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How to form a winning team for hackathons

Superhero movies and super successful companies have one thing in common. They both have a great team that strives to win, no matter what the challenge is. It is always the hero’s team that saves the day.

A challenge like a hackathon is no different. At hackathons, teams of developers, designers, and product managers work together to build prototypes and solve real-world problems within a specific time frame. The team that works the most efficiently and builds the best solution takes home the prize. Getting the right people on board gives your team a competitive advantage over others. Here are the top tips to form a winning team for your next hackathon:

1) Start your hunt early

Start looking for teammates from the time you decide to participate in a hackathon. Search for potential teammates on online platforms and communities like Stack Exchange, Stack Overflow, and Quora. Start with your own network of friends and like-minded acquaintances. You can also find other hackers on meetups and developer groups. Further, hackathons conducted on platforms like HackerEarth allow participants to form teams on the platform itself.

Start your hunt early
Start your hunt early

2) Work on your pitch

To attract talented people to your team, you need to sell your idea and your profile well. Update your Github profile and create a good pitch to share with potential teammates. Showcase your past projects. Highlight your skills and domain knowledge. Explain your idea and the problem that you plan to solve. Be proactive in pitching your idea and listen to feedback. Even if you arrive at the hackathon alone, with a good pitch, you still have a good chance of forming a great hackathon team.

Work on your pitch
Work on your pitch

3) Seek diversity

Diversity is what makes Avengers, the team of superheroes great as a team. Each member brings a unique strength to the table. While forming your hackathon team, hunt for talent from diverse domains like designing, frontend development, business management, etc. Having a team of people with diverse skill sets will help you in building a complete product.

Seek diversity
Seek diversity

4) Be aware of different working styles

Different people work differently and have different approaches to solving the same problem. Assign tasks and roles to team members based on their core strengths. Give everyone a fair chance to work on specific tasks which they are good at. Encourage mutual learning and problem-solving. Getting the chemistry right is the key to a successful team. If you have the time to prepare, do a mock run with your team to plan tasks and organize yourselves better as a team.

‘Getting the right people and the right chemistry is more important than getting the right idea.’?—?Ed Catmull, previously CEO of Pixar, author of Creativity, Inc.

Be aware of different working styles
Be aware of different working styles

A good team adapts well to any situation. Your final prototype is a result of your team’s work. By forming a good team, you can build better products and improve your chances of winning a hackathon.

Got a tip for building stronger hackathon teams? Share it with us in the comments below.

Announcing the winners of Slash Hack 2.0

Slash Hack is a hackathon conducted by HackerEarth, where developers from across the globe came together to celebrate the spirit of programming and built novel tangible solutions. This year, over 1328 hackers participated in the online event and created some amazing hacks.

The hackathon provided a platform for participants to meet like-minded people, network, and contribute ideas for building a better world. These are the winning hacks from the event:

1) Molescope: A real-time skin cancer recognition app

The Binary TRIO team lead by Jakub Klauco created a smartphone app that enables early detection of skin cancer, which highly improves the survival rate of patients. The app works both offline and real-time on Android phones. The team trained neural networks to recognize skin cancer by using image recognition engine based on the Google inception model. The training was done based on thousands of images of moles (both cancerous and non-cancerous).

Team Name: The Binary TRIO

Team Members: Jakub Klauco, Kuba Sanojca, and Nikita Orekhov



2) Helping Hand

This Android app aims to bridge the distance between NGOs and the less fortunate people on the streets who need aid. Users can create a public record of beggars, child labourers, and vagrants on the streets. NGOs can then view these records on the Website or on the Application itself to contact the people. NGO can then locate and help the people on the streets who need the aid. This application is built on .NET, and Xamarin Framework. Hence, it can also be ported across major platforms like iOS and Windows.

Team Name: MadTitans

Team Member: Anshul Jain



3) Finger On Map

Finger On Map is an application that allows you to plan a trip with your friends. If they don't have an account yet, they will receive an email with your invitation. You can then browse through all the trips you go on, add points of interest to them, and even group by days. The app becomes more interesting as you share your trip with other users. Users can edit the plans and each user can see changes made to the master plan.

Team: warna

Team member: Damian Tarnacki



Want to win a hackathon?

Check out our upcoming hackathons here: https://www.hackerearth.com/challenges/

Meet the winners of IndiaHacks 2017

The IT landscape as we know it is getting redefined every day. Change is constant. The need of the hour for tech companies, big and small, is to innovate fast and keep up with the change. Innovation was the main focus ofIndiaHacks 2017, HackerEarth’s country-wide hackathon, aimed atbuilding software products to transform the world.

