Developer Insights

Blindly sinking resources into hiring drives with recruiters scouring the Internet for hours looking for suitable job profiles will not cut it anymore. An alarming insight from our brand new report, 2021 State Of Developer Recruitment, shows that 37% of recruiters agree sourcing is a big challenge, post-pandemic.

Most of us barely scratch the surface when it comes to the Google search engine. Enter a keyword or a key phrase and hit search. But here’s the thing – Google search holds such power to offer highly customized results should you want it. And that’s exactly where Boolean search strings step in!

For a recruiter, Boolean search strings are a godsend. They can make your life painless, and your search exponentially more effective.

What is Boolean search?

Boolean search helps you define your search specifically to what you are looking for. Words or phrases such as AND, OR, NOT can be used to limit, broaden and determine the search results — utilize a search engine to its fullest potential.

Why is Boolean searching important for recruiting

Boolean searching isn’t just a fancy tech term; it’s the heart of modern recruitment. In an age where data is vast and candidates numerous, the power to narrow down searches with precision is crucial. Here’s why:

Precision targeting: Ever felt overwhelmed by the sheer number of profiles on LinkedIn or resumes in your database? Boolean search cuts through the noise, targeting specifics like skills, experience, and location.

Time efficiency: Recruiters juggle multiple roles – interviewing, networking, and candidate management. Boolean search speeds up the candidate-finding process, freeing up time for other essential tasks.

Diverse candidate pool: By using the NOT operator, recruiters can avoid repetitive profiles and expand their search, ensuring a diverse mix of potential candidates.

Competitive edge: In the race to find top talent, being quicker and more precise gives recruiters a significant advantage. Boolean search ensures you find the right candidates before the competition does.

Cost-effective: Every hour spent searching is an hour paid for. By streamlining the search process, Boolean logic can lead to significant cost savings.

Adaptable to different platforms: Whether you’re scouting on job portals, LinkedIn, or even Google, Boolean search strings remain applicable and effective.

Boolean search operators to the rescue

Take the most simple search query. Type out a keyword and hit enter. Now add a few additional operators and symbols to the mix and bingo! You have written your very first Boolean search string.

It is simple enough to do. You follow a recipe closely when you bake, and here you need to write the syntax correctly, for your search query to work.

OperatorWhat it doesBoolean Search ExamplesANDIncludes all keywords specified in the search

developer AND JavaOR or |Includes one or both keywords in the resultsEngineer OR developerEngineer | developerNOT or –Excludes unwanted terms from your search

-example“ ”Includes results containing the exact phrase specified“Machine Learning”“Who wants to be hired”()Groups multiple search keywords to set prioritiesDeveloper (android OR python)*Includes all variations of the keyword

recruit* = recruiter, recruiting, recruitment

#1 AND Operator

If you add AND operator between your keywords, the search results will show only results that include all of your keywords.

#2 OR Operator

This operator will show results that include either of the two keywords or both of them simultaneously.

#3 NOT Operator

The NOT operator excludes unwanted terms from your search. Instead of NOT, you can also use the minus symbol (-) followed by your unwanted term without leaving a space (e.g. ‘NOT sample’ or ‘-sample.’)

#4 Parenthesis ()

Brackets are used to wrap multiple keywords in OR search. This defines the priorities of each segment of the search string. This will come in handy, as most candidate searches are not straightforward and combine various keywords.

#5 Quotation Marks (“ ”)

Quotation marks are used to search for the exact phrase specified. For example, leaving a blank space between ‘product’ and ‘manager’ will provide irrelevant results that contain both of the words ‘product’ and ‘manager,’ but not necessarily together.

#6 Asterisk (*)

The wild card (*) is used to get more variations of the results for the keyword you’re searching for. For example, dev* will provide you with results for both developer and development.

A guide to advanced Boolean search strings

Hiring for rather niche positions or specific skill sets calls for using boolean strings that are slightly more advanced than the norm.

