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3 types of online proctoring services and how to select the best for hiring

The exam hall is shrouded in silence, barring the abrasive scraping of pen on paper. A mere glance at the person sitting across you earns a pointy stare from the invigilator/proctor. With hawk-like eyes (most are believed to have those all-seeing-eyes at the back of their heads as well) she keeps everyone under her purview, flushing out the suspicious characters at first glance. Invigilators, or proctors, as they are called, are an irreplaceable feature of our traditional competitive examinations, critical to preserving its integrity. Or are they?

As with most things traditional, proctoring, too, is undergoing substantial transformation thanks to technological advancements. With online proctoringprogressively becoming mainstream, more and more educational institutions and companies are adopting online proctoring as opposed to the more traditional form of proctoring thanks to its many advantages. Some of the early adopters of online proctoring for their recruitment needs include companies such as Amazon, Walmart Labs, Cognizant, Honeywell, among several big and not-so-big companies.

What is online proctoring?

Online proctoring, similar to offline proctoring (or just your regular invigilation), is a service that safeguards the integrity of the exam undertaken by remotely monitoring (via a webcam) the activities of the candidate during the course of the examination.

To use an online proctored examination to spearhead your recruitment drive, the first step is to choose an online proctoring service provider that is right for you. Keeping in mind a few points would make it easier to choose. Specify what areas you want the candidate to be assessed on and the skill level that the position requires. It helps to understand how the proctoring works — is it manual or are the candidates’ activities recorded via their webcam? Ensure that the service you choose offers solutions to not only prevent cheating but check the authenticity of the candidate.

How does an online proctored exam work?

The candidates appearing for the online proctored examination are required to download the software application onto the device (laptop or desktop) that will be used for the purpose. When the candidate begins the examination, the application assesses his/her computer and webcam and a lockdown mechanism is used to prevent him/her from opening any web browsers. The candidate has to confirm his/her identity by one of the many methods that are required by the application. While few may require the candidate to show proof of identity to the camera, some others use facial recognition software to confirm the candidate’s identity. Certain others use advanced technology to further confirm the candidate’s identity by instructing him/her to type a certain phrase and then analyzing the keystrokes with previously submitted samples. Whatever the method employed, after confirming the candidate’s identity, the application requires the candidate to show around the room where the test takes place to confirm there is no one else to assist with the exam.

Once the exam begins, there are three ways in which online proctoring can take place: Live online proctoring, Recorded proctoring, and Advanced automated proctoring according to this guide.

Live online proctoring:

In this form of proctoring, a qualified proctor monitors the candidate as he/she is giving the exam through live audio and video feeds. These proctors are trained to ensure the authenticity of the candidate and look for any red flags such as suspicious eye or facial movements or the appearance of any unverified device that could indicate possible cheating. In case suspicious circumstances do arise, the proctor can either shut down the test or notify the company of the prohibited activity. This form of proctoring allows the proctor to monitor up to 32 (a standard number for most proctors) candidates at a time. Both the candidate and proctor can be in any location as long as they both have access to the internet. However, the only disadvantage of this kind of proctoring is that it is dependent on the availability of the proctor on a given date and time. It is also expensive since it needs human intervention just like offline proctoring and for the same reason is not scalable either.

Recorded proctoring:

Unlike live online proctoring, a recorded proctoring, as its name suggests, merely records the activities of the candidate during the examination, which is then played back by a proctor at the greater speed to look for any suspicious behavior or occurrence during the course of the exam. This form of proctoring has an advantage in that it requires no scheduling since the candidate can take the exam at any time convenient to him/her. But as this too requires human intervention for reviewing the clip, it is expensive and difficult to scale.

Advanced automated proctoring:

This is the most advanced form of proctoring (as the name suggests) and requires no manual intervention whatsoever. This form of proctoring records the activities of the candidate while also monitoring the feed for red flags of any sort that would indicate malpractice using advanced audio and video analytics. It is the least expensive of all these forms of proctoring since it eliminates the need for manual intervention and is scalable for the same reason.

