Expect In 2024

Layoffs in the IT industry are becoming more widespread as companies fight to remain competitive in a fast-changing market; many turn to layoffs as a cost-cutting measure. Last year, 1,000 companies including big tech giants and startups, laid off over two lakhs of employees. But first, what are layoffs in the tech business, and how do they impact the industry?

Tech layoffs are the termination of employment for some employees by a technology company. It might happen for various reasons, including financial challenges, market conditions, firm reorganization, or the after-effects of a pandemic. While layoffs are not unique to the IT industry, they are becoming more common as companies look for methods to cut costs while remaining competitive.

The consequences of layoffs in technology may be catastrophic for employees who lose their jobs and the firms forced to make these difficult decisions. Layoffs can result in the loss of skill and expertise and a drop in employee morale and productivity. However, they may be required for businesses to stay afloat in a fast-changing market.

This article will examine the reasons for layoffs in the technology industry, their influence on the industry, and what may be done to reduce their negative impacts. We will also look at the various methods for tracking tech layoffs.

What are tech layoffs?

The term "tech layoff" describes the termination of employees by an organization in the technology industry. A company might do this as part of a restructuring during hard economic times.

In recent times, the tech industry has witnessed a wave of significant layoffs, affecting some of the world’s leading technology companies, including Amazon, Microsoft, Meta (formerly Facebook), Apple, Cisco, SAP, and Sony. These layoffs are a reflection of the broader economic challenges and market adjustments facing the sector, including factors like slowing revenue growth, global economic uncertainties, and the need to streamline operations for efficiency.

Each of these tech giants has announced job cuts for various reasons, though common themes include restructuring efforts to stay competitive and agile, responding to over-hiring during the pandemic when demand for tech services surged, and preparing for a potentially tough economic climate ahead. Despite their dominant positions in the market, these companies are not immune to the economic cycles and technological shifts that influence operational and strategic decisions, including workforce adjustments.

This trend of layoffs in the tech industry underscores the volatile nature of the tech sector, which is often at the mercy of rapid changes in technology, consumer preferences, and the global economy. It also highlights the importance of adaptability and resilience for companies and employees alike in navigating the uncertainties of the tech landscape.

Causes for layoffs in the tech industry

Why are tech employees suffering so much?

Yes, the market is always uncertain, but why resort to tech layoffs?

Various factors cause tech layoffs, including company strategy changes, market shifts, or financial difficulties. Companies may lay off employees if they need help to generate revenue, shift their focus to new products or services, or automate certain jobs.

In addition, some common reasons could be:

Financial struggles

Currently, the state of the global market is uncertain due to economic recession, ongoing war, and other related phenomena. If a company is experiencing financial difficulties, only sticking to pay cuts may not be helpful—it may need to reduce its workforce to cut costs.

Also, read: 6 Steps To Create A Detailed Recruiting Budget (Template Included)

Changes in demand

The tech industry is constantly evolving, and companies would have to adjust their workforce to meet changing market conditions. For instance, companies are adopting remote work culture, which surely affects on-premises activity, and companies could do away with some number of tech employees at the backend.

Restructuring

Companies may also lay off employees as part of a greater restructuring effort, such as spinning off a division or consolidating operations.

Automation

With the advancement in technology and automation, some jobs previously done by human labor may be replaced by machines, resulting in layoffs.

Mergers and acquisitions

When two companies merge, there is often overlap in their operations, leading to layoffs as the new company looks to streamline its workforce.

But it's worth noting that layoffs are not exclusive to the tech industry and can happen in any industry due to uncertainty in the market.

Will layoffs increase in 2024?

It is challenging to estimate the rise or fall of layoffs. The overall state of the economy, the health of certain industries, and the performance of individual companies will play a role in deciding the degree of layoffs in any given year.

But it is also seen that, in the first 15 days of this year, 91 organizations laid off over 24,000 tech workers, and over 1,000 corporations cut down more than 150,000 workers in 2022, according to an Economic Times article.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused a huge economic slowdown and forced several businesses to downsize their employees. However, some businesses rehired or expanded their personnel when the world began to recover.

So, given the current level of economic uncertainty, predicting how the situation will unfold is difficult.

Also, read: 4 Images That Show What Developers Think Of Layoffs In Tech

What types of companies are prone to tech layoffs?

Tech layoffs can occur in organizations of all sizes and various areas.

Following are some examples of companies that have experienced tech layoffs in the past:

Large tech firms

Companies such as IBM, Microsoft, Twitter, Better.com, Alibaba, and HP have all experienced layoffs in recent years as part of restructuring initiatives or cost-cutting measures.