For instance, you need email addresses of candidates who are working in machine learning or data science, then the search string would be:

Syntax

site: linkedin.com/in (“@gmail.com” OR “@yahoo.com”) (“machine learning” OR “ML” OR “data scientist”)

Still, struggling to wrap your head around it? Take a pen and paper to note the following details:

• Job title of the position you’re hiring for, as well as any other variations that it could have
• Skills that the candidate needs to be proficient in, or any other industry-specific terms
• Platforms you want to run your search on
• Other details that you need like email address, resume, country, etc
• Swap out the text in the below generic search string for what you’ve written down on your list!

Generic Syntax

site: (platform URL) (“The job title you’re recruiting for” OR “enter another variant”) OR “skill 1” OR “other details”

Narrow down your search by using the country name, postal code, diversity preference, company, or natural language in your Boolean search strings, for better results.

Refine your Boolean search strings further

#1 Limit your search to a specific website with the site: search syntax. It is also called x-raying or an x-ray search. It is particularly useful for obtaining profiles with specific skill sets

Syntax

site:linkedin.com/in (“@gmail.com” OR “@yahoo.com”) (“machine learning” OR “ML”) (“she leads” | “she led”)

You can directly glean the contact information of potential candidates with this search query free of cost instead of using LinkedIn’s InMail service, which is expensive. In this example, “she leads” refers to the natural language we use in a conversation. This query will yield all email addresses containing Gmail or yahoo of women developers who work with machine learning, which are tied to their LinkedIn profile.

#2 Restrict your search to a specific file type with the filetype: search syntax. It could be a resume or a portfolio in a PDF, doc, txt, etc

Syntax

filetype:pdf resume (engineer OR “software developer”) Boston 2017..2020 -example -sample

This query captures the results of all resumes in a PDF format, from the location specified. The minus operator has been used to eliminate sample resumes from your search. You can also specify a date range; in this case, you don’t want resumes older than 2017 or later than 2020.

#3 Use intitle: search syntax to refine your search to websites with specific keywords in their title. Most candidates upload a resume to all job boards. That could be your keyword to scraping suitable resumes for your requirements

Syntax

intitle:resume (“senior developer” | “lead developer”) India 2018..2020 -sample -example

#4 Use inurl: search syntax to refine your search to websites with specific keywords in their URL

Syntax

inurl:(resume OR CV) python India 2018..2020 -sample -example

Using various combinations of Boolean search strings, it becomes a cakewalk for recruiters to source candidates for a particular job. And not just any candidate, but a candidate who exhibits all the necessary skills for that job. Isn’t that every recruiter’s dream?!

Know more about Boolean search strings for diversity sourcing in this video.

5 Boolean Search tips for recruiters

To take your search one step further, you need to think out of the box. Talented candidates are everywhere, if only you know where and how to look.

#1 Podcasts

Podcasts are a great way to get in touch with candidates who possess unique skill sets. Using the site: search syntax you can identify candidates and their interests depending on which podcast you find them. Tailor your pitch accordingly, and voila, you have an interested candidate in your talent pool.

Here’s an example of a query that searches for diverse podcasters.

Syntax

site: podcasts.google.com “@gmail.com” (lgbtq OR advocacy OR ally)

#2 Github

It is a popular developer community and a live bed for talented developers looking for work.

• Use Octohunt, a tool that allows you to find developers on Github, based on their location and coding skill sets.
• The resumes uploaded to this platform are in a different format from the usual PDFs, texts, and docs.

Syntax

site:github.com resume (kubernetes OR docker) “new york”

This search query will pull up all results of people in New York who have their resumes tied to their Github profile.

• Use this search query to pull up different results from the github.io domain when compared to the github.com domain.

Syntax

site:github.io resume (kubernetes OR docker) “new york”

#3 More online communities

Communities and groups will be thriving with developers of all levels. Gathering information about them helps you personalize your cold email with an appropriate proposal for each candidate.

• Meetup is an online community that is an amalgamation of various groups related to every walk of life. PhantomBuster is a tool that can scrape member information from groups you identify with your search query.

Syntax

site: meetup.com (developer | engineer) “women”

• Medium is another vast community where identifying candidates with niche skills pays off.

Syntax

site: medium.com (developer | “cybersecurity engineer”) “women”

• HackerNews has a conversation running where developers looking for work leave their contact information in the comments.