Certain online proctors go a step further by limiting the candidate logins to specific IP addresses and blocking the copy-paste option, further securing the integrity of the test conducted.

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Challenges faced when using proctored tests

  • Remote proctoring often requires access to a student’s computer and workspace, which can raise privacy issues.
  • Issues like poor internet connectivity, software glitches, and hardware compatibility can disrupt the testing process.
  • The presence of a proctor, even virtually, can increase anxiety levels in some test-takers, potentially impacting their performance.
  • Proctoring services can be expensive, and not all students may have access to the required technology, leading to inequalities.

Challenges faced when assessing candidates without proctored tests:

Without proctoring, there’s an increased risk of cheating and plagiarism, which can compromise the integrity of the exam.It becomes challenging to ensure that the work submitted is indeed the student’s own, making it difficult to accurately assess their knowledge and skills. Moreover, students who adhere to academic integrity might be at a disadvantage compared to those who do not.

Why should companies opt for online proctoring assessments?

With remote assessments becoming a norm, companies can assess and recruit talent irrespective of geographical constraints. However, unless these online assessments are proctored by a reliable proctor, there is no guarantee that the candidate who pulls off a brilliant performance during the assessment is the same one who is hired! Hence, it is crucial to verify the authenticity of the candidate who undertakes the assessment, and that is where online proctoring comes in handy. With its many stringent security measures in place, these tools ensure that the integrity of the assessment process is preserved.

Tips to select a good remote proctoring tool

  • Privacy compliance: Choose a tool that complies with privacy laws and regulations, such as GDPR or FERPA, and ensures data security.
  • User-friendly interface: The tool should be easy for both instructors and students to use, with clear instructions and minimal technical requirements.
  • Technical support: Opt for a service that offers robust technical support to address any issues promptly during the exam.
  • Customizable settings: Look for tools that offer customization in terms of the level of surveillance, types of permitted resources, and flexibility in exam settings.
  • Integration with Learning Management Systems (LMS): The tool should seamlessly integrate with existing LMS platforms to streamline the process.
  • Anti-cheating features: Ensure the tool has reliable anti-cheating features like identity verification, browser locking, AI monitoring, and plagiarism detection.
  • Accessibility and inclusivity: The proctoring solution should cater to students with different needs and provide accommodations where necessary.
  • Cost-effectiveness: Consider the cost of the tool and ensure it provides value for money, especially if it will be used extensively.
  • Trial and feedback: If possible, test the tool in a trial run and gather feedback from both instructors and students to assess its effectiveness and ease of use.
  • Reputation and reviews: Research and read reviews about the tool's performance, reliability, and customer satisfaction to make an informed decision.
  • What does the future hold?

    While we are clearly in the dark when it comes to what the future might unfold, we can be fairly certain that online assessments are going to be indispensable to recruitment, ergo the need for online proctoring. With its reliable safety features such as facial recognition, keyboard, and facial movement analysis, online proctoring goes a long way in preserving the integrity of the examination conducted. However, a quick search on the web will baffle you with the number of not-so-reputable blogs that provide tips and tricks to cheat these proctors. But these solutions require such laboriously elaborate set-ups that even the most hardened ‘cheater’ would be discouraged to take it up. And since its pros far outweigh its cons, it wouldn’t be too long before online proctoring is synonymous with online recruitment.

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    5 advantages of University Recruitment

    In a recent research study conducted by Robert Half, almost one-quarter of CFOs claimed that their companies are doing more entry-level university recruiting than they were doing five years ago.

    Another article from HBR states that 84% of employers understand and accept the importance of college hiring.

    With these statistics, it is clear that the job market is more dependent on young talent than ever before, and the war about hiring the best talent in the VUCA era has already started.

    The question is this: “Will you enter the war or will you sit back and be a regular passive player?”

    What is campus recruitment?

