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Do you really need a degree to build a career in IT?

According to PayScale, the current average salary for IT specialists is $56,333. And that’s only an average result.

In reality, they tend to make more. Deloitte pays an average salary of $122K to its IT specialists, and the top specialists make $211K.

The difference is huge.

What creates that difference? It’s experience, talent, and hard work. Could it be the degree, too?

The IT degree is not necessarily a requirement for a job in the sector. You can land a great job if you have an impressive portfolio and you get attention with your resume.

You can learn a lot through practice and online resources. HackerEarth gives you an impressive knowledge base to start with.

Does this mean that you should ditch the idea of getting a formal education in Information Technology? Is it wiser to save all the money that you’d spend on school and focus on gaining practical skills instead?

Let’s see.

The benefits of skipping the degree

Yes, there are actual benefits of not going to school for the sake of getting an IT education. Of course, universities will try to convince you otherwise.

Their goal is to attract as many applicants as possible. Being more competitive allows them to raise their prices even further.

But you know better than that.

    • Skipping the degree saves you a lot of money!
    • On an average, a single year at a private school costs $32,410 for tuition and fees only. When you add all the other fees and living expenses, you can easily spend up to $50K. Four years of education at a private university will cost at least $200K.
    • Public schools are more affordable. On average, you pay $9,410 for tuition and fees per year.
    • Since there’s an option to take IT courses, you can still gain relevant knowledge without spending that much money.
    • School takes a lot of time…and nerves
    • Before you reach the point of earning that degree, you’ll spend four years at school. That’s plenty of time that you could otherwise spend in actually working in the IT sector.
    • Keep in mind that trends occur and evolve rapidly in the IT sector. What you learn during the first year at school may be irrelevant by the time you graduate. Well okay, each skill you gain is relevant in one way or another but even if you go to school, you must still devote time in actual practice.
    • You’ll develop your own projects after school hours and probably do some freelance work to cover your living expenses.
    • How will you do that when you have so much studying to do and so many assignments to finish?
    • For most students, the solution is to hire Best Essays for assignments that they don’t consider relevant to their career in IT.
    • These include essays, research papers, and all sorts of projects for various courses. This means spending even more money, which you could save if you don’t go to school.
    • You don’t really need school to learn programming and get a job
    • Most students decide to go to school because they don’t know anything about programming and they have no idea where to start.
    • When you realize that you can take progressive courses and engage in practice through HackerEarth, what’s the point of school?
    • You’re getting a relevant education for a fraction of the price and time. This platform also allows you to build a portfolio, which potential employers will appreciate.
    • What about potential employers? Won’t they require a degree?
    • No.
    • Google, Apple, IBM, Bank of America, and many other companies do not require job applicants to have degrees. When you apply for a job in some of those companies, they don’t ask about your degree. Bootcamps are a great way to learn the right skills before applying to top companies
    • They definitely ask about your skills, which you don’t necessarily develop at school. They want you to showcase a portfolio that proves your knowledge and skills. Your degree doesn’t.

The benefits of getting a degree in IT

If school is so bad, then why do so many people go there? Because it’s also good!

When you take the direction of formal education toward a career in IT, you’ll gain important advantages. Let’s see:

      • You might earn more money if you earn a degree
      • Yes; a school degree costs a lot of money. But it may pay off. The stats are clear—degree holders make more money than those who don’t have formal education.
      • The degree may make you eligible to apply for higher positions on the career ladder, but in the IT industry that’s not an obligatory rule for all companies.
      • School is great for networking
      • Where did Larry Page and Sergey Brin meet? At Stanford University. Page was pursuing a Ph.D. in computer science and Brin was showing him around campus.
      • If these two great minds felt the need to pursue higher education, it has to mean something.
      • Don’t you think?
      • This example proves that school is perfect for networking. You meet like-minded creatives who may become skilled professionals in the future. Who knows; maybe you and some of your friends will start the next big company from a garage.
      • The degree gets you noticed during the job hunting process
      • When you apply for a job and mention the degree in your resume, you have an edge over other candidates who may have the skills and an IT certificate but not a degree. If you have a degree, recruiters see you as someone who was serious enough to invest money, time, and a lot of effort in the program you completed.
      • As for the practical knowledge, you’ll still gain it throughout the school. And you’ll show it through your resume when you apply for a job. But this means that in addition to taking school courses, you need to take online courses and practice a lot. That’s more important than your GPA during the hiring process.
      • You gain a variety of skills
      • Yes, you’ll take up courses such as psychology, literature, art, and others that are not closely related to IT. But you know what? Everything will come together at one point. You’ll realize that knowledge and skills make you complete. You’ll find different ways to implement them all in your work as an IT specialist.

Is the degree necessary?

No, a degree is not necessary for pursuing a career in the IT sector.

In some cases, it may be counterproductive, even. There are many students who focus too much on school. Education demands their full attention.

Between classes, assignments, extracurricular, and social life, they have very little time to focus on practicing their skills.

So they lose pace with the latest trends in the IT sector and expect the professors to teach them everything they need to know.

But in some situations a degree is very helpful. If you can balance between school responsibilities and your personal practice as a future IT pro, you’ll gain the best of both worlds.

You’ll take on freelancing gigs and you’ll be working on personal projects while studying at the same time.

By the time you get a degree, you’ll be a skilled and educated professional who’s ready to target the big salaries in the IT sector.

Whatever decision you make, IT careers are all about the skills and practice; not about grades.