Thousands of submissions were received from developers across the country.The hackathon had three tracks – Internet of Things, Fintech, and AI. Based on the first offline session conducted in three regional zones – Delhi, Pune, and Bangalore, 10 finalists were chosen for each track. Thirty finalists participated in the offline hackathon conducted on the 8th and 9th of September in Bangalore.

Meet the winners of IndiaHacks 2017
Meet the winners of IndiaHacks 2017

In the final round, teams built some incredible apps and prototypes.We are happy to present the winning hacks of IndiaHacks 2017:

Winners in Internet of Things (IOT)

1) License Integrated Safety Device

The License Integrated Safety Device is a UUID-based vehicle tracking system that addresses the growing need for delivering effective safety, traffic control, and pollution control. The technology can act as a first responder management service in smart cities.

Application:

  • The system comes with hardware that mimics access control system for automobiles. This prevents any unauthorized access.
  • The device tracks the user’s coordinates when on the move. This information can be aggregated to a cloud- based system, allowing companies to gain insights and provide value-added services for smart city management.
  • The data can also be consolidated into a city surveillance system to manage traffic by prioritizing user’s needs and routing optimally.

1ST Prize winners:

Team Name: Team_Anonymous

Submission Theme: Smart Driving Experience

Team Members: Sohail Chamadia, Kunal sharma

2) Real-time assistant for badminton players

The real-time assistant is a wearable device that enables players to know their fitness level and match readiness by analyzing their “smash” profiles. This profile has fitness details such as calorie intake, fluid intake, workout before sessions, and performance level of players. The device comes with an Arduino Nano, GY521 accelerometer, a sound sensor, and a Bluetooth HC-05. The device can help badminton players in the following ways:

  • It calculates the player’s fitness level including the power generated by hand, the jump intensity, and the smash speed.
  • It helps players to know their physical strength before a match.
  • It provides insights players can use to adjust their fitness routine and improve their performance.

2nd Prize winners

Team Name: Smashlytics

Submission Theme: Smart Wearables

Team Members: Dey Subhankar

3) GPS and IoT-based soldier tracking and health indication system

The low-cost, wearable device based on IoT is equipped with biosensors. The device offers a reliable system to guard the lives of soldiers. The system can help locate and monitor the health of soldiers in combat. The main applications of the software are as follows:

  • With IoT, armed forces can know the location of their soldiers directly on a smart phone.
  • The technology can help monitor the health and ammunition of the soldiers in combat.
  • GSM module can be used for effective high-speed transmission, short-range, and soldier-to-soldier wireless communications.

3rd Prize winners

Team Name: Tech_Monsters

Submission Theme: Smart Wearables

Team Members: Jasvinder Singh Chhabra, Ritesh Agarwal

Winners in Fintech

1) TechnoFin – A simple solution to financial problems

With time-series modelling, and predictive analysis, TechnoFin serves as a full-fledged financial recommendation engine. It addresses all the problems related to investing in stock market, real-estate, gold, and banking. The model can be used to predict the following:

  • Stock prices with high accuracy and help in the comparison of stocks.
  • Real-estate prices, and gold prices.

1ST Prize winners:

Team Name: FIN_ishers

Submission Theme: Financial Advisory

Team Members: Avinash G Kori, Akhil Poojary

2) MoneyMultiplier

Money Multiplier, an app integrated with Watson Conversation, aims to educate the financially illiterate. The app helps in the analysis of monthly account statement, and the monthly limit for savings. It also helps in understanding the Net Asset Value (NAV) of mutual funds.

Details of 2nd Prize winners

Team Name: ENSPIRE

Submission Theme: Financial Inclusion

Team Members: Suhit Kalubarme, Harish Shridhar Khot

3) Security for financial transactions

The ML-based security software aims to make transactions safer by identifying and tracking user behavior. Using Apache Lucene-based Elastic search or Solr engine, the software stores transactional data and identifies user pattern.

Details of 3rd Prize winners

Team Name: Secure_You

Submission Theme: Security

Team Members: Yadu Mathur, Sandhya SG

Winners in ArtificialIntelligence (AI )

1) Smart Courses

The smart online learning software uses smart image recognition recommendation system to evaluate facial expressions of students and then operates accordingly. The system can also be equipped with a smart assistant or chatbot to answer user queries.

1ST Prize winners:

Team Name: Zodiac

Submission Theme: Recommendation system

Team Members: Rishabh Malik, Aniket Sharma

2) Genre-switching music recommendation system

The recommendation software specializes in giving a good mix of genres based on the correlation established between the tapped genres using reinforcement learning.