    Campus recruitment is the process through which companies visit educational institutions to engage with students and identify potential employees before they graduate. This method involves organizing recruitment drives, career fairs, and on-campus interviews, allowing companies to meet with a large pool of candidates in a short period. The primary goal is to attract fresh talent with up-to-date academic knowledge and innovative ideas to join the workforce. Companies typically coordinate with college placement cells to streamline the process, ensuring they can connect with students from relevant fields of study.

    Andrea Pecetto, Chief Commercial Officer at WeUni, emphasizes: "Employers can have greater confidence in graduates from accredited institutions, knowing they have undergone a structured, high-quality education aligned with industry needs."

    Why should you relook at your campus recruitment strategy

    Campus recruitment is crucial for both employers and students. For employers, it provides access to a vast talent pool of young, enthusiastic candidates who are up-to-date with the latest technologies and industry trends. It helps companies fill entry-level positions with candidates who can be trained and molded according to organizational needs. For students, campus recruitment offers a direct pathway to employment, reducing the stress and uncertainty of job hunting post-graduation. It bridges the gap between academia and industry, giving students a platform to showcase their skills and secure positions aligned with their career aspirations. Additionally, it fosters a symbiotic relationship between educational institutions and the corporate sector, ensuring academic curricula remain relevant to industry needs.

    5 advantages of University Recruitment

    1. Strengthen your employer branding - engaging opportunities

      University recruitment helps you engage with emerging talent. Being present at universities gives you the opportunity to highlight your company’s values, development opportunities, organizational culture, and work-life balance—all key factors that attract Millennials and Generation Z. Creating strong programs and engaging alumni to speak on your behalf can further amplify your employer brand.

    2. Improve the retention rate

      Employees tend to feel loyal to their first employer. By making them feel welcome and showing clear growth paths, you create engaged, long-term team members. According to a Workopolis article, TD Business Banking had a 98.6% retention rate for 600 MBA students recruited between 2009 and 2013. Millennials show strong loyalty when engaged effectively.

    3. Bring new knowledge and skills

      Students bring fresh knowledge, perspectives, and ideas. Their recent exposure to the latest academic content and digital fluency makes them valuable assets, particularly in a rapidly evolving technological landscape.

    4. Quick learners who are adaptable are easier to manage

      New graduates are typically eager to learn, adapt quickly, and perform well. They value mentorship and view their first manager as a role model, making them easier to guide and more receptive to feedback.

    5. Save on yearly employee salaries

      Fresh graduates are often open to lower starting salaries in exchange for growth opportunities, mentorship, and experience. This makes them a cost-effective option for building your talent pipeline without compromising on potential.


    Hire the best tech talent from universities without the need to travel. Find out more.


    How to boost the efficiency of your University recruitment strategy

    Most advice on university recruitment emphasizes strong relationships with colleges. While that’s important, aligning your strategy with emerging tech and trends is even more crucial today.

    Use Talent Assessment Software (TAS) to prescreen and evaluate candidates. These tools make recruitment more efficient by assessing skills early and accurately. TAS platforms like HackerEarth can help run coding challenges and hackathons, bridging the gap between industry needs and academic preparation.

    Students today seek real-world exposure. Collaborate with universities to offer practical learning opportunities. Use platforms like HackerEarth to organize challenges, offer skill-based training, and create engagement beyond just hiring

    How to be a badass ninja QA tester

    Quality Assurance is more than just finding bugs in an application. The QA team focuses on delivering a quality product that is developed by a developer,within a deadline. The QA team’s primary task is to eliminate the issues that may affect the way the product works and thereby hampering the user experience.

    When we approach testing in a project, irrespective of how small or big a project is, we always strive to achieve the testing pyramid. If you have never come across this model then go and look it up, it’s on the list of being a badass!

    “Quality is not an act, it is a habit.”— Aristotle

    Here is the pyramid,

    Why Quality Assurance (QA) is a must in software development?

    The longer a bug goes undetected, more expensive it is to fix. A simple cost vs. benefits analysis overwhelmingly shows that the benefits of employing a QA test engineer to validate the code far outweighs the costs.Most importantly, it also influences your product’s reputation!