My Internship at HackerEarth

Work Environment:

I have always dreamt of working for an organization where loads of responsibilities are placed on their employees. And HackerEarth does just that! Obviously, you get hired because of your skills, but founders and managers expect much more. Opportunities for learning and growth are plenty, as often, you work outside your job description. Everyone works together and the best part is, there's no middle management, so you learn from the best.



It was a pleasure to join the Inside Sales team as a Market Research intern. Interning at HackerEarth gave me the freedom to learn from many vertices. Everyone at HackerEarth has the license to show off their brilliance. Delivering results with fresh designs and pitching in new concepts that capture consumer interests happen almost everyday! There’s pressure to break new ground, but dynamic energy drives the progress here. Pride in growing the company and sharing in its ups and downs creates a tight-knit team.

Not to forget, HackerEarth is one of the coolest places to work in. Plenty of perks keep employees happy, such as quarterly outings, flexible working hours, free food, a casual atmosphere, a gaming zone, etc.Every quarter, the entire organization gathers for a session with the CEO, Sachin Gupta. He gives an insight about the company, industry trends, what the company has achieved so far, what it intends to achieve, and much more. The level of transparency is impeccable! A special shoutout to Shishir, Head of Inside Sales, and probably the most resourceful person I have ever known. He helped me get a hang of things, starting right from the basics.

My Experience:

As a fresh MBA graduate, HackerEarth was the perfect place to calm my hunger - the hunger for knowledge, career growth, and skill development. As a Market Research intern, I learned that it is one of the most interesting and fastest growing fields to be in. It has a wide scope in the international forefront. This role not only improved my theoretical skills but also gave me hands-on experience in sales, marketing, lead generation, and business development. Apart from being one of the foremost startups in the country, HackerEarth also provides a fair working environment. The young and talented employees here are ready to walk an extra mile when you are in dire need.HackerEarth has an open culture and everyone is free to suggest new ideas and changes. There’s no scope of boring preset “to-do” lists; it is a world full of new challenges and possibilities. Yes, working at HackerEarth is an adventure!

Take Away:

It is said that good salespeople are hard to find, effective sales managers are rare commodities, and an outstanding sales director is like the proverbial needle in a haystack. The sales team at HackerEarth is exactly opposite of what is stated above. I was fortunate enough to work with this outstanding team - their effectiveness and principles are beyond brilliant!

I can confidently say that HackerEarth is “The Company” where one can acquire new prowesses and upskill themselves in a very short span of time. In only six months, I learned about consumer/client behavior, different research techniques, analytical skills, various marketing methods, to name a few. The company truly lives by its motto, “Everyone here is an owner of the company and we are always open to hearing people who can help us become better.” Career development opportunities are excellent for those with a go-to attitude and motivation to turn ideas into reality.





5 ways to improve employee development programs for your organization

“Companies that transform their learning and development organizations are not only able to accelerate skills development but also can dramatically improve employee engagement and retention—one of the biggest challenges cited by this year’s respondents.”- Deloitte University Press’s Human Capital Trends 2015 Survey

In 2015, McLean & company trends survey, Learning & Development topped the list of project spending.

On average, top organizations spend up to 25% of their revenue on Learning & Development (L&D) campaigns.

Learning and development, learning and development in organization, employee development program

It is extremely clear that organizations should focus on L&D.

Workshops, training sessions, and other programs in one or the other form are vital for a growing organization.

Learning and development activities help in acquiring new skills, sharpening existing ones, performing better, boosting teamwork, and finding new leaders in the face of the changing technologies.

L&D, when done correctly, can deeply impact an organization’s productivity, helping improve employee performance and thereby moving north toward the company goals.

Learning and development, learning and development in organization

Benefits of having an employee development programs in an organization

1. For new hires

Learning and development programs are especially important for a new recruit. It should be conducted by existing employees from relevant teams.

This process helps in quick onboarding of the candidate with respect to understanding the work.

It also brings in a sense of inclusion and speeds up the workflow.

2. Tackle shortcomings

Every individual has “areas of improvement” and L&D programs help to overcome these.

An ongoing L&D program helps identify where employees need to put in more effort. With the detailed report, gaps could be mended.

Addressing these shortcomings also helps improve employee performance by amplifying employees’ skills.

3. Become self-driven and more productive

Employees who have been part of learning and development campaign tend to perform better and are more result oriented if given directional training to enhance their productivity.

Learning and development go a long way in improving employees’ existing skills and acquainting them with new technologies.

This brings a sense of independence, and they are driven to understand new skills.

Considering that more than 68% of employees prefer to learn at work, Learning experience platforms help employees learn at their own pace by providing them customized learning paths based on their interest.

Despite all the benefits of L&D, many organizations struggle to convince their employees to take up these programs.

“People inherently do not like taking tests or being assessed unless there is a reward attached to it.”

Unless individuals are self-driven and moderately competitive, they do not take up learning and development drives very sportingly.

Though companies try to attach rewards to these initiatives to lure them, this, in our experience, is not a great motivator for employees to take a test over a weekend or during work hours!

Since we aim to make digital assessments a part of the learning programs in the future, at this point, we should aim at making employees more accepting of tests and the idea behind them.

learning and development, L&D, learning and development in organization

Organizations which have been using employee development programs effectively

  • CyberCoder – Through Associate Recruiter Incubator Program, Cybercoders takes highly driven, educated, and competitive employees and teach them to use technology across various marketplaces.

What you can do – Like many other major organizations, start an incubator program for employees who want to excel. Many companies also collaborate with third-party incubators to facilitate learning and development.