2nd Prize winners

Team Name: Mad_Men

Submission Theme: Recommendation system

Team Members: Abhinav Anurag, Nitikesh Bhad

3) Bot104

BOT 104 tracks the number of beds available in nearby hospitals and helps users to book hospital beds easily. The software also has a feature to generate auto bills using QR codes.

3rd Prize winners

Team Name: Krypton

Submission Theme: Chatbots

Team Members: Jayesh Bidani, simran kaur

Winners of Online Challenge:

The programming and machine learning challenges were conducted online. Participants had to solve challenges online within a limited time frame. We are happy to present the winners of the online challenges of IndiaHacks 2017:

Winners of Machine Learning Challenge:

1st Prize winner:Bishwarup Bhattacharjee

2nd Prize winner:Siddharth Chandrakant

3rd Prize winner:Phani Srikanth

Winners of Programming Challenge:

1st Prize winner:Gennady Korotkevich

2nd Prize winner:Shik Chen

3rd Prize winner:Yuhao Du

A hackathon is a great platform for developersto network, showcase their talent, and learn new skills. It is one of the best ways tobuild your portfolio, grow your professional network, and become a better programmer.

How to drive API adoption through hackathons

Studies show that hackathons seem to be the most effective method to acquire and engage developer talent for open APIs.

Introduction

The star working behind the scenes, connecting devices, databases, and applications, application programming interfaces (APIs) are super-efficient “messengers” vital to organizations across sectors; for reuse in useful, interesting apps (tools and widgets), APIs allow these organizations to open their databases, backend systems, and information assets.

A simple definition of an API could be this: “An API is the messenger that delivers your request to the provider that you’re requesting it from and then delivers the response back to you.” For example, say you order an anorak from an e-retailer such as Amazon. The website will send your credit card details to PayPal, a payment processor, your shipping information to FedEx, a delivery partner, and then, validate your address using another API. Did you notice that all you needed to know was what to click and how to send a “request” and wait for the “response,” which could be payment status, shipping charges, etc.? (If you think about it, the function of an API closely mirrors that of a waiter at a restaurant.)

Programmers communicate with an application, such as Accuweather or Candy Crush, use this common interface, which acts like a go-between. “API is a precise specification written by providers of a service that programmers must follow when using that service. It describes what functionality is available, how it must be used and what formats it will accept as input or return as output. In recent years, the term API colloquially is used to describe both the specification and service itself, e.g., the Facebook Graph API,” says API Chapter Manager at Sprout Social, Kevin Stanton.

Uses of APIs

According to John Musser, co-founder of Programmable Web, an API can be used to create value in several ways, including the following:

  • APIs as product
  • Marketing/Distribution channel
  • User/Content acquisition
  • Drive innovation/traffic
  • Accelerate internal projects
  • Partner/Upsell opportunities
  • Lead generation/ Business development/Increase footprint
  • Extend product/Device and Mobile support
  • Increase stickiness
  • New line of business

Three P’s of an API program

Developing an API program comprises three stages1 — Plan, Productize, and Promote.

From the snapshot below, you can see that attracting and engaging developers are core activities for a successful API strategy. With a well-designed API program with skilled developers and open APIs, companies can extend their reach significantly by enabling market adoption, accelerating innovation by crowdsourcing, and maintaining a constant revenue cycle.

For an organization, its value chain will have its assets, the APIs that open up these assets, developers who use these assets through APIs to create value, apps the developers build and end users.

The 3 Ps of API - how to drive API adoption using hackathons

Source: Software AG

Promoting your API

Once a product is good to go, it is ready to enter the marketing cycle. This is true for APIs as well.

  • Just like you would design any marketing strategy, segment your audience, target accessible, differentiable, and substantial developer segments to enter, and position the API to effectively address specific challenges of the target segments.
  • Indulge in influencer marketing; create advocates and get buy-in from great developers. Instead of talking at the developer community, listen to their feedback and advice.
  • Give the influencers leeway; let them work for you.

You need a great demo that talks about your company and the product, how it generates business value, and a live demo showing some code or what you can build on top of the API.

With a scalable, practical, and reliable API, developers can innovate, happily too if rewards and recognition are assured. Remember that developers target different environments, platforms, operating systems, languages, services, etc. Companies work with developer evangelists, support developer events, and launch an outstanding developer portal to better position the interface.