    Here is why the QA process is important in software development:

    • An extensive QA process is performed to eliminate avoidable defects or bugs before a site is made live.
    • QA is done to make the website credible and easy to operate.
    • What if the search button of a search engine like Google, which is used by millions of people every single day, doesn’t work? It might require a simple fix, which can be done by a developer in a jiffy. However,this defect will encourage users to use a different search engine,which leads to a loss in users
    • A proper QA process will help you find defects that can be fixed before the website goes live.
    • When a product is launched, it is a must for the product to have undergone the complete QA process. What if the product is launched and the users find that something is not working as expected? The company will lose its credibility, reputation, and resolving the issue will become expensive and time-consuming
    • The QA process is not just for delivering stable products there is a higher purpose. The purpose is to make users and customers believe that the company is credible, retain the number of users, provide the users a great experience.

    If you are still skeptical, look at these stats!

    • In April 26 1994, China Airlines Airbus A300 crashed due to a software bug killing 264 passengers.
    • In April 1999, a software bug caused the failure of a $1.2 billion military satellite launch, one of the most expensive accidents in history.
    • In May 1996, a software bug caused the bank accounts of 823 customers of a major U.S. bank to be credited with 920 million US dollars.

    The QA process can be a lifesaver sometimes, can’t it?

    How is the QA process performed?

    Method

    Courtesy:Jack Sheppard

    The QA should be aware of the stack, the frameworks, the business purpose of the feature, and most importantly understand the customer’s and user’s pain! This is where the QA process starts and this is where you should begin!

    We believe that the QA then enters into the Design Phase and starts its transformation from then on. Having a pre-design QA assessment is even better. Once the company decides to build a product, the PM schedules a meeting with the developers, QA engineers, and designers.

    During this meeting, the PM explains the purpose, need, and user requirements that will be used when the product is built.This clarifies information about design, engineering, stack, and other engineering requirements. During this time the QA engineer will understand and clarify information about the origination of the requirement.From there on, QA becomes an integral part of every process till and after the delivery of the product

    The following processes must be followed for an effective QA process:

    Design QA

    Once the design is completed, there should obviously be the obvious design QA. The QA engineer has a discussion with all the members of the software development team.

    In this informal discussion table,the features in the product would be explained to the entire team,which they will soon be starting to develop.Then we start the design QA, in which the QA team will go through the entire design to check about functionality, feature, enhancements, user requirements, business purpose validation, potential issues, foresee complexities that may exist and are briefly made aware on the drawing board to the devs during the design QA process.

    Create the test scenario document

    After the design QA is done, the QA team starts designing a test scenario document (sample template), which is a hybrid of use case and test case documents.

    This document will be used throughout the testing phase. It contains a list of all the possible scenarios that are identified for testing in the product based on the design. Once the testing begins, the scenarios will be iteratively added during the Executing phase.

    Documentation review

    Documentation review is a critical step in the QA process.This review decides the direction of the testing process and direction is very important.

    This review is done by developers or the PM before the execution phase starts. In this step, either the developer or the PM goes through the test scenario document that was created by the QA team and checks whether all the scenarios have been covered.

    If a scenario is missing, it is the shared responsibility of the PM, developers, and QA engineer to ensure that it is added. It is recommended that you do not start testing until all the scenarios have been added to the document.

    Execution

    Execution is the phase where the real testing happens. The testing process is started when 75% of the product has been developed thus avoiding rework by the time the development reaches 95%.

    Rework is mitigated by the test scenario document which was created during the test scenario phase. If you take up QA earlier, then you will not have the appropriate QA and test coverage. If you do QA after the product or feature has been fully developed, then you will have to deal with a lot of demotivation among the developers due to rework.

    You must test all the scenarios which are covered in the test scenario document along with the scenarios which you come across while testing the actual product. Add the new scenarios to the document while testing.

    The execution phase takes its own time.There will not be any compromise on the time for QA. The results of the execution will be noted in the test scenario document and the same will be shared with the developers who have developed the product.