  • AT&T – AT&T in collaboration with Georgia Tech and Udacity developed Online Master of Science in Computer Science degree and launched several fast-paced and nano degrees offering across web development, data analytics, and technology entrepreneurship.

What you can do – Companies across the globe in collaboration with top universities are providing diploma and degrees to their employees.

A tie-up with one such university for executive courses which could be a full-time or evening course. Such courses bring a sense of confidence and trust among employees for the company.

  • Amazon -Amazon conducts an intensive month-long training before an employee is hired on skills which they would be using for their role. A ‘virtual contact center’ enables employees to work from home. Amazon prepays 95% of the fees for any specific course taken.

What you can do – Collaborate with one of many online course providers.

Create a role-specific course which can help candidates have a better understanding of the work they are expected to do.

Ensure it is industry-friendly and helpful in the future.

So, how do other organizations scale their learning and development campaigns and make it a success?

Here are a few pointers to help:

5 points to help your organizations in Learning & Development programs

  • Choose Learning Ambassadors (LAs)

    • Consider nominating LAs.
      • Should be at the same level of seniority as the employees who will be taking these tests
      • Must be top scorers/champs
      • Will act as catalysts for driving it top-down and communicating the pulse of employees from each team

Note: From a psychological perspective, this cannot be driven by HR or business/tech leaders because this creates a barrier in the minds of new learners and a sense of trust might not prevail.

  • Correct and strategic broadcasting

    • These initiatives take quite some time to gain momentum if only an organic method of adoption is used; to counter this, it is advised to broadcast the drives on organization communication channels, create groups, pages
    • Can also be broadcast on big screens in common areas like cafeterias, reception, conference rooms, etc.

  • Make it event-based participation rather than individual participation

    • Organizations implement event-oriented drives rather than individual-oriented drives when it comes to employees at an executive level.
    • It has been observed that this boosts the visibility of any initiative especially if it is test-based.
    • This creates a buzz around helping employees get familiar with new concepts and, also, the perspective is spread by word-of-mouth.
    • For example, a TGIF campaign can be launched for developers where they participate in activity halls and coding bays together. Scores of this campaign can be tied to their main score sheets as usual.

  • Top scorers to be recognized

    • Employees who score top marks in each test or event should be recognized on a public visibility platform or forum.
    • Recognition emails should be sent from top leaders like VPs, CXOs, etc. This boosts the morale and the participation spirit of employees radically over and above getting a fantastic learning score on their appraisal sheet.

How organizations are using HackerEarth for Learning & employee development programs?

In a recent learning and development campaign, a Fortune 500 organization decided to use HackerEarth as a platform to make it a success.

The organization, using the features of the platform, gamified the entire campaign by introducing a multi-player coding test.

The campaign was divided into 4 levels, where each team had to compete with all others on various types of problem statements.

Each problem statement when solved gave a clue to the next stage.

With features support like 35+ programming languages, multilingual support of 4+ spoken languages, plagiarism test, and auto-evaluation, HackerEarth technical recruitment software helps in automating the entire process involved in learning and development.

The dependency on manual intervention reduced, giving participants the freedom to be working in a familiar environment.

The detailed report feature on HackerEarth’s technical recruitment software helped the management access on-the-go information of the progress of each candidate.

The campaign was a major success due to its gamified version and more than 74% of the employees participated with interest.

This is one of many successful L&D campaigns run by top Fortune 500 companies who use HackerEarth software for training and development.

These are a few suggestions to help you give this initiative a good degree of reinforcement.

I understand there may be a need to further review and discuss each of these internally.

But a quick call with the HackerEarth team would help you understand the product better and how best to use it.


Technology Recruiting: The Future of Hiring Top Developers

Key Takeaways for Tech Recruiters

  • Benchmark existing employees to identify skill gaps before hiring externally.
  • Adopt data-driven strategies to expedite and enhance the quality of the hiring process.
  • Use AI-powered tools to assess and identify top talent.
  • Engage with talent via hackathons and coding challenges.
  • Aim to provide a positive candidate experience with your recruitment methods. 

Introduction

India’s technology sector has seen impeccable growth in recent years, creating exciting job opportunities for engineering professionals. However, the employment numbers reflect a different picture. Every year, roughly 1.5 million students graduate from engineering colleges. However, only 10% can find employment as they lack the practical skills to qualify for coveted jobs. Therefore, identifying, assessing and hiring top talent is challenging for even the most skilled and experienced recruiters. To tackle this issue, hiring teams must adapt data-driven strategies, leverage AI-powered tools and focus on skills-based hiring. 

In this article we explore modern technology recruiting techniques that can help recruiters make faster, fairer, and more efficient hiring decisions.

The Challenges in Tech Hiring Today

Decline In Skilled Talent

Although there is no shortage of highly qualified developers in today’s job market, there is an acute shortage of ones that are well-rounded. One of the major issues recruiters face today is finding the skilled and talented developers with industry-specific skills.

A LinkedIn report found that 67% of recruiters struggle to source qualified candidates for technical positions. 

Passive Hiring Is Passe

Traditional hiring methods are ineffective and are being replaced with AI and automation. Even advanced Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) fail to capture real skills, leading to a gap between the job requirements and a candidate’s true capabilities leading to very few favourable results.

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Pro tip! Use live assessment tests to assess candidate skills in real time.

Bias in Hiring Still Exists

Several companies still rely on conventional hiring methods, leading to unconscious bias, causing them to miss out on acquiring great talent. Over 60% of hiring managers admit that hiring decisions are biased at some point in the recruitment process.