Market scenarios are still being determined after Elon Musk's decision to lay off employees. Along with tech giants, some smaller companies and startups have also been affected by layoffs.

Startups

Because they frequently work with limited resources, startups may be forced to lay off staff if they cannot get further funding or need to pivot due to market downfall.

Small and medium-sized businesses

Small and medium-sized businesses face layoffs due to high competition or if the products/services they offer are no longer in demand.

Companies in certain industries

Some sectors of the technological industry, such as the semiconductor industry or automotive industry, may be more prone to layoffs than others.

Companies that lean on government funding

Companies that rely significantly on government contracts may face layoffs if the government cuts technology spending or contracts are not renewed.

How to track tech layoffs?

You can’t stop tech company layoffs, but you should be keeping track of them. We, HR professionals and recruiters, can also lend a helping hand in these tough times by circulating “layoff lists” across social media sites like LinkedIn and Twitter to help people land jobs quicker. Firefish Software put together a master list of sources to find fresh talent during the layoff period.

Because not all layoffs are publicly disclosed, tracking tech industry layoffs can be challenging, and some may go undetected. There are several ways to keep track of tech industry layoffs:

Use tech layoffs tracker

Layoff trackers like thelayoff.com and layoffs.fyi provide up-to-date information on layoffs.

In addition, they aid in identifying trends in layoffs within the tech industry. It can reveal which industries are seeing the most layoffs and which companies are the most affected.

Companies can use layoff trackers as an early warning system and compare their performance to that of other companies in their field.

News articles

Because many news sites cover tech layoffs as they happen, keeping a watch on technology sector stories can provide insight into which organizations are laying off employees and how many individuals have been affected.

Social media

Organizations and employees frequently publish information about layoffs in tech on social media platforms; thus, monitoring companies' social media accounts or following key hashtags can provide real-time updates regarding layoffs.

Online forums and communities

There are online forums and communities dedicated to discussing tech industry news, and they can be an excellent source of layoff information.

Government reports

Government agencies such as the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) publish data on layoffs and unemployment, which can provide a more comprehensive picture of the technology industry's status.

How do companies reduce tech layoffs?

Layoffs in tech are hard – for the employee who is losing their job, the recruiter or HR professional who is tasked with informing them, and the company itself. So, how can we aim to avoid layoffs? Here are some ways to minimize resorting to letting people go:

Salary reductions

Instead of laying off employees, businesses can lower the salaries or wages of all employees. It can be accomplished by instituting compensation cuts or salary freezes.

Implementing a hiring freeze

Businesses can halt employing new personnel to cut costs. It can be a short-term solution until the company's financial situation improves.

Also, read: What Recruiters Can Focus On During A Tech Hiring Freeze

Non-essential expense reduction

Businesses might search for ways to cut or remove non-essential expenses such as travel, training, and office expenses.

Reducing working hours

Companies can reduce employee working hours to save money, such as implementing a four-day workweek or a shorter workday.

These options may not always be viable and may have their problems, but before laying off, a company owes it to its people to consider every other alternative, and formulate the best solution.

Tech layoffs to bleed into this year

While we do not know whether this trend will continue or subside during 2023, we do know one thing. We have to be prepared for a wave of layoffs that is still yet to hit. As of last month, Layoffs.fyi had already tracked 170+ companies conducting 55,970 layoffs in 2023.

So recruiters, let’s join arms, distribute those layoff lists like there’s no tomorrow, and help all those in need of a job! :)

Hiring Tools

What is Headhunting In Recruitment?: Types & How Does It Work?

In today’s fast-paced world, recruiting talent has become increasingly complicated. Technological advancements, high workforce expectations and a highly competitive market have pushed recruitment agencies to adopt innovative strategies for recruiting various types of talent. This article aims to explore one such recruitment strategy – headhunting.

What is Headhunting in recruitment?

In headhunting, companies or recruitment agencies identify, engage and hire highly skilled professionals to fill top positions in the respective companies. It is different from the traditional process in which candidates looking for job opportunities approach companies or recruitment agencies. In headhunting, executive headhunters, as recruiters are referred to, approach prospective candidates with the hiring company’s requirements and wait for them to respond. Executive headhunters generally look for passive candidates, those who work at crucial positions and are not on the lookout for new work opportunities. Besides, executive headhunters focus on filling critical, senior-level positions indispensable to companies. Depending on the nature of the operation, headhunting has three types. They are described later in this article. Before we move on to understand the types of headhunting, here is how the traditional recruitment process and headhunting are different.

How do headhunting and traditional recruitment differ from each other?

Headhunting is a type of recruitment process in which top-level managers and executives in similar positions are hired. Since these professionals are not on the lookout for jobs, headhunters have to thoroughly understand the hiring companies’ requirements and study the work profiles of potential candidates before creating a list.