Syntax

site: news.ycombinator.com “who wants to be hired”

#4 Expand your search

Don’t restrict your search efforts to Linkedin. Social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and Reddit also respond well to Boolean search strings. Utilize hashtags, and keywords being used in popular communities on there and add them to your search strings.

Syntax

site:twitter.com (“follow me on Twitter”) (engineer OR developer) India

#5 Use tools

There are several image recognition tools like TinEye that help in conducting searches through images. Image sourcing is gaining popularity and can pull up candidate profiles from Github, LinkedIn, and so on.

Recommended read: A List Of Boolean Search Strings

FAQs on Boolean Search String

What are the basic Boolean search operators used in recruiting?

The fundamental operators are AND (to combine terms), OR (to search multiple terms), and NOT (to exclude terms). Additionally, symbols like asterisks (*) for wildcards and parentheses () to group terms are frequently used.

Can I use Boolean searching on all job boards?

Most modern job boards and recruiting platforms support Boolean searching. However, always check the platform’s guidelines or help section to understand the specific syntax they might use.

How can I improve my Boolean search skills?

Regular practice is key. Start with basic strings and as you get comfortable, incorporate more complex operators. Attending webinars, courses, or workshops can also help.

Are there tools to assist with Boolean searches?

Yes, many tools and plugins, especially for browsers, can help craft and test Boolean search strings. These can be invaluable for recruiters looking to enhance their searching capabilities.

Is there a risk of missing out on candidates using Boolean search?

If not used correctly, Boolean search can exclude potential candidates. It’s crucial to strike a balance, ensuring the search is neither too narrow nor too broad. Regularly revisiting and tweaking your search strings can mitigate this risk.

Bonus tip

Instead of spending too much time creating customized search queries, rely on tools like NativeCurrent that curate Boolean string suggestions based on your requirements. Use these pre-built search strings on the Google search engine. Saves you a lot of time and effort!

We at HackerEarth love pair programming. Before you call out for being biased though, hear us out. Over the years we have spent perfecting our interview platform FaceCode, we have heard from many hiring managers that using a pair programming interview tool is one of the best ways to assess a candidate’s coding abilities in real time.

Let’s look at what these managers have told us:

• With modern pair programming interview tools, employers must be well-informed about the coders’ unique skills set, ability to collaborate, solve problems, and strong analytical thinking
• Interviewers must be able to deduce the coders’ agility in coding, the complexity of the code used, proficiency in using features such as CodeEditor, auto-suggest, and much more
• A modern interview approach must evaluate how well coders handle ambiguity. It must highlight their attitude toward the challenge and aptitude for learning
• The interviewer learns about the interviewee’s skills and personality, while the interviewee learns about whom they will be working with and what a typical workday looks like

What is pair programming?

Pair programming is a collaborative coding technique where two programmers work together at one workstation. One, the “driver,” writes code while the other, the “navigator,” reviews each line of code as it is typed in. The roles switch frequently to keep both partners engaged. This approach not only improves code quality by facilitating immediate feedback and error correction but also enhances learning and knowledge sharing between the pair. It’s particularly effective in tackling complex problems and learning new technologies. Companies often use pair programming to foster a collaborative environment and develop a more cohesive team dynamic, ultimately leading to more robust and error-free software.

What is a pair programming interview?

A pair programming interview is a style of interviewing candidates where the interviewer and candidate share a coding platform to solve a programming problem together. With pair programming, you can test 3 skills in developers: problem-solving, teamwork, and communication skills.

It can be a great way to identify talented developers. That’s not to say pair programming interviews (a.k.a pair coding interviews) can not go wrong.

DISCLAIMER: No known coders have been harmed during pair programming interviews. Also, breath mints are just good to carry along for any scenario. Just saying.

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Laughs aside, the main reason why pair programming interviews go south is that the rules of engagement are not specified; or followed. As a wise man said, a football game without rules is just a brawl. So, let’s list down some of the oft-repeated mistakes in a pair coding interview and how one can avoid them.

Pair Programming Interview Mistakes

Mistake 1: Not agreeing on rules beforehand

Pair programming has a simple structure. There’s a DRIVER and a NAVIGATOR. Simply put, the driver writes code while the other, the observer or navigator, reviews each line of code as it is typed in.