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Candidate Experience Matters More Than Ever

A positive candidate experience is crucial in retaining good talent. Shorter hiring periods, and prompt response after interviews are some of the ways to keep new talent engaged in the recruitment process.  Lengthy assessment periods, slow feedback loops and outdated interview formats turn candidates away even from the most admired brands/companies.

Pro tip! Aim to complete the entire hiring process for top talent within 2 weeks 

Overcoming Hiring Challenges with Modern Recruiting Techniques

Attracting Top Talent 

The first step towards employing the best tech talent is to craft meaningful job descriptions. In tech recruitment, top talent is attracted to a purpose-driven job description over everything else. Engineers are realists. So it is essential to showcase your organisation’s tech values to attract skilled talent.

Leverage AI-Powered Screening

AI-powered recruitment tools can help recruiters find top talent without bias, automate mundane tasks, reduce hiring time and ensure diversity.

How to Implement AI-Powered Assessments:

  • AI-driven assessments rank candidates based on skills and problem-solving efficiency.
  • Automated coding interview platforms like HackerEarth FaceCodeprovide real-time code playback and instant feedback.
  • Reduce unconscious bias by using AI-powered resume masking to focus on skills rather than demographics.

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Pro Tip: Remember that no matter how efficient AI is, at the end of the day it is a program that can produce potentially biased results. Hence, ensure that your hiring strategies include human intervention at crucial stages.

Use Hackathons to Identify Top Talent

Hackathons are an excellent way to engage with top developers while assessing their technical and collaboration skills.

How to Use Hackathon as a Hiring Tool?

  • Host a hiring hackathon to attract top talent and test problem-solving capabilities.
  • Use hackathons as a pre-hiring assessment to see how candidates perform under real-world pressure.
  • Engage with HackerEarth’s rich global developer community of 9.6M+ developers..

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Adopt Skills-Based Hiring

Resumes fail to capture the true skills of potential candidates. Instead, use online assessment tools to understand and assess potential candidates in real time.

How to Implement Skills-Based Assessments:

  • Use HackerEarth Assessments to evaluate coding and problem-solving abilities.
  • Design real-world coding projects that mimic actual work scenarios.
  • Incorporate full-stack developer assessments to gauge a candidate’s overall expertise.

Enhance Candidate Experience with Seamless Processes

Leverage developer-friendly forums like GitHub and LinkedIn to attract skilful candidates. Make yourself approachable to potential candidates by leveraging chatbots to answer common questions they might have about your company. Such practices enhance employee engagement, garner good brand recognition and facilitate seamless hiring.

How to Enhance Candidate Experience?

  • Cut down assessment time with AI-powered adaptive testing that adjusts difficulty based on responses.
  • Offer live coding interviews instead of multiple rounds of generic technical screenings.
  • Provide instant feedback to candidates post-assessment to improve engagement.

Benchmark Internal Talent for Strategic Hiring

Implement internal feedback loops that help bridge skill gaps, and then advertise for candidates accordingly.

How to Implement:

  • Use internal benchmarking to measure current employee skills against industry standards.
  • Create personalized learning paths for upskilling developers before sourcing externally.
  • Encourage internal upward mobility by promoting skilled employees into open roles instead of hiring externally. It’s not only cheaper but it also increases retention and improves employee morale.

Case Study: How MoEngage Enhanced Hiring Quality with HackerEarth

Challenge: MoEngage, a customer engagement platform, wanted to add top notch talent to its engineering team quickly but found conventional screening methods misaligned and difficult to manage. 

Solution: By partnering with HackerEarth, MoEngage introduced technical assessments to pre-screen candidates before technical interviews. This streamlined the hiring process and ensured that only qualified candidates progressed to the interview stages.

Key Achievements:

  • 50% improvement in candidate quality: The introduction of assessments led to a higher calibre of candidates reaching the interview stage.
  • 400% expansion in the talent pool: Automated assessments allowed MoEngage to consider a broader range of applicants without increasing the recruitment team's workload.
  • Reduction in interviews per hire: Previously, hiring managers interviewed up to 15 candidates per role; with HackerEarth's assessments, this number decreased to 6, optimising interviewer time and resources.

Results: MoEngage successfully scaled its engineering teams, improved the efficiency of its hiring process, and ensured a higher calibre of new hires, contributing to the company's growth and innovation.

Read the full case study here: hackerearth.com

The Future of Technology Recruiting

The recruitment landscape is evolving rapidly. With AI, data-driven decision-making, and skills-first hiring, companies can identify and retain the best developers faster and more efficiently.

Conclusion

The tech industry is making transformative strides with the help of AI and automation. To keep up with changing times, recruiters must accept and adapt data-driven methods to identify, assess and hire skilled professionals. HackerEarth’s assessment solutions are agile and capable of helping modern-day recruiters carry out their mission of aligning top tier talent with organization’s needs. Skills-based assessments, AI-driven hiring practices, and hackathons are here to stay, and recruiters must leverage these tools to find the best tech talent in the industry.

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9 Creative Recruitment Strategies To Hire Developer On A Budget

Recruiting top-class talent is challenging in itself and doing it on a low budget can be quite a daunting task!

Startups and mid-sized companies that typically operate on a shoestring (small) budget (before they catch the eye of the big VCs and make it to the big league) are commonly faced with the predicament of how to recruit the right candidate with their limited budget.

At a time when big companies lure top talent with generous salaries and bonuses, VMware, Splunk, and Cadence the top three paying companies in America pay their employees in the range $160k according to Business Insider.

What chance do the smaller players have?

According to a study by Deloitte, employees reported work-life balance as being the most important factor apart from salary.