In the traditional approach, there is a long list of candidates applying for jobs online and offline. Candidates approach recruiters for jobs. Apart from this primary difference, there are other factors that define the difference between these two schools of recruitment.

AspectHeadhuntingTraditional RecruitmentCandidate TypePrimarily passive candidateActive job seekersApproachFocused on specific high-level rolesBroader; includes various levelsScopeproactive outreachReactive: candidates applyCostGenerally more expensive due to expertise requiredTypically lower costsControlManaged by headhuntersManaged internally by HR teams

All the above parameters will help you to understand how headhunting differs from traditional recruitment methods, better.

Types of headhunting in recruitment

Direct headhunting: In direct recruitment, hiring teams reach out to potential candidates through personal communication. Companies conduct direct headhunting in-house, without outsourcing the process to hiring recruitment agencies. Very few businesses conduct this type of recruitment for top jobs as it involves extensive screening across networks outside the company’s expanse.

Indirect headhunting: This method involves recruiters getting in touch with their prospective candidates through indirect modes of communication such as email and phone calls. Indirect headhunting is less intrusive and allows candidates to respond at their convenience.Third-party recruitment: Companies approach external recruitment agencies or executive headhunters to recruit highly skilled professionals for top positions. This method often leverages the company’s extensive contact network and expertise in niche industries.

How does headhunting work?

Finding highly skilled professionals to fill critical positions can be tricky if there is no system for it. Expert executive headhunters employ recruitment software to conduct headhunting efficiently as it facilitates a seamless recruitment process for executive headhunters. Most software is AI-powered and expedites processes like candidate sourcing, interactions with prospective professionals and upkeep of communication history. This makes the process of executive search in recruitment a little bit easier. Apart from using software to recruit executives, here are the various stages of finding high-calibre executives through headhunting.

Identifying the role

Once there is a vacancy for a top job, one of the top executives like a CEO, director or the head of the company, reach out to the concerned personnel with their requirements. Depending on how large a company is, they may choose to headhunt with the help of an external recruiting agency or conduct it in-house. Generally, the task is assigned to external recruitment agencies specializing in headhunting. Executive headhunters possess a database of highly qualified professionals who work in crucial positions in some of the best companies. This makes them the top choice of conglomerates looking to hire some of the best talents in the industry.

Defining the job

Once an executive headhunter or a recruiting agency is finalized, companies conduct meetings to discuss the nature of the role, how the company works, the management hierarchy among other important aspects of the job. Headhunters are expected to understand these points thoroughly and establish a clear understanding of their expectations and goals.

Candidate identification and sourcing

Headhunters analyse and understand the requirements of their clients and begin creating a pool of suitable candidates from their database. The professionals are shortlisted after conducting extensive research of job profiles, number of years of industry experience, professional networks and online platforms.

Approaching candidates

Once the potential candidates have been identified and shortlisted, headhunters move on to get in touch with them discreetly through various communication channels. As such candidates are already working at top level positions at other companies, executive headhunters have to be low-key while doing so.

Assessment and Evaluation

In this next step, extensive screening and evaluation of candidates is conducted to determine their suitability for the advertised position.

Interviews and negotiations

Compensation is a major topic of discussion among recruiters and prospective candidates. A lot of deliberation and negotiation goes on between the hiring organization and the selected executives which is facilitated by the headhunters.

Finalizing the hire

Things come to a close once the suitable candidates accept the job offer. On accepting the offer letter, headhunters help finalize the hiring process to ensure a smooth transition.

The steps listed above form the blueprint for a typical headhunting process. Headhunting has been crucial in helping companies hire the right people for crucial positions that come with great responsibility. However, all systems have a set of challenges no matter how perfect their working algorithm is. Here are a few challenges that talent acquisition agencies face while headhunting.

Common challenges in headhunting

Despite its advantages, headhunting also presents certain challenges:

Cost Implications: Engaging headhunters can be more expensive than traditional recruitment methods due to their specialized skills and services.

Time-Consuming Process: While headhunting can be efficient, finding the right candidate for senior positions may still take time due to thorough evaluation processes.

Market Competition: The competition for top talent is fierce; organizations must present compelling offers to attract passive candidates away from their current roles.

Although the above mentioned factors can pose challenges in the headhunting process, there are more upsides than there are downsides to it. Here is how headhunting has helped revolutionize the recruitment of high-profile candidates.

Advantages of Headhunting

Headhunting offers several advantages over traditional recruitment methods:

Access to Passive Candidates: By targeting individuals who are not actively seeking new employment, organisations can access a broader pool of highly skilled professionals.