There are many ways this driver-navigator relationship can work:

• Ping-Pong pairing: In this Developer A starts the process by writing a failing test or the ‘PING’. Developer B then writes the implementation to make it pass i.e. the ‘PONG’. Each set is then followed by refactoring the code together.

• Strong-style pairing: In this, the navigator is usually the person who has more experience with the setup or task at hand, while the driver has lesser experience (with the language, the tool, the codebase, or because they are fresh out of college). The experienced person usually ends up being in the navigator role and guides the driver.

• Pair development: Pair development is not a ‘style’ of pair programming per se. It’s more of a methodology. While the above two styles can be used for developing code in real time, pair development can be used to create a user story or feature. This goes beyond just coding and allows the pair to handle many different tasks as a team.

So, before you invite a candidate over for a code pair interview, ensure you know which style you are going to use and lay down the rules clearly. If you are switching roles between driver and navigator, make sure that the rules of discussion and expectations are clear from the get-go.

Mistake 2: Lack of proper conflict resolution mechanisms

It is important to settle conflicts well as a pair, and one way of doing it is to agree at the outset on which role has the final say. Between the driver and the navigator, one role needs to have the ‘casting vote’.

That said, this mechanism should not deter either of the pair from asking questions, or raising red flags. The goal of the pair programming role is to provide the candidate with something close to a ‘real-world experience’, i.e. they work on actual problems that your team solves in their workday. At the same time, the interviewer gets a first-hand glimpse at the candidate’s problem solving skills, and ability to collaborate.

Don’t forget this in an attempt to be ‘right’ during your pair programming routine. Agreeing to a mutually suitable arrangement at the outset aligns expectations and provides a fairly straightforward method of conflict resolution.

Mistake 3: Thinking there is just one ‘right’ answer

There are 11287398173 ways to write FizzBuzz. Remember this when you are in the middle of your next pair programming interview.

As interviewers, a very easy mistake to make is to believe that there is just one right way to approach a problem. Experienced hiring managers know that while it is perfectly alright to usually have an answer in mind to a given question, it is also important to listen and see what the interviewee’s answer is.

Most of the time, you’ll find that the candidate’s approach is different from yours. If you keep an open mind, you might even be surprised by their creativity! Rigidity in thought is a no-no for any interviewer; this typically demonstrates that they are not open to new ideas and only serves to alienate candidates.

This is also important for interviewees. Many times, candidates get trapped in the rabbit hole of ‘pleasing’ the interviewer. They look for solutions that they think will appease the interviewer. It is important to be aware of this behavior. Use the opportunity to showcase your skill-set, instead of behaving like a mind reader and trying to say and do things that will impress the manager. Ask clarifying questions, understand the boundary conditions or the corner cases, and then do your own thing!

Mistake 4: Not communicating enough

Okay, we get it. Not everyone likes chatter when they are coding. Some coders like music, others like radio silence.

The whole purpose of a pair-programming interview is to communicate. Let’s rephrase that a bit. The sole purpose of a pair-programming interview is to communicate effectively with your partner and build something collaboratively.

Interviewers need to set the tone here. Please tell your candidates clearly what kind of communication you expect from them. Do you want them to finish their coding and then walk you through their code, or do you want a play-by-play commentary? While doing so, please be cognizant of the fact that you do not come across as intimidating, and allow the candidate the flexibility to understand and solve the problem in their own time and space.

Interviewees would do better to ditch the YOLO approach on this one and use the session to show their planning and communication skills.

Benefits of pair programming interviews

Pair programming interviews offer a number of benefits to both employers and candidates.

Benefits for employers:

Assess real-time problem-solving skills: Pair programming interviews allow employers to see how candidates approach and solve problems in a real-time setting. This is much more informative than traditional whiteboard interviews, which can be more artificial and less indicative of a candidate’s actual coding skills.

Evaluate communication and teamwork skills: Pair programming interviews also allow employers to evaluate candidates’ communication and teamwork skills. This is important because tech workers often need to be able to work effectively with others on complex projects.

Identify potential culture fits: Pair programming interviews can also help employers to identify potential culture fits. By observing how candidates interact with each other and with the interviewer, employers can get a better sense of whether candidates would be a good fit for the company culture.