In another finding, a whopping 42% of those surveyed by Towards Data Science was willing to choose a lesser paying job with fewer working hours than a better-paying one with more working hours!

The attractive perks and benefits offered by tech biggies to their employees to keep them interested in more evidence supporting the finding that salaries aren’t everything.

For instance, Netflix offers its employees unlimited maternity and paternity leaves in their first year of parenthood.

Airbnb, on the other hand, offers its employees an annual stipend of $2000 to travel!

While the latter may not be applicable to a firm with budget constraints, a flexible work schedule can be very attractive to many employees. (Also Read – Employee onboarding: Looking at the bigger picture).

So what should startups do to hire developers and other tech talents on a small budget? While everyone is looking to get that developer worth million dollar bucks, there are few creative recruiting strategies to hire great talents, let’s discuss them below

Shoestring budget, how to recruit on budget, hire developer on budget, budget hiring, 9 creative recruitment strategies for hiring top talent , creative recruitment strategies

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9 creative recruitment strategies for hiring top talent

  1. Appeal to their emotional side

    While salary and bonuses may be more appealing to the logical side of the brain, there is another way to attract a potential hire – by appealing to their emotional side.

    At the core, all of us are driven towards finding a sense of purpose.

    If you can get candidates invested in your company’s mission, then it can go a long way in shifting their focus from merely looking for a well-paying job to one where he/she could make a difference in the larger scheme of things.

  2. Additional perks never hurt

    Maybe you have a fancy cafeteria with unlimited snacks and all your employees are equipped with MacBook Pros. Or maybe not.

    One thing we need to understand is that not all employees seek these fancy perks.

    Quality bonding time with everyone over a piping hot cuppa and some munchies to go around may be just as appealing!

    Most companies tend to overlook certain easy-to-implement and highly effective perks that would appeal to the employees, such as

    1. Flexitime

      A flexible work plan empowers employees to plan their work around their own schedule, which in turn leads to a more productive workforce that is self-motivated and doesn’t need constant reminders or supervision.

      The flexitime can be in the form of late clock-in time or early clock-out time. Since the flexiwork applies to everyone involved, employees are more willing to pitch in for a colleague in case of emergencies.

    2. Healthy meal options

      Promoting a healthy workplace is also in fashion these days, with cafeterias serving all kinds of healthy and nutritious food for the employees.

      By adopting a healthy food policy, not only are you offering your employees a healthier alternative but also positioning yourself as an employer that cares for its employees’ health and well-being.

    3. Convertible or standing desks

      Emerging as one of the fastest growing and in-demand employee benefit across companies, the humble standing desks or sit-to-stand desks can be an inexpensive yet attractive perk to offer to a prospective candidate.

      These desks, apart from making the workspace more robust and dynamic, ensure better collaboration among employees.

    4. Discounted neighborhood membership

      Most startups operating on a tight budget would not be able to afford a fully functional gym in their workplace, however, a group discount at a neighboring gym can be an excellent alternative.

      This would promote a healthier, dynamic work environment.

    5. Travel or holiday allowance

      An excellent benefit to add to your list would be a holiday allowance that can boost the happiness quotient among employees in your office to new levels.

      A dash of creativity coupled with some well-thought out and relevant benefits can empower you to not only retain your current crop of employees but also galvanize them into becoming brand ambassadors for your company.

      Referral hires who are well versed with the dynamics and work culture of your company, thanks to this band of brand ambassadors, would be willing to take a pay cut because they know they would be a good fit here. (Also Read – How employee wellness affects productivity: four fundamental pillars)

  3. Work-life balance

    Whether you’re running a bookkeeping side hustle with a team of two or managing an enterprise with a dozen headcounts, you must prioritize the work-life balances of your employees .Employees today do not prefer to be tied down to their desks for long work hours and require time-off to socialize, follow their passions, pursue higher education and lead a fulfilling life.

    It is imperative for employers to understand this need, and offer employees an excellent work-life balance. Such a workforce tends to be more productive and infuses robust energy to the workplace.

    A study by Deloitte reports how employees revealed that work-life balance was one of the most important factors while considering a job.

    There are limited hours in a day and demanding that your employee work for longer hours not only builds resentment but also affects productivity!

    An unhealthy lifestyle with irregular meals of unwholesome food, lack of adequate exercise, and the absence of stress-relieving activities can potentially lead to life-altering or fatal lifestyle diseases!

  4. Autonomy, mastery, and purpose

    Experiments in the 1970s by well-renowned psychologist Edward Deci studied how money and motivation derived different results from its subjects.

    In these experiments, a group of people was divided into two sets, one that was asked to solve a puzzle with money as the reward and the other who was asked to solve a similar puzzle without any monetary rewards.

    He found the second group that was simply offered a challenge without any monetary compensation to be more motivated than the one that was offered compensation.

    This example is in no way to suggest you withdraw monetary compensation for your employees from the table! On the contrary, the lesson we could perhaps learn from this is that humans have an intrinsic need to succeed, which can be leveraged by offering them an environment that is conducive to attaining such a goal.

  5. Potential for growth

    Some of the best hires are often looking for an excellent opportunity and a challenge as well!

    They are keen to know about the company’s growth prospects and their own professional advancement and career prospects.

    In a poll by Gallup, 87% of the millennials reported career advancement was very important in a job.

    A candidate who understands his current role, as well as the career prospects within the company, is much more likely to take a salary cut in lieu of career advancement.

  6. Stock options

    Several companies offer equity or stock options as part of the compensation.

    This would mean that the salary that the employee gets in hand would be much lesser since he gets to have greater skin in the game.