    During the execution phase, not only the scenarios are just covered but the user experience would be tested too.The way the product behaves,all the functionalities,features,UI would also be tested.If a scenario fails.We would add the explanation of it along with the screenshot,URL,steps to reproduce.

    Defect reporting

    As Joel says in his blog,

    “A great tester gives programmers immediate feedback on what they did right and what they did wrong. Believe it or not, one of the most valuable features of a tester is providing positive reinforcement. There is no better way to improve a programmer’s morale, happiness, and subjective sense of well-being than a La Marzocco Linea espresso machine to have dedicated testers who get frequent releases from the developers, try them out, and give negative and positive feedback. Otherwise it’s depressing to be a programmer.”

    During a sprint ,the defects that are found should be noted in the a defect summary sheet (sample defect summary) of a test scenario document (sample template).This helps the developer to view the defect along with the explanation, screenshot, URL, and steps to reproduce the defect.

    The developer then fixes the defects. If a defect is not valid, then it will be classified as one of the following:

    • Feature
    • Bug that cannot be fixed for various reasons or requires a design change.

    Otherwise, the defect is marked as fixed in the relevant column of the test scenario document and also updates the Maniphest log. The defects can be related to the functionality, features, UI, or anything that affects the way the product works.

    Maniphest

    Maniphest is one of the defect-management tools that is used during the QA process. It helps to manage the entire bug life-cycle. As tests are executed, you may find bugs in the existing flow or may feel there is scope for a few enhancements. You should immediately, create a task in Maniphest and assign it to the relevant developer.

    Based on the priority, bugs will be fixed. Once the bug is fixed, the author of the bug i.e. the relevant QA engineer will receive an email notification.This helps the QA engineer to retest the bug and change the status accordingly.

    Retesting

    Once the issue is marked as fixed by the developer in the test scenario document, the retesting of the specific defect is the responsibility of the QA engineer who reported the issue. The results of the retesting should also be recorded in the test scenario document.

    The Testing phase ends with this step. Retesting will be done at the end of the Execution phase because execution is usually done on a fully developed product—the most stable version of the product.

    Test closure

    This is the step where the QA team prepares the release notes of the testing process.

    Release notes contain the following information:

    • Description of the product that was tested
    • Time taken
    • Approach followed
    • Reference links
    • Test results
    • Type of testing that was done

    After the release notes are sent to the whole team, the QA process ends.

    Types of testing at HackerEarth

    Automation testing

    While there is plenty of room for improving the QA process at HackerEarth, we are now trying to put an emphasis on building automated tests so that we can let people do what people are good at and have computers do what computers are good at. That doesn’t mean that we never do manual testing or drop out of the pyramid. Instead we do the “right” amount of manual testing with more human-oriented focus (e.g. exploratory testing) and try to ensure that we never do repetitive manual testing.

    Performance testing

    Performance testing is an important type of testing which is a must before deploying any new change. Performance testing is performed to determine the behavior of a system under both normal and expected peak-load conditions. It helps to identify the maximum operating capacity of an application.We use New Relic for the performance testing.

    “An application can work fine for a single user but may break when multiple users use it simultaneously.”

    We use JMeter to perform load testing.

    JMeter creates realistic & accurate scenarios, sends requests to appropriate servers which show the performance of an appropriate server/application via tables, graphs etc.

    Environments used for testing

    We have an environment that is a replica of the production environment. It is called the ‘staging environment’.We use this staging environment for the testing process.

    The developers develop an application in their local environment and push it to staging where the QA engineer will test the application. All the testing takes place in the staging environment.

    We would never have been able to get this far and achieve an effective QA process without a dedicated grassroots effort from everyone in the team. This effort would have failed if it hadn’t been combined with huge improvements in our testing tool, processes, and mind shift along with the business and developers.

    “QA is hard!! If it was easy, anyone could have done it. The ‘hard’ part is what makes QA important!”

    We have taken a serious and pragmatic approach to establish a definite QA process. The important thing about this process is that QA at HackerEarth has evolved into a multi-dimensional process. We have formulated this QA process collaboratively and improved it over time.