Call it marketing or call it raising awareness. Either way, your developers need to know this API exists. Public Relations managers can ensure that the information that is disseminated about your API is accurate while highlighting its unique features. You can reach developers through social channels, at events, and through other developer communities.

Remember to define your metrics. (Go here for a good post on API metrics.)

API funnel 0- how to drive API adoption using hackathons

*The first two steps—acquisition and activation, come under the marketing umbrella.

**The other three—retention, revenue, and referral depend on many factors such as the quality of your API.

Provide forums and interactive, up-to-date documentation to engage and educate the developers

In his talk on API adoption, marketing expert Adam DuVander presented results from a survey on API adoption, where developers rated these factors as most important on a scale of 1–4. Complete and accurate documentation tops the list with a rating of 3.5. DuVander says, “You can also help your marketing department to speak ‘developer,’ and part of that is making sure your documentation is great and accessible.” To plug into the API, “Not only show them what’s possible, but show them how to do it using your API.” (With sample apps or tutorials). Forums allow developers to have stimulating and informative discussions on code examples, best practices, etc.

Ebook - Hackathon Guide

Create an all-encompassing API portal

This portal will be the go-to place for developers to “register, explore, and learn” about your API, including seamless payment link integrations. A registration process that’s easy to use should give them an API key for example. An API console or ready code will help developers test the functionality without having to write any code; make sure it is impressive. Offer the right devkits or SDKs, with installation and packaging standards. Ensure you offer adequate support services; a little hand holding is always appreciated. Present developers with great uses cases with sample code and your SDKs. Your links to external resources must include announcements/updates and any information that will be useful (e.g. standards). Tools such as APIfy will help to build and manage such a central repository.

Driving API adoption through hackathons

A well-marketed and well-executed hackathon can get you 1500 developers and 3000+ for big names such as IBM. And you can get anywhere between 20–40 decent applications. All this can be done over a course of 4 weeks. “From a marketing standpoint, the developer acquisition is cost is very low.” Hackathons are an excellent example of viral marketing.

Specifically, a hackathon:

  • Gives you maximum air time to pitch your API to the developers
  • Gives you the opportunity to put your product (API) in the hands of passionate developers and get them to use it
  • Gets you valuable feedback from the developers to improve your product

*Hackathons are different from developer conferences and meetups. “A simple analogy would be that a hackathon is an internship, while a developer conference is a classroom.”

Points to remember for API providers hosting hackathons for marketing

  • Online hackathons are better suited
    Note that online hackathons could be a better bet as you get rid of all constraints related to venue selection and logistics. They also allow you to reach out to developers around the world. Keep the submission phase of the hackathon open for a longer duration, ideally for about two months.
  • Support at the hackathon
    Provide support and know-how via webinars, walkthrough, videos, tutorials, and examples of similar applications built using the API.
  • Post-hackathon engagement
    Support developers who could support only half-built applications as well; invite the developers for a symposium, follow up with them via emails and social channels for their feedback, and engage with them regularly. These people will form your talent pipeline.

**For all the finer details about how to organize a hackathon, download this ebook.

Conclusion

According to Philipp Schöne, Product Manager at Axway, “hackathons are a great way to learn what external people think about your offering… start with smaller groups and go bigger if you get more confident with your offering.”

You don’t always need to host a hackathon. You could participate or be a partner for smaller events. “Too often people think building a community means running a hack event, we found that running our own hack events didn’t fit our API, however attending and participating (as a team vs API vendor) in hack events was invaluable for building out a community. The best thing you can do is roll up your sleeves and get involved,” says Keran McKenzie, a platform evangelist at MYOB.

If companies find it hard reaching out to the developer community, then they can partner with vendors such as HackerEarth to leverage its 1.5 million+ developer community and use its hackathon management software.

8 ways to hire a developer [Actionable tips]

Whether you are an employer or an employee, you need to think beyond résumés to stay ahead of the game.

From hackathons to automated evaluation tools, semantic analysis to personality tests, social hiring to website scraping, recruiting is being reinvented and how.

A “one-size-fits-all” strategy certainly doesn’t cut it.

Résumés will take you only so far.

Research shows that context-dependent skills and passion for the job will continue to drive hiring more than ever.

Here is a quick overview of the top nine sources when scouting for technical talent.

Even if you are not a programmer yourself, these places should help you build a good talent pipeline.

LinkedIn

How are recruiters using LinkedIn for hiring developers?

Recruiters can post jobs, source talent, and build the company brand easily using LinkedIn Talent Solutions.

LinkedIn has over 400 million people! Follow etiquette before all else for optimal results.