    This is an excellent way to align the company’s interests with that of the employee.

    The employee who chooses to take a lesser salary in lieu of equity believes in the company’s potential and is incentivized to grow the company so that her own shares also increase in value.

    Microsoft is one of the early companies who offered stock options to its employees and created 3 billionaires and over 12,000 millionaires in the process!

  7. Sell them on your technology

    A very effective way to attract players to your team is to sell them on the hot technology you are working on.

    People, from entry-level to senior-level employees, would take a smaller paycheck if they get to work on cutting-edge skills. (Also Read – Automation in recruitment and why it is a necessity for HR)

  8. Show them you only hire the best

    Compelling stories about your team and their superior industry knowledge would persuade a talented hire to be part of your team.

    The reason?

    An A-player prefers to work with other A-players and would be willing to take home a few dollars less for the opportunity to be in the company of great talent.

  9. Job vs. Career

    The best hires are not merely looking for a job to earn money!

    Instead, they are looking for a workplace that has the potential to grow and offers similar growth prospects to its employees.

    In short, a lucrative career is what a top-class talent is looking for.

    To convince a person such as this, you need to play up your company’s mission, its goals, its potential for growth, its team, and its work culture.

    It is imperative to find a dedicated team of talented employees to boost your company’s success and without lucrative paychecks, these above-mentioned ideas can serve you well in attracting great talent.

Conclusion

While finding new ways to retain employees through exciting perks and keep them engaged with new challenges, remember to not tweak the hiring process to such an extent that you have to make do with less than the best talent.

There are other ways to cut costs— employ novel tools to identify talent, streamline the evaluation and interviewing processes, and manage employees— and weed out under-qualified candidates.

Automation can save several man-hours, which means you save lots of pennies too, and improve the effectiveness and efficiency of your recruitment strategy.

Read how start-ups like GyanMatrix & global NGOs are using Technology Recruitment Software for hiring technical talents on budget.

Take a 14-day FREE trial for HackerEarth Recruit to see if the software is a right fit for your organization.

Employee onboarding checklist for new hire

First impression matters.

After spending months investing resources to find great talent to fill a key role within the company, it is terribly disappointing to have the employee resign within a year. This is the case for many companies, which are not able to meet new hires’ expectations and as a result, lose good people. This happens because while new hires join the company with much motivation and excitement, they somehow end up becoming disillusioned often within the first few days itself. (Also read: Why employees frequently switch jobs and how to retain them)

Unfortunate examples of these employers involve superficial employee onboarding programs, unclear communication to new hires prior to the first day, unstructured training, and neglected information regarding the HR’s and hiring department’s responsibilities.

According to TalentWise

  • 91% of new hires stick with a company for at least one year if the organization has efficient onboarding processes
  • 69% of those new hires stick with a company for at least three years when it has a well-structured onboarding program

Steps to creating your employee onboarding checklist for new employee

To consider the hiring process for a specific position successful, employers need first to make sure that their new hires will not leave the company soon. That said, it is important to show them from day one that you as an employer care about them and respect the fact that these people will be the people who will drive the company’s overall performance in the near future. Thus, you will help them keep alive, and maybe enhance, their excitement and motivation for joining you. (Also read: 7 ways recruiters can increase the offer-to-joining ratio)

When do you make the first impression in employee onboarding?

If you think you will make the first impression the moment the new hire will formally join the company, you have already lost the game!

The first impression will take place at the moment you will contact the candidates. The way you approach them, the tone of your communication, and the overall experience you provide them with are all part of the first impression you are making on candidates you are considering for a key position within the company. Even if you don’t know yet who will be hired in the end, you should know that the “employee onboarding” starts when you approach the candidates. In the end, this is why you approach them because you believe that they could join the company.

There are plenty of examples when candidates were very excited to join a company, but they don’t because of an unstructured and unclear hiring process. They were not impressed with the way the company dealt with the hiring process, and them.

How to avoid such a bad impression:

  • Set and communicate a clear timeline regarding the hiring process – Let the candidates know how long it will take, what the steps are, and when to expect what.
  • Communicate status update to each candidate at each step – It is important for the candidates to be updated about their application status. They need to know if they made it to the next step or not. Should they start applying somewhere else or wait a bit longer for your decision? They need to know.
  • Involve gamification in the hiring process – Gamification of the hiring process is a great way to provide candidates with a great experience— an experience which makes them feel that even if they do not get the position, at least they enjoyed the journey.
  • Incorporate Talent Assessment Software – TAS has a twofold goal. On one hand, it helps employers to ensure that the person they will hire will be able to perform well in the new role, and, on the other hand, it helps candidates create a positive impression about the dedication of the company to ensure that it will hire only the best. Somehow, it makes them feel special when they succeed. For example, HackerEarth Recruit is a technical recruitment platform that helps companies assess candidate performance via customized online coding tests.

“Before the first day” to-do list?

After considering the aforementioned practices, you can be sure that the new hire is likely to have the same or even increased motivation to join the company. By providing candidates with a positive experience throughout the hiring process, you (hopefully) convinced them that you care about the people you bring onboard; you want the best, and if they made it they have an extra reason to feel proud to join your family.

As soon as the candidate accepts the offer, you are all ready for the next step of the candidate preboarding process. The best way is to automate the journey using candidate preboarding software. These software help ensure that the preboarding is without glitches and also help in ensuring that the dropoff is minimal.