Benefits for candidates:

More skill-oriented process: Pair programming interviews give candidates a more realistic opportunity to demonstrate their skills. Candidates are able to work with the interviewer to solve a problem, and they are able to ask questions and get feedback as they go. This can help candidates to perform better than they might in a traditional whiteboard interview.

Better understanding of the company culture: Pair programming interviews also give candidates a better understanding of the company culture. By interacting with the interviewer and seeing how the interviewer works, candidates can get a sense of how the company values collaboration and teamwork.

Opportunity to network with potential colleagues: Pair programming interviews can also be an opportunity for candidates to network with potential colleagues. By working with the interviewer, candidates can learn more about the company’s projects and technologies. Candidates can also make a good impression on the interviewer and other potential colleagues.

Tips to conduct a pair programming interview

Ensuring your pair programming interviews are effective requires a balanced approach:

Set clear expectations: Before the session, clearly communicate the objectives, tools to be used, and the problem’s scope.

Use real-world scenarios: Instead of abstract problems, use challenges that reflect real tasks your team faces. This provides valuable insights into the candidate’s practical skills.

Ensure role clarity: Specify who is the “driver” (the one writing the code) and the “observer” (the one reviewing and suggesting) and switch roles midway to ensure a balanced assessment.

Prepare a list of pair programming interview questions: Create a list of pair programming interview questions to check the candidate’s ability to design code

Maintain respectful communication: Encourage open dialogue. The candidate should feel comfortable asking questions, suggesting alternatives, or admitting when they don’t know something.

Embrace silence: Allow the candidate to think. Not every moment needs to be filled with talk.

Provide tools and documentation: Ensure the candidate has access to necessary tools and can refer to documentation if needed. This mirrors real-world conditions.

Focus on the Journey, NOT just the Solution: Remember, the goal is to understand how the candidate thinks and collaborates. A perfect solution isn’t the only indicator of a good fit.

Conclude with feedback: Dedicate the last few minutes to provide feedback. Highlight what went well and areas of improvement. This can be incredibly valuable for both the candidate and your company’s reputation.

When done right, pair programming can yield awesome results!

These are just some of the things we have learned from our discussions with hiring managers and candidates. We hope that they help you in your next interview. Another important aspect of a good pair programming interview is using the right tool, and HackerEarth’s FaceCode can help you with that. The key to having a good technical code pair interview is creating a familiar environment for the candidates, so they can relax and focus on the task at hand. FaceCode, with its built-in code editor and easy-to-access question library, allows you to do that easily.

We hope you ace your next pair programming interview – whether you are an interviewer or a candidate. Good luck!

Experienced front-end, back-end, or a full-stack software engineer are in high demand. According to stats from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, by 2029, software engineers’ employment will surge by 22%.

Today, 54% of the companies claim that they are short of relevant talent, as reported by ManPower in ‘What Workers Want.’ This gap may take a while to narrow down. In the meanwhile, the demand and prices for developers have gone up.

But before hiring a software engineer to build your product, you should clearly understand which tech specialists you need for your project. Let’s start with the basics.

The Three Main Layers of Software Development

Before looking for an engineer for your project, you should understand a common structure of the software development process. There are three layers of software development overlap. And here is a brief explanation of each:

Front-end

The front-end is where the users interact with the site or app. A good front-end means that a website or an app is easy to navigate and has a user-friendly and appealing design. That is why companies pay special attention to this lawyer, as it directly influences customer experience and product success.

The colors, graphics, and optimizations are vital for user experience. The front-end, in a way, represents your brand and communicates to the audience. Successful communication would build trust among users and boost the retention rate.

Back-end

The back-end is the server-side of a website, mobile app, or web app. Back-end developers are responsible for developing web services and APIs.

You can compare the back-end to the ‘behind-the-scenes’ crew of a movie, as back-end developers do the work that no one can see on the website or an app, but they write a code that makes your project alive.

Suggested Reading: The Difference Between Back-End, Front-End, and Full-Stack Developers

Database layer

The third layer is the database layer. The developers for this make sure that the DBMS can manage a vast amount of data. The database programmers look over the modification and editing of databases, design and develop new databases, and troubleshoot the existing database issues.