Use your profile and company page

Potential candidates will see your personal brand as a reflection of the employer brand.

A good recruiting profile has a friendly profile picture, an interesting descriptive headline, a summary that showcases your professional story and the company culture, goals, accomplishments, and candidate expectations in the best possible light.

Encourage discussions to build your brand.

Establish yourself as a thought leader by publishing engaging, insightful content, either curated or original.

Create a career page, apart from your company page.

  • Read a bit about the publishing platform, LinkedIn Pulse, here.
  • Read more on how to share content using this news aggregation feed here.

Use the built-in analytics features to capture valuable insights for data-driven recruiting.

  • Read more on how to attract followers here.

Extend your reach via engaging status updates about your company’s activities.

To target relevant candidates, try sponsored updates.

Say, your company is organizing a Swift hackathon, then you can sponsor an update to software professionals and students nearby, expanding your network with new followers.

Use the built-in dashboard to study the impressions, engagement, clicks, shares, likes, and acquisition.

  • Read more on some best practices for sponsored content here.

*Note that you can’t publish sponsored updates without a company page and an advertising account.

Use your network

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Beef up your existing network through content that might interest programmers. Once again, use sponsored content or company updates to grab attention.

LinkedIn Elevate gives your employees quality shareable content, thereby influencing future recruits in their networks.

People are more likely to believe employees than recruiter spiel. Studies show that people who use this tool,

  • share four times more than before
  • drive forty percent more followers
  • drive three times more job views

Build a referral chain, and run referral contests or referral programs that reward the participants.

*Data suggests that “it takes 29 days to hire a referred candidate, 39 days to hire a candidate through a job posting, and 55 days to hire a candidate through a career site.”

  • Go here to see how you can use LinkedIn Referrals to get the most out of your employees’ networks.
  • Go here to see different types of referral programs to source the best candidates.

One of the most effective ways to humanize your brand is by adding recommendations or testimonials.

Don’t forget to tag connections.

For example, a recruiter can group Python developers using tags.

Scan the events section for valuable connections in the attendee list. Or, list an event to spread the word.

Use ads

LinkedIn has a minimum daily budget that you have to spend on your ads.

Your ROI is much higher than any other internet advertising mediums.

You can attract the attention of people who are checking out profiles of employees in your organization by using Recruitment Ads beside these employee profiles.

  • Go here for some inspirational ads to boost hiring.
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Sponsored ads specifically reach the right audience and have proved to be very useful in getting new followers.

Text ads simply display the information you provide under the column “ads you make like” on the right side.

They are also highly-targeted.

Personalized messages can be delivered to a target hire’s inbox.

Use paid options

LinkedIn offers paid services to find passive candidates with access to a wider pool of talent and features to “build a candidate pipeline.”

The advanced search and filter options on offer with a premium account help you source quickly and nurture relationships with top talent easily.

Free (typically done via status updates, job discussions/groups, or creative presentations) and paid job advertising gets you relevant clicks from your target audience.

  • Read more about posting jobs on LinkedIn here.
  • Read more about job posting prices here.

Use groups and join discussions

Participating in group discussions can be really effective to increase the visibility of your brand among the developers and foster your relationship with them.

Here are a few LinkedIn groups that you as an IT recruiter should join for networking, knowing about the latest trends in tech, engaging with the talent, and posting jobs:

Just check out LinkedIn Recruiter for amazing features such as the Recommendation Engine to source outstanding talent.


Would you like to get updates once a month on our latest articles? We won’t spam, we promise. Subscribe now to The HackerEarth Blog!


Tips

  • Try LinkedIn plug-ins such as Klout, Hootsuite, Buffer, TweetDeck, and Bullhorn Reach to help in recruiting the right people.
  • To deal with the 100 search limit quota, try Recruitment Geek’s LinkedIn X-ray Search.
  • Export LinkedIn connections to your recruitment database.
  • Try this link to search better using specific filters.
  • Save your searches to get talent emailed directly to you without upgrading to a premium account.

**Watch some helpful videos on LinkedIn Talent Solutions here.

You don’t need to actually join a group such as Austin Digital Jobs to get access to the members.

Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Google+, Instagram

Everything is digital now. Recruitment too. When 30% of all Google searches are related to employment, there’s little need for further introduction.

If you look at Dice Social Recruiting in Tech Survey 2016-17, you’ll see that recruiters are going all out with social tools with a remarkable success rate.

Facebook

Every minute, users update 293,000 statuses and upload 136,000 photos on Facebook (FB).

This is definitely a talent bank you can’t ignore as a recruiter.