Confidentiality: The discreet nature of headhunting protects both candidates’ current employment situations and the hiring organisation’s strategic interests.

Customized Search: Headhunters tailor their search based on the specific needs of the organization, ensuring a better fit between candidates and company culture.

Industry Expertise: Many headhunters specialise in particular sectors, providing valuable insights into market dynamics and candidate qualifications.

Conclusion

Although headhunting can be costly and time-consuming, it is one of the most effective ways of finding good candidates for top jobs. Executive headhunters face several challenges maintaining the g discreetness while getting in touch with prospective clients. As organizations navigate increasingly competitive markets, understanding the nuances of headhunting becomes vital for effective recruitment strategies. To keep up with the technological advancements, it is better to optimise your hiring process by employing online recruitment software like HackerEarth, which enables companies to conduct multiple interviews and evaluation tests online, thus improving candidate experience. By collaborating with skilled headhunters who possess industry expertise and insights into market trends, companies can enhance their chances of securing high-caliber professionals who drive success in their respective fields.

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DEI Hiring

Diversity and Inclusion: 5 Essential Rules to Follow

What is D&I and why is it important?

1 - Expand the talent pool

2 - Expand the perspectives

3 - Be a company we can identify with

4 - Inclusion happens at the decision-making level

5 - If you’re doing it right, you should see quantifiable results

In a nutshell

What is Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) At The Workplace?

7 step framework for DE&I at the workplace

What is Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the workplace?

Diversity in the workplace

Equity in the workplace

Inclusion in the workplace

This Is Recruiting: Increasing Your Diversity Hiring ROI

So what does the modern recruiter do?

#1. Farm your talent pool, as opposed to hunting

#2. Bust the myth of the ‘perfect candidate’

#3. Train. Talk. Tweak.

#4. Set realistic goals to improve your diversity hiring ROI

The bottom-line for better diversity hiring: Look for real improvements

Learn more about bettering your diversity hiring ROI with John below:

3 Reasons Why I'll Continue Using Remote Interviewing Tools Even Post-Pandemic

1. Less work = More data

2. Geographic flexibility

3. Reduced bias

A remote interviewing future

Tech Hiring Post-COVID: Key Shifts and Strategies

1. ‘Can You Hear Me?’

2. Cookathons, Marathons, And Almost Everything-athon

3. Stop The Count

4. The New Normal

To Borrow From The Great Tesla, Again.

Happy 2021.

This Is Recruiting: What Makes A Good Coding Assessment?

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Technical Screening Guide: All You Need To Know

Explore HackerEarth’s top products for Hiring & Innovation

Meet our Authors

7 Tech Recruiting Trends To Watch Out For In 2024

7 tech recruiting trends for 2024

Trend #1—Leverage data-driven recruiting

Trend #2—Have impactful employer branding

Trend #3—Focus on candidate-driven market

Trend #4—Have a diversity and inclusion oriented company culture

Trend #5—Embed automation and AI into your recruitment systems

Trend #6—Conduct remote interviews

Trend #7—Be proactive in candidate engagement

Recruiting Tech Talent Just Got Easier With HackerEarth

(Part 2) Essential Questions To Ask When Interviewing Developers In 2021

What constitutes a good interview question?

Hire GREAT developers by asking the right questions

#1 How do you plan your day?

#2 Do you have experience using tools for collaboration and remote work?

Value-based interview questions to ask

#3 Please describe three recent projects that you worked on. What were the most interesting and challenging parts?

#4 You’ve worked long and hard to deliver a complex feature for a client and they say it’s not what they asked for. How would you take it?

#5 What new programming languages or technologies have you learned recently?

#6 What does the perfect release look like? Who is involved and what is your role?

#7 Tell me about a time when you had to convince your lead to try a different approach?

#8 What have you done with all the extra hours during the pandemic?

(Part 1) Essential Questions To Ask When Recruiting Developers In 2021

Recruit GREAT developers by asking the right questions

#1 Write an algorithm for the following

#2 Formulate solutions for the below low-level design (LLD) questions

#3 Some high-level design (HLD) questions

#4 Have you ever worked with SQL? Write queries for a specific use case that requires multiple joins.

#5 What do you think is wrong with this code?

Best Pre-Employment Assessments: Optimizing Your Hiring Process for 2024

What is Pre-Employement Assessment?

Why pre-employment assessments are key in hiring

Improved decision-making:

Reduced bias:

Increased efficiency:

Enhanced candidate experience:

Types of pre-employment assessments

1. Skill Assessments:

2. Personality Assessments:

3. Cognitive Ability Tests:

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What is Headhunting In Recruitment?: Types & How Does It Work?