    Wondering what is the best way to introduce QA process in your team? Just get started! Good luck!

    What is FinTech?

    Fintech is the application of technologies to disrupt existing processes or bring in new paradigms in the financial industry. Be it banking or insurance or digital payment, fintech is currently revolutionizing the world.

    Fintech has disrupted all aspects of the industry. Rapid innovation is the key in sectors like lending, financial inclusion, financial advisory, personal finance, security, and digital payments. Fintech, on one hand made services like Net Banking a given in today’s world. On the other hand, it has made names of startups like PayTM a common word in the vocabulary of the laymen.

    Fintech companies are more customer centric than traditional financial companies. They believe in rapid innovation. The fact that many of the early adopters are low-age groups with disposable incomes has made fintech one of the hottest trends in technology.

    What are the companies in fintech?

    There are mainly four types of companies that are interested in fintech.

    1. Major banks that have traditionally been associated with finance and look at technology and fintech as the next level, for example, any large bank that has technology offerings
    2. Well-established tech players that are also looking for business opportunities in the financial services space although they are not traditionally financial companies, for example, we now have the Google wallet and the Apple pay.
    3. Companies that provide infrastructure and services which enable other fintech players to operate in the financial space; examples include PayUmoney that acts as a payments gateway, or MasterCard, which processes payments between banks of merchants when the merchants use the cards that are issued by the banks

    Disruptors that are fast-moving companies and startups; these companies generally focus on a single business innovation or process. For example take SoFi, it is a San Francisco based company that focuses on high-earning recent graduates and tries to refinance their student loans. Or take the case of PayTM, which focuses on the Indian payments ecosystem.

    What are the major fintech areas that are driving innovation?

    Lending: Lending is the space where the biggest innovations in fintech are coming from. Traditionally, lenders have given more money to people who already have money. Fintech companies are doing away with the traditional credit history-based scoring system and coming up with lending solutions even for the unbanked. For example, Lending Club operates an online lending platform that helps borrowers get a loan and investors purchase notes backed by payments made on loans. Others like Biz2Credit are using social profiling tools to access the credit worthiness of individuals and small businesses.

    Financial Inclusion: Experts believe that fintech is the key behind financial inclusion. For example, M-Pesa reached 80% of households in Kenya in 4 years[source]. Fintech companies achieve financial inclusion through various methods. One of them can be by leveraging existing low-cost solutions, like M-Pesa doing transactions through SMS. One other example is Kobocoin, which is giving an existing technology, blockchain in this case, a more local flavor so that it reflects the needs of the masses.

    Even for developed countries, companies that focus on financial inclusion have the potential to make social security programs more effective. For example, in various parts of the world like Japan and India, public benefits are directly paid to the bank accounts of the recipients and the process is tracked through a Unique Identification Number like Aadhar Card in India or the My number(??????) system in Japan.

    Financial Advisory: Fintech companies have generally relied on automation to provide services and this is the strategy being applied to traditional advisory services like M&A transactions, restructuring, raising capital, and forensic investigations. There can be a common platform where the users can engage with the experts as in BankerBhai.com. One more example is Elliptic, which provides services like identifying illicit activity on the Bitcoin blockchain.

    Personal Finance: Through the use of fintech, there is a lot of scope to have more efficient processes. Many organisations are building companies by automating the acts of personal finance like individual or family budgeting, insurance, savings, and retirement planning. For example, Wealthfront provides online money management. Paytm tries to keep all your different payments under one portal.

    Blockchain and distributed ledgers: Blockchain, which is the technology behind the famous bitcoin, is an open source distributed database using state-of-the-art cryptography. Currencies that use blockchain enable us to do transactions without a powerful third party like a bank or the government. There are various companies that are operating in the space of blockchain, either by using bitcoin, the largest blockchain, like Blockchain.info or Unocoin, or by having their own blockchain cryptocurrency like Kobocoin.