As you can see, to build a digital product, you need an entire software development team. However, some companies prefer having a full-stack developer who can build both front-end and back-end layers. But is having one specialist for all technical tasks the best option?

Here are some pros and cons of hiring full-stackdevelopers we explain to our clients.

Pros and cons of hiring full-stack developers

It is an obvious decision for many organizations to save costs and hire one experienced developer for front-end and back-end tasks. But others prefer having separate specialists responsible for different layers. Before choosing the right model for your business, learn more about the advantages and disadvantages of hiring a full-stack developer instead of two engineers.

Pros

Why do companies hire full-stack developers?

Talented developers can easily manage the entire stack and create your product from scratch. They can handle it from a 360-degree perspective if they take a holistic approach.

• Cost-effectiveness

Full-stack developers are easy on your budget. Instead of looking for many developers, you can hire one good full-stack developer to shape your project. That is especially beneficial if you’re starting your project and are tight on the budget. Moreover, if you hire a software engineer from a country with a lower living costs than yours, you can save even more money.

• Flexibility

Full-stack developers are more flexible. They can deal with the whole design structure, work at any level of the project, and deliver quality results. Full-stack developers also optimize and maintain existing systems. They see the bigger picture and are well-versed with what users want.

Most of the full-stack engineers are acquainted with the latest advancements and technologies. They can craft the best responsive website and input smart features and enhanced user experience.

• Wide range of technology skills

Full-stack developers are more likely to deliver long-term solutions that ensure the optimal functioning of your project. They are familiar with all software development layers and can identify and troubleshoot all the problems efficiently.

While front-end developers create the final picture that users can interact with, and back-end developers code the website and link it to the content management systems, full-stack engineers can handle both processes.

Full-stack engineers can also work with the existing project, add new features and improve your code. This flexibility of different tech skills is highly beneficial for any tech project.

• Management skills

An experienced full-stack developer can effectively lead a team of developers (not always, but as usual). If you already have some junior software engineers, you can hire a full-stack developer to help them and control all the processes.

• Less professional burnout

A full-stack developer has more than one responsibility and a wide variety of different tasks. This variation serves as a relief from daily routine. Since they handle the entire project, they can schedule the tasks simultaneously and switch between different processes to avoid burning out.

Cons

While it might be a tempting thought just to hire a full-stack developer to do it all, it comes with its own set of cons.

• Slower development process

A full-stack developer is still a one-person, no matter how many different tasks this specialist can cover. You cannot expect a single person to carry out all the processes with the same speed as two different developers work. If you hire a full-stack engineer, the list of tasks may keep increasing, leading to slower development progress.

• Limitation to a certain tech stack

Many inexperienced company leaders or people without a tech background think about a full-stack developer as a person who knows everything and can deal with any tech problem. But in fact, full-stack engineers are those who know some technologies from the front-end and some from the back-end. Not necessarily their tech stack matches the project needs in full.

• Not always in sync with the latest technologies

Software development is a field where you have to be in touch with the latest technology trends. As full-stack engineers specialize in several areas and different skills, it is hard to keep up with innovations and changes in the IT world. Not all developers might be aware of all the new tools and advancements in the market.

• Lack of clear responsibility zone

Full-stack developers’ tasks often overlap. Even if you have an entire tech team, a full-stack developer must take on much of the workload and often switch between different processes. Sometimes they are confused about their exact role in a project.

• Motivational challenges

This sad lesson we learned from our own experience. For a period of time, we had only one full-stack developer in our team. It was enough to cover our needs at that moment and it was a cost-effective decision. What we didn’t realize back then was that even developers are social creatures. 🙂 We lost our developer simply because he missed having a team around with whom he could discuss work-related questions and solve challenging tasks, missed the feeling of competition and professional growth which is easier to notice when comparing your success to others.

A checklist for hiring a software developer

If you have analyzed all the pros and cons above and decided to look for a full-stack engineer, here is a list of tips that can help you in your hiring process.

The right developer will possess relevant skill sets for the job. Here is what you need to look for.

• Experience

Often, graduates lack relevant skills. You cannot expect inexperienced candidates to deliver excellent work. In-house talent is not always trained up to the mark. That is why companies have to look far beyond getting the software coders, engineers, and other professionals.