Create a “Before the First Day” list, and include on this list all the tasks that the employee preboarding team needs to complete:

  • Make sure you provide the new hire with some practical and clear information about the first day. Consider the question: “What should they expect on the first day of employment?”
  • Make sure all the paperwork has been finished before he/she joins the company. Enter him/her in your HR systems, have the laptop/desktop ready, and create for him/her all the necessary accounts. Show them you are structured and proactive.
  • Remind the hiring managers about the new hire a few days in advance, and make sure he/she has scheduled some time in their calendar to introduce the new hire to the rest of the team, and give a contact list. (Also read: 10 ways to build inclusive onboarding experience)

On the First Day – the “Official Employee Onboarding”:

Supposing that you managed to ensure the entire “Before the First Day” list has been checked, now, you need to think of the structure of the “Official Employee Onboarding.” This is the moment when you officially introduce the new hires to the company and make sure they will find the working environment you promised during the hiring process.

That said, consider the following practices, inspired by companies such as Google and Netflix:

  • Present your company’s policies and values; while doing so, try to reference specific examples. If you reference a story or a real example, they’ll be more likely to relate and understand.
  • Encourage open dialogue.
  • Discuss their responsibilities and be prepared to answer any questions.
  • Introduce them to the rest of the team.
  • Assign a dedicated mentor to each new hire.
  • Provide them with a schedule and timeline regarding their training.
  • Google employee onboarding program suggests that when training new hires, define success for each. Put together a roadmap to success based on the way you perceive it and expect it to be. Present them with as many KPIs as possible. Thus, you will help them have a clear image of what is expected of them.
  • Netflix onboarding program suggests you let new hires tackle huge projects from the beginning. It makes them feel like you trust them and believe in their knowledge, skills, and abilities.

Successfully ending the employee onboarding process

For some organizations, the official employee onboarding program, including the training, ends within three weeks, and for other companies after 2 or 3 months. There is no standard timeline on this. It always depends on the company culture, size, structure, and goals. What is important to make sure that you successfully end the employee onboarding process is that you (HR, IT, Facilities, and the Hiring Team) ensured that the new hire received well-structured training which will help him/her feel part of the team, perform as expected, and align personal goals with the overall company’s goals. The hiring manager should hold several feedback meetings with the new hire. In these meetings, the purpose should be to make sure that the new hire is ready to perform “independently.” If you are already there, then kudos on your well-structured onboarding program. If not, then it is time to review and adjust it according to your company’s needs and resources. (Also read: How to write an employee handbook)

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Forecasting Tech Hiring Trends For 2023 With 6 Experts

2023 is here, and it is time to look ahead. Start planning your tech hiring needs as per your business requirements, revamp your recruiting processes, and come up with creative ways to land that perfect “unicorn candidate”!

Right? Well, jumping in blindly without heeding what this year holds for you can be a mistake. So before you put together your plans, ask yourselves this—What are the most important 2023 recruiting trends in tech hiring that you should be prepared for? What are the predictions that will shape this year?

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

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

Meet the Expert Panel

Radoslav Stankov

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

Mike Cohen

Mike “Batman” Cohen is the Founder of Wayne Technologies, a Sourcing-as-a-Service company providing recruitment data and candidate outreach services to enhance the talent acquisition journey.

Pamela Ilieva

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

Brian H. Hough

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

Steve O'Brien

Steve O'Brien is Senior Vice President, Talent Acquisition at Syneos Health, leading a global team of top recruiters across 30+ countries in 24+ languages, with nearly 20 years of diverse recruitment experience.

Patricia (Sonja Sky) Gatlin

Patricia (Sonja Sky) Gatlin is a New York Times featured activist, DEI Specialist, EdTechie, and Founder of Newbies in Tech. With 10+ years in Higher Education and 3+ in Tech, she now works part-time as a Diversity Lead recruiting STEM professionals to teach gifted students.

Overview of the upcoming tech industry landscape in 2024

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

6 industry experts predict the 2023 recruiting trends

#1 We've seen many important moments in the tech industry this year...

Rado: In my opinion, a lot of those will carry over. I felt this was a preparation year for what was to come...

Mike: I wish I had the crystal ball for this, but I hope that when the market starts picking up again...

Pamela: Quiet quitting has been here way before 2022, and it is here to stay if organizations and companies...

Pamela Ilieva, Director of International Recruitment, Shortlister

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

Brian: Yes, absolutely. In the 2022 Edelman Trust Barometer report...

Steve: Quiet quitting in the tech space will naturally face pressure as there is a redistribution of tech talent...

Patricia: Quiet quitting has been around for generations—people doing the bare minimum because they are no longer incentivized...

Patricia Gatlin, DEI Specialist and Curator, #blacklinkedin

#2 What is your pro tip for HR professionals/engineering managers...

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

Radoslav Stankov, Head of Engineering, Product Hunt

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

Mike “Batman” Cohen, Founder of Wayne Technologies

It's in the decrease and increase where companies find the hardest challenges...

Pamela: Remain calm – no need to “add fuel to the fire”!...

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

Companies can create internal hackathons to exercise creativity...

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

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

Steve O'Brien, Senior Vice President, Talent Acquisition at Syneos Health

Patricia: Talk to hiring managers in all your departments. Ask, what are the top 3-5 roles they are hiring for in the new year?...

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

#3 What top 3 skills would you like HR professionals/engineering managers to add to their repertoire in 2023 to deal with upcoming challenges?

6 industry experts predict the 2023 recruiting trends

Rado: Prioritization, team time, and environment management.