    Security: Fintech is only projected to grow in the future and since this domain primarily deals in finance and financial products, customers will have high expectations in terms of security from fintech products. Also, fintech companies will always be a lucrative target for people with malicious intent. For example, there was the JP Morgan Chase data breach in 2014[source] which affected 83 million customers accounts. For this reason, heavy investment is being done in security. and we have a lot of companies in the field. For example, VKey focuses on user security. Tranwall is a Hong Kong startup that focuses on providing increased levels of security to the cardholders of the customer banks.

    What is the future in fintech

    The rise in fintech has led to growth in both customer awareness and customer expectations, and this acts both as a challenge and as an opportunity. This has resulted in financial incumbents, those who are already established financial services players, taking bold steps and engaging with emerging innovations. Also, new start-ups have found greater acceptance with the population. Following graphs show the amount of investment the fintech companies have received globally.

    Image: the growth of global investment in the fintech sector from 2011 to 2016

    Source: Business Insider

    Users are also spending more time on various apps and doing a greater part of their financial transactions through the apps.

    User activity on various payments apps
    Source: Nielson

    If you think that these trends are astonishing, remember that this will only grow in the coming years.

    References:

    techstory: lending market in india
    letstalkpayments: 22 fintech companies in africa

    fintech is the key driver of financial inclusion
    fintech and financial inclusion
    how fintech security helps foster innovation
    fintech companies in fraud prevention
    how banks are leveraging developer community

    Radial Basis Function Network

    step 6: Determine centers of the neurons using KMeans.
    K_cent= 8

    km= KMeans(n_clusters= K_cent, max_iter= 100)

    km.fit(X_train)

    cent= km.cluster_centers_
    step 7: Determine the value of [latex]\sigma[/latex]
    max=0 

    for i in range(K_cent):

    for j in range(K_cent):

    d= numpy.linalg.norm(cent[i]-cent[j])

    if(d> max):

    max= d

    d= max



    sigma= d/math.sqrt(2*K_cent)
    step 8: Set up matrix G.
    shape= X_train.shape

    row= shape[0]

    column= K_cent

    G= numpy.empty((row,column), dtype= float)

    for i in range(row):

    for j in range(column):

    dist= numpy.linalg.norm(X_train[i]-cent[j])

    G[i][j]= math.exp(-math.pow(dist,2)/math.pow(2*sigma,2))
    step 9: Find weight matrix W to train the network.
    GTG= numpy.dot(G.T,G)

    GTG_inv= numpy.linalg.inv(GTG)

    fac= numpy.dot(GTG_inv,G.T)

    W= numpy.dot(fac,Y_train)
    step 10: Set up matrix G for the test set.
    row= X_test.shape[0]

    column= K_cent

    G_test= numpy.empty((row,column), dtype= float)

    for i in range(row):

    for j in range(column):

    dist= numpy.linalg.norm(X_test[i]-cent[j])

    G_test[i][j]= math.exp(-math.pow(dist,2)/math.pow(2*sigma,2))

    step 11: Analyze the accuracy of prediction on test set
    prediction= numpy.dot(G_test,W)

    prediction= 0.5*(numpy.sign(prediction-0.5)+1)



    score= accuracy_score(prediction,Y_test)

    print score.mean()

    With an RBF network, a prediction with an accuracy of 88% is achieved and so is the cause with MLP. However, the computational cost of training an MLP is much higher as compared to RBF; hence, here it's better to use RBF network instead of MLP.

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    3. Formatting of the blog: The blog title should be in the Title case. All headers should be in sentence case, not title case. This means all headers should be lowercase except for the first word of the header and any proper nouns or acronyms.

    Title case: A simple example would be Lord Of The Flies, where the first letter in each word is capitalized.

    Sentence case: A simple example would be Lord of the flies, where only the first letter in the first word is capitalized.

    4. Tone of voice: You must write in second-person, not first-person. This means the content should be written in the “you/your” voice, not the “I/me/my/mine” voice. The article must remain completely non-promotional. Additionally, we prefer an informal, conversational tone. Use contractions and list out all acronyms you write.