• Technical skills

As full-stack developers work on the front-end and back-end, they must be well-versed with the basics. So, they must have good commands over front-end languages like HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and back-end ones like Node, PHP, .NET, and more.

Full-stacks must know the basics of database structure too. It involves knowledge of MySQL, MariaDB, MongoDB, and more.

The list of technologies can vary depending on a particular stack. Some main of them are MEAN (MongoDB-ExpressJS-AngularJS-NodeJS), MERN (MongoDB-ExpressJS-ReactJS-NodeJS), LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP), LEMP (Linux, Nginx, MySQL, PHP), and others.

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The Challenges In Hiring Full-Stack Developers

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It would be helpful to choose a suitable technology for your project first and then look for a developer with the required skills. The developer does not have to be an expert in all three layers, but they must be familiar with them to help you choose the right technology stack for your product.

• Salary

As we discussed, there is a shortage of software engineers and tech talent all over the world. And it’s getting more and more challenging to hire experts on such competitive markets as the US, UK, most of the countries of Western Europe, especially Netherlands and Germany.Due to this, the value of the offer is quite expensive and has crossed far beyond $100,000. Established companies can afford to hire the top developers, but startups and small businesses simply do not have that kind of budget. The best option for them is to look for offshore programmer and cut down the costs with the outsourcing model.

Summary

If you decide on hiring full-stack developers, make sure you count all pros and cons and clearly understand your project needs. Take your time researching leading technologies on the market and searching for a skilled specialist with the required skills. An experienced full-stack software engineer will take on your product and deliver excellent results.

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This insightful article has been contributed by Nikita Voloshin, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer at YouTeam Inc. - a YCombinator backed platform which makes it safe for startups to hire offshore vendors and fulfill their short-term hiring needs.

Hiring the right talent to develop a tech project can seem easy, but it's often more complicated than we might think. The folks at YouTeam know about this from both sides as a tech platform that as any product requires constant development, and as a marketplace for hiring developers dealing with client’s requests for engineering talent.

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Problem:
There’s a port somewhere in the world that wants to maximize profits.

Approach:
Said port hires a data scientist to look at the numerous variables affecting ship movement and operational efficiency – factors that affect profitability in the long run.

The data scientist looks at how many ships enter the port on a daily basis, where they are loaded and unloaded, the size of ships coming in versus the length of the docks where they are anchored, the time lost when a ship of the wrong size enters a dock and then has to re-dock correctly, the number of port employees required to unload a single ship by length and type of cargo, the future plans for the port and the predicted volume of ships entering.

Then they begin their analysis.

Conclusion:
Our data hero announces that the port will have to hire at a rate of 3% every year to keep up with increasing volume. They also help the authorities set up a system that helps ships navigate to the correct dock and alerts authorities in advance when a ship is approaching. This leads to increased efficiency overall, better communication between the docks and the ships; thus decreasing time lost in re-docking, and increases profits for the port.

Accounting for seasonal variations in traffic, and the time and effort needed to train the staff in using the new navigation system, the data scientist predicts that the port can look at a probable profit increase of 20% in 3 years.

**The key word here is ‘probable’.**

Let’s read that first part again. The solution seems so simple, right? That simple solution, however, requires months of data crunching and historical analysis to create operational models for the future.

The end result in this scenario is a probability and not a number written in stone, because several factors (trade wars, a pandemic, oil prices, consumer demand) can affect the port’s operations. These are factors one cannot guarantee, or foresee, but a good data scientist is expected to account for all of these and still come up with a reliable prediction.

This is why good data scientists are so in-demand across the tech sector. Also, why assessing and hiring good data scientists is so hard.

Data scientists are not the same as generalist programmers

Assessing a data scientist is not the same as assessing another developer. The above example would have helped you understand the difference between the problems that a data scientist works on and those that a programmer solves.

There are differences even in the skill sets required for a data scientist role, and those required by other developers as illustrated below:

Traditional IDEs, therefore, don’t cut it for data scientists

Most IDEs include a source code editor, debugger, and compiler. They work perfectly for tech assessments for programmers and developers. Not for data science and machine learning assignments though.