Recruiting through Facebook is a quick and cost-effective way to source local talent, especially for small businesses or startups.

  • Use creative job postings on your company’s FB page and leverage the customization options for maximum benefit.
  • Create a buzz about your company goals and culture in your target market (say, Java developers) through short videos or photos.
  • Connect with potential programmers (or have a page manager) and ensure you engage with them via discussions and quick responses to queries.
  • Add job tabs on your FB page using your ATS.
  • Join relevant groups such as The Facebook Corporate Recruiters Network and Recruiters Online for hiring tips and networking.
  • Encourage employee referral activity.
  • When your company creates an ad with great visuals, make sure it includes all pertinent job posting details.
  • Go here for WordStream’s infographic on ad targeting options FB offers.
  • Read about FB ad types, costs/pricing, and guidelines here.
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Tips

  • Find suitable programmers using the FB Graph Search feature. Organic search can’t help you look beyond employees’ friends.
    • Read how to use the graph search option for recruiting here.
    • Don’t create work and a personal FB account as this is against the Terms of Service. Create a “candidates” list and make employer information and hiring posts available only to that audience. Only you know about the privacy restrictions.
  • GitHub

    GitHub is an online project-hosting service site where developers share their open- source projects.

    You can collect contact information from this hotbed of emerging and established technical talent from around the globe.

    Perhaps no other platform has so many programmers in one place. “It is the largest code host in the world.”

    • Once you have a public account up and running, you can get details such as a candidate’s current employer, location, email address, websites she has chosen to display, number of followers (the number telling how good they are at what they do and how respected), GitHub contributions (notice the keywords, for example, Django, Ruby on Rails), and repositories.
    • Your search could be:language: ruby location: San Jose followers: > 15.
    • After filtering your search results (best matches on top), you can reach out to people of interest. Remember to do a bit of research about their work on the site, public activity, and cross-check on other social media sites if possible.
    • You want Code listed as Sources, not Forked.
    how to hire programmers, hire programmers, hire developers, how to hire developers. hire developers, hiring developers, how to hire developers efficiently, best way to hire developers

    Tips

    • Use tools such as SourceHub to find candidates easily.
    • Note that GitHub wasn’t designed for sourcing, so people may not respond. Find a less direct way to approach them.
    • Pick a talented programmer from your company, find her on GitHub, and identify similar people from the follower list.
  • Stack Overflow

    Stack Overflow is an online community for programmers to learn, share their knowledge, and advance their careers.

    Currently, it’s a community of 6.9 million programmers where sort-out developers post their day-to-day questions seeking help and advice from other developers.

    • Use Google search bar to search for candidates with specific skill-set in a particular location because the Stack Overflow search interface is limited. For example, to find android developers in the “Portland” area, in the Google search bar, you can type: “site:stackoverflow.com/users Android (“location*oregon” ”location*portland” ”location*or”)
    • Add a tag (say, the area of expertise such as Flask) as the keyword to find developers who posted or answered questions from that tag.
    • Use Stack Overflow job listings portal to subscribe to Stack Overflow talent.
    how to hire programmers, hire programmers, hire developers, how to hire developers. hire developers, hiring developers, how to hire developers efficiently, best way to hire developers
    • You can find basic details and summary about programmers, answers they have provided, questions they’ve asked, and a rank/reputation based on how the candidates’ questions and answers are perceived by others.

    Tip

    • Use Stack Overflow badges to search for great candidates.
    • Find passive candidates by going to the Careers section; you’ll get an idea about what sort of opportunities they may be looking for.
    • Construct MySQL queries to search data.stackexchange.com.
    • Use properly constructed simple queries on recruitin.net to search Stack Overflow.
      • Read more about sourcing programmers using GitHub and StackOverflow here.
  • Reddit

    Reddit is an online community where users submit content, such as text posts or direct links, in very specific “subreddits” (areas of interest such as news, gaming, music, books, and technology).

    Users can vote submissions up or down.

    As of early 2017, Reddit had 542 million monthly visitors (234 million unique users) and was the seventh most visited website in the US.

    Various developers and thought leaders ask questions and discussion on technology in the Technology section. This can be an amazing place for you to discover highly skilled programmers.