    5. Readability: Please ensure no paragraph is longer than 4 sentences. Use short sentences and keep the sentence length to less than 20 words. Write in Active voice.

    6. Please run a thorough Grammarly check and make sure the score is above 95.

    7. Please provide a meta description of 140-160 characters explaining your article.8. How to email your guest post to us:
    • The completed post must be a Google doc
    • Send your posts to blog@hackerearth.com
    9. The blog post/article must be your own original work that has not been published on any other website, forum, chat, or social media network.10. Plagiarism or copyright infringement is not permitted. When quoting others, please make sure to cite your source properly.11. All blog posts are reviewed and approved by HackerEarth before posting. HackerEarth reserves the right to edit blog posts where necessary.12. All content must be completely vendor-neutral. If a blog post submission is inappropriate or needs improvements, a HackerEarth representative will let you know and offer suggestions so that it may be published later.

    Guidelines for SEO

    13. The primary keyword should have a 1000 monthly search volume & 5 secondary keywords must have a 500 monthly search volume, which must be shared along with the outline.14. We accept 2 external links (do-follow) + 1 external link (no-follow) within the article. Links to any third-party site must be relevant to the topic and approved by HackerEarth.15. The target external link should have more than 30 DA and 40 DR.16. Anchor text for backlinks should not be related to our core business keywords.17. Links should not be in the first paragraph of the blog article.18. The target URL must be a blog article, product pages for the target URL are not allowed.19. All search engine optimization ("SEO") information, such as anchor text or alt tags, will be reviewed and subject to inclusion at the discretion of HackerEarth.

    Guidelines for Author Bio

    20. [IMPORTANT] Blog post writers may submit a short bio statement (no more than 50 words). Please also send in a square headshot (at least 200x200) to be used on your profile.21. Blog post writers will be allowed to have one link to their website and one link to their social profile within the author acknowledgment.

    Guidelines for distribution on social media

    22. We ask that you ensure to share the guest article on all relevant social media platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter. Post that, we will do the same on our official company social media.23. Additionally, we can discuss a newsletter swap if you have a newsletter with a sizeable number of subscribers.

    Additional guidelines for the overall collaboration

    24. Once the post has been submitted to HackerEarth, you may not publish it anywhere online, in part or in whole, including your own website or blog, without the consent of HackerEarth.25. HackerEarth will share and promote the blog post but does not guarantee any site or audience reach.26. If HackerEarth uses your guest post, you may promote it on your own website, Facebook, Twitter, or other social media forums. Promoting does not mean you post the entire article on these forums. You may include a link to your guest post and a short explanation of the article.27. Posts will acknowledge your authorship but will be the property of HackerEarth.28. Affiliate links shall not be included in guest post submissions. HackerEarth reserves the right to add its own affiliate links where appropriate.29. Excessive links or links that appear to be affiliated or spam-related will be removed at the discretion of HackerEarth.30. We do not pay for submissions. If you decide to submit a post to our site, you do so with the knowledge that you shall not be entitled to any compensation for writing the post or for any other compensation related to the post.31. HackerEarth reserves the right to refuse publication or remove a blog post without prior notice to the blog post writer.32. By providing a blog post to HackerEarth, you agree that you are in no way becoming a part of the website or company, nor shall you hold yourself out to be a member of the HackerEarth website or company.33. We expect to receive all submissions on time. If you miss your deadline, your post will not be published. If you need an extension to your deadline, please let us know ahead of time.
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    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.

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

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

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

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

    Let’s get to it, shall we?

    Hire great developers

    What constitutes a good interview question?

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

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

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

    Hire GREAT developers by asking the right questions

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

    #1 How do you plan your day?

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

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

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

    Value-based interview questions to ask

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

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


    Recommended read: How Recruiting The Right Tech Talent Can Solve Tech Debt


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Developer Hiring Statistics

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

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

    Recruit GREAT developers by asking the right questions

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

    #1 Write an algorithm for the following

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

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


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


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

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

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


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


    #3 Some high-level design (HLD) questions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    View all

    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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