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

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

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

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

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

  1. Resilience: A “must-have” skill for the 21st century due to constant changes in the tech industry. Face and adapt to challenges. Overcome them and handle disappointments. Never give up. This will keep HR people alive in 2023.
  2. Data skills: Get some data analyst skills. The capacity to transfer numbers into data can help you be a better HR professional, prepared to improve the employee experience and show your leadership team how HR is leveraging data to drive business results.
  3. Self-awareness: Allows you to react better to upsetting situations and workplace challenges. It is a healthy skill to cultivate – especially as an HR professional.

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

Brian: Agility, resourcefulness, and empathy.

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

Steve: Negotiation, data management, and talent development.

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

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

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

Patricia: Technology, research, and relationship building.

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

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

Recommended read: Diversity And Inclusion in 2022 - 5 Essential Rules To Follow

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.

Code In Progress - The Life And Times Of Developers In 2021

Developers. Are they as mysterious as everyone makes them out to be? Is coding the only thing they do all day? Good coders work around the clock, right?

While developers are some of the most coveted talent out there, they also have the most myths being circulated. Most of us forget that developers too are just like us. And no, they do not code all day long.

We wanted to bust a lot of these myths and shed light on how the programming world looks through a developer’s lens in 2021—especially in the wake of a global pandemic. This year’s edition of the annual HackerEarth Developer Survey is packed with developers’ wants and needs when choosing jobs, major gripes with the WFH scenario, and the latest market trends to watch out for, among others.

Our 2021 report is bigger and better, with responses from 25,431 developers across 171 countries. Let’s find out what makes a developer tick, shall we?

Developer Survey

“Good coders work around the clock.” No, they don’t.

Busting the myth that developers spend the better part of their day coding, 52% of student developers said that they prefer to code for a maximum of 3 hours per day.

When not coding, devs swear by their walks as a way to unwind. When we asked devs the same question last year, they said they liked to indulge in indoor games like foosball. In 2021, going for walks has become the most popular method of de-stressing. We’re chalking it up to working from home and not having a chance to stretch their legs.

Staying ahead of the skills game

Following the same trend as last year, students (39%) and working professionals (44%) voted for Go as one of the most popular programming languages that they want to learn. The other programming languages that devs are interested in learning are Rust, Kotlin, and Erlang.

Programming languages that students are most skilled at are HTML/CSS, C++, and Python. Senior developers are more comfortable working with HTML/CSS, SQL, and Java.

How happy are developers

Employees from middle market organizations had the highest 'happiness index' of 7.2. Experienced developers who work at enterprises are marginally less happy in comparison to people who work at smaller companies.

However, happiness is not a binding factor for where developers work. Despite scoring the least on the happiness scale, working professionals would still like to work at enterprise companies and growth-stage startups.

What works when looking for work

Student devs (63%), who are just starting in the tech world, said a good career growth curve is a must-have. Working professionals can be wooed by offers of a good career path (69%) and compensation (68%).

One trend that has changed since last year is that at least 50% of students and working professionals alike care a lot more about ESOPs and positive Glassdoor reviews now than they did in 2020.

To know more about what developers want, download your copy of the report now!

We went a step further and organized an event with our CEO, Sachin Gupta, Radoslav Stankov, Head of Engineering at Product Hunt, and Steve O’Brien, President of Talent Solutions at Job.com to further dissect the findings of our survey.

Tips straight from the horse’s mouth

Steve highlighted how the information collated from the developer survey affects the recruiting community and how they can leverage this data to hire better and faster.

  • The insight where developer happiness is correlated to work hours didn’t find a significant difference between the cohorts. Devs working for less than 40 hours seemed marginally happier than those that clocked in more than 60 hours a week.
“This is an interesting data point, which shows that devs are passionate about what they do. You can increase their workload by 50% and still not affect their happiness. From a work perspective, as a recruiter, you have to get your hiring manager to understand that while devs never say no to more work, HMs shouldn’t overload the devs. Devs are difficult to source and burnout only leads to killing your talent pool, which is something that you do not want,” says Steve.
  • Roughly 45% of both student and professional developers learned how to code in college was another insight that was open to interpretation.
“Let’s look at it differently. Less than half of the surveyed developers learned how to code in college. There’s a major segment of the market today that is not necessarily following the ‘college degree to getting a job’ path. Developers are beginning to look at their skillsets differently and using various platforms to upskill themselves. Development is not about pedigree, it’s more about the potential to demonstrate skills. This is an interesting shift in the way we approach testing and evaluating devs in 2021.”

Rado contextualized the data from the survey to see what it means for the developer community and what trends to watch out for in 2021.

  • Node.js and AngularJS are the most popular frameworks among students and professionals.
“I was surprised by how many young students wanted to learn AngularJS, given that it’s more of an enterprise framework. Another thing that stood out to me was that the younger generation wants to learn technologies that are not necessarily cool like ExtJS (35%). This is good because people are picking technologies that they enjoy working with instead of just going along with what everyone else is doing. This also builds a more diverse technology pool.” — Rado
  • 22% of devs say ‘Zoom Fatigue’ is real and directly affects productivity.
“Especially for younger people who still haven’t figured out a routine to develop their skills, there is something I’d like you to try out. Start using noise-canceling headphones. They help keep distractions to a minimum. I find clutter-free working spaces to be an interesting concept as well.”

The last year and a half have been a doozy for developers everywhere, with a lot of things changing, and some things staying the same. With our developer survey, we wanted to shine the spotlight on skill-based hiring and market trends in 2021—plus highlight the fact that developers too have their gripes and happy hours.

Uncover many more developer trends for 2021 with Steve and Rado below:

View all

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.

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?

2023 Round Up Of Layoffs In Big Tech

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! :)

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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