    • Create a personal or company profile after you’ve understood the somewhat complex interface.
    • Use the search bar to find relevant subreddits using keywords like technical hiring, hire, tech jobs etc.
      • Note that Reddit has its own Boolean search terminology. Although it is more limited than some other sites such as LinkedIn, if you are looking for a Python developer who is actively looking to be hired, you can try this: subreddit:forhire selftext:python. If this gets you too many results, use more filters such as time.
    • Once you find your subreddit, you can share your well-defined job description after you read the Rules.
    • You can also contact a Redditor looking for a job in the technical domain.
    how to hire programmers, hire programmers, hire developers, how to hire developers. hire developers, hiring developers, how to hire developers efficiently, best way to hire developers

    Tips

    • Go here for a recruitment subreddit.
    • Download this plugin to answer queries from Redditors without having to log in to Reddit.
    • Desktop users should install this enhancement suite.
    • Message the moderators if you find your post has gone to spam.
    • Before all else, learn the “Reddiquettes.”
  • Quora

    Quora is a Q&A site which facilitates social interactions and interesting conversations.

    • Just like you would when using any niche community for recruiting, you will need to first establish yourself as a thought leader, for example, by answering questions on hiring. Build your reputation.
    • You can identify domain experts by going through topics of interest. For example, if you are interested in Go, you can find people who consistently provide accurate answers.
    • Initiate conversations with the experts and keep in touch. You may just be the recruiter of choice when they start looking for jobs!
      • Read more on how to use Quora for hiring here.

    Tips

    • If nothing else, listen to what people are saying about your company and hiring process. This will help you design your strategy better.
    • Pick up pointers on better-recruiting processes, developers’ pain points, and general know-how in the tech area.
  • Glassdoor

    “Glassdoor is a bit like TripAdvisor for HR, gathering user-generated, anonymous reviews about companies and company life,” says Jonathan Bright in his post on the Business 2 Community website. The candid content prompts potential hires to check out employer ratings before they sign on the dotted lines. A promising tool for recruiting, Glassdoor exerts a huge social influence on job aspirants.

    • Sign up for an Enhanced Employer Profile and make the most of it. Tap into the potential hires’ needs, paint wonderful pictures of the work culture, growth opportunities, work-life balance, and other company policies (which are true, of course).
    • Go here to know more about Glassdoor for Employers.
    • Take pains with your Employee Value Proposition. How you present it and how you promote your company brand makes or breaks a deal.
    how to hire programmers, hire programmers, hire developers, how to hire developers. hire developers, hiring developers, how to hire developers efficiently, best way to hire developers

    Tips

    • It is hard to fake content on Glassdoor. So, be genuine and transparent and earn trust.
    • Gather “competitive intelligence” from Glassdoor before you create your employer profile.
    • Use metrics to better identify your target audience and tailor your hiring approach.
    • Glassdoor offers paid advertising options.
    • Go here for a Glassdoor recruiting tutorial.
  • Meet-ups and developer events

    Meetup.com is an amazing networking site which unites people with shared professional interests.

    With 30.3 million members and more than 0.25 million groups, it’s one of the largest networks of developers all around the world.

    Meetup allows members to find and join groups unified by a common interest. It’s designed so that organizers can manage events associated with in-person meetings.

    For individuals, it can help them find groups that fit their interests and attend events in their preferred location.

    But you can use meetup to find potential candidates without having to go to any events as many of meetup’s groups and attendee lists are public.

    • Find groups of interest (according to location, skills, etc.) using specific keywords. For example, you can find tech meetups within 25 miles of Melbourne, you can browse by country, state, city and the topic of your interest (in our case, it’s tech).
    • Look at the meetup members’ profile and evaluate them through their introduction, interests, and answers to group questions. (Highlight “members” in the image.)
    • Get a list of other groups they’ve joined. This would help demarcate serious ones from the others. Also, you’ll get to know about their interest areas. (Highlight Members of 11 other meetups.)
    • Once you’ve made your interest list, for reference, check their Twitter, Google+, blogs, or sites (if any) to know more about them. Once you’ve filtered your candidates, you can send them a personalized email through meetup which goes to their personal e-mail address as that’s the same address where their meetup updates are sent to.

    In this era of digitalization, we daily come across innumerable ads, emails, offers, sales pitches and a lot of other things.

    So as a recruiter, how can you differentiate yourself and your company from others?

    Personal relationships not only can enable you and your organization to stand out but can create an image of an outstanding brand for which people would want to work.

    And to develop these relationships, as a recruiter, developer events can provide you with an opportunity to network with the most sort-out technical experts.

    You can make connections and build mutually beneficial relationships with them.

    These events happen around the year globally and your colleagues and you can be part of it.

    Over coffee, lunch, or cocktails, you can make connections and spread awareness about how awesome your company is for the developers.