In many data science problems, the solution can be a simple prediction or a ‘Yes/No’ answer. Or, if we go back to the question we started this blog with, it can be a prediction about the probability of achieving the desired goal. Is it going to rain in Atlanta tomorrow? Yes. Will my company grow 5X in the next two years? Ummm, there’s a 20% chance of doing that given you do these 10 other things well.

As we have already established, arriving at this answer requires hours of logical analysis. When assessing a data scientist for a job, therefore, recruiters and hiring managers need to be able to understand the logical choices the candidate made while arriving at the seemingly simple conclusion. A traditional IDE is not enough here.

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Hence, Jupyter Notebooks

At HackerEarth, we have seen an increasing demand for Data Science and Machine Learning – a trend reflected in our year-end recruiter survey as well. To make data science assessments easier for recruiters, we have now integrated Jupyter Notebooks on our assessment platform, which helps recruiters get right inside the mind of the candidate they are trying to hire.

The Jupyter Notebook is an open-source web application that allows users to create and share documents containing live code, equations, visualizations, and narrative text. The easy-to-use, interactive data science environment provided by Jupyter works across several programming languages such as Python and R. Jupyter Notebooks not only work like an IDE, but also as a presentation or education tool, and are great for data science assessments where the candidate is required to answer questions in a visual format.

Here are some of the ways Jupyter Notebooks score over traditional IDEs:

• Individual cells for better analysis

Jupyter Notebooks allow candidates to code using separate units or ‘cells’ that can be used independently of each other while writing code (denoted by red arrows in the image below). This makes it easier for candidates to compute how various data parameters work with each other and to add notes, or to partially write and test code.

This is essential for recruiters to understand the analytical approach taken by the candidate when solving a problem.

• Interactive elements for better data visualization

The Notebook offers an interactive shell with embeddable graphics and tables, reusable cells, and some other presentation features which are relevant to the job at hand. This enables candidates to present their output in a graphical format if needed; something that a traditional IDE does not support.

• Enhanced candidate experience

It is well known that candidates perform better when they are using a test environment they are familiar with. Notebooks are a preferred tool in the data science world. Using the Jupyter platform for an assessment ensures that your candidate is comfortable and ready, and is approaching a problem the way they would in real life.

Better data science assessments are made of these

When the candidate starts the assignment, they are given a choice to use the Monaco editor (IDE) or Jupyter Notebooks. The Notebooks use a dedicated machine to provide enough resources to each user. Thus by ensuring a dedicated machine for every assignment our candidates take, we affirm that the candidate has no restrictions and completely feels at home. This directly translates to better candidate output in the test, and an objective skill-based assessment process.

The most interesting bit about the Jupyter Notebook integration is the output section, which not only captures the final submission in CSV format but allows recruiters to review each and every step taken by the candidate as they solved the data problem before them.

So, even if a candidate gets a Yes/No prediction wrong, you can still review their work to see how they analyzed the data – the most crucial part of a data scientist’s role.

Find better candidates with Jupyter Notebooks. Thank us later!

While data science as a field dates back to 1962 when mathematician John W. Tukey predicted the effect of modern-day electronic computing on data analysis as an empirical science. However, it reached the modern-day tech hiring lexicon only in recent years.

The trends we have seen tell us that tech jobs in AI (Artificial Intelligence), ML (Machine Learning), and Data Science would be the most in-demand roles in the future. With growing opportunities for AI and ML specialists in industries as diverse as banking, fintech, public safety, and healthcare, there will be a surge in these roles in the coming days. Today, every business big or small needs BIG DATA, and with the advent of various technologies that allow easy application of data science, all businesses are looking at using data to make their solutions smarter, their operations more efficient, and their user experiences more personalized.

This predicted surge in hiring also underlines the need to objectively assess and hire the best data scientists in the market. Traditional modes of evaluation do not do justice to the skills and expectations associated with this role. With the Jupyter notebook support on our HackerEarth Assessments platform, however, you can now assess and hire the best data scientists out there, and improve your business pipeline.

Try it out and let us know? You can even mail our product manager Akash Bhat (akash@hackerearth.com) to know more about this feature.

Recommended Read: HackerEarth’s Complete Guide to Hiring A Data Scientist