    Maybe at a breakout session, you may find your next tech star.

    how to hire programmers, hire programmers, hire developers, how to hire developers. hire developers, hiring developers, how to hire developers efficiently, best way to hire developers

    Tips

    • There are various sites which provide you with information about these events. Search on Google will give you these on top:
  • Hackathons

    Companies conduct hackathons to foster innovation and get out-of-the-box ideas to create efficient and highly effective products.

    Irrespective of the format or theme of a hackathon, participants are expected to build something from scratch and typically complete the challenge with a working prototype.

    Hackathons are one of their favorite talent-discovery activities, say recruiters.

    External hackathons are amazing places to network with exceptional talent and industry experts.

    You can skillfully build a talent pipeline of hardworking, smart, and passionate programmers by attending the right events.

    The participants will need to work collaboratively and competitively against time and resource constraints; this gives a recruiter a complete picture of the programmers in their “natural habitat.”

    Companies also conduct internal hackathons to crowdsource ideas and identify untapped exceptional talent in their workforce.

    • Read more about how hackathons can be leveraged by HR here.
    how to hire programmers, hire programmers, hire developers, how to hire developers. hire developers, hiring developers, how to hire developers efficiently, best way to hire developers

    Tips

    • Go here for some pointers on how to successfully recruit at hackathons.
      • Companies such as HackerEarth and Hackfest offer platforms to conduct, manage, or organize hackathons easily.

Conclusion

Recruiters can use these ideas to rope in the best programmers looking for a challenging and rewarding opportunities. Admittedly, finding them can be overwhelming.

No matter which source you turn to, remember to hire a programmer who fits into your work environment in terms of vision and commitment.

To ensure better chances of success, you can give them audition projects or bring them on board as consultants initially.

Take your time.

There’s more to a programmer than knowing how to code.It’s really just about logical thinking and analysis,” says Zack Haehn, Bloomberg’s Software Engineering Head.

So, hire for proven capability.

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Hire remote developers effectively, with HackerEarth Assessment

4 steps guide to hire an Android developer on budget

Published Apps

A developer’s level of expertise can only really be understood by the apps he produces. Having at least one published app on the Play Store allows the hiring manager to accurately judge his skills.

It also demonstrates his baseline knowledge of the entire app development lifecycle.

Android Certification

Although earning certifications in Android is not required, developers who are “certified” should have a good grasp of Android development and skills. Following are prominent Android certifications a recruiter should look forThis is the best Android certification available right now. It is issued by Google itself. This certificate implies a decent level of competency and knowledge related to Android development.

This exam consists of a coding project and an interview. It tests the skills of an entry-level Android developer.This certification is issued by Android ATC. This exam tests the fundamentals of Android app development.
  • Assess Android Developer

    HackerEarth’s talent assessment platform allows companies to use online coding tests to automate their tech screening process.

    With a library of more than 20,000 questions, technical leads, and even non-tech recruiters can conduct tests on a large scale to grade developers for virtually any technical role.

    With 32+ languages supported, Recruit auto-assesses the submissions of each developer instantly, based on defined parameters like logical correctness, time-efficiency, memory-efficiency and code quality.

    Recruiters can then analyze each applicant’s performance with the detailed reporting and analytics features within Recruit.

    With our proctoring measures and plagiarism detection techniques, you can be sure about the originality of each submission.

    Amazon, Walmart Labs, Apple, General Electric, and Intuit are some of the companies that use Recruit. Recruit’s applications range from assessment for highly specific Lateral Hiring to mass assessment during Campus Hiring.

    Recruit is also used by companies for internal assessment of the technical team ensuring that employees constantly sharpen their skills to take on any new challenges.

    Hackerearth is one of the few platforms that can assess an Android developer’s skills. It has a huge database of Android questions spanning various difficulty levels.

    It is also possible to create a database of your own questions. Hackerearth Recruit has an inbuilt Android emulator which can be run on any recent web browser.

    This can be used to simulate and assess an application code directly from the browser.

    How HackerEarth can be used to evaluate an Android Developer:

    Evaluating Android questions

    You can evaluate Android problems in the following ways:
    • Using Recruit’s built-in Android emulator
    • By downloading the APK file and using the application on your Android mobile

    Evaluation of Android questions

    • A candidate takes approximately 3 hours to build an application, i.e., solve an Android question.
    • In Recruit, the deliverables that you receive from candidates who attempt Android questions are evaluated manually and not automatically.

    Why manual evaluation?

    The deliverable of an Android problem is an APK file. Candidates are given a problem statement using which they must design and implement an application.

    Since the approach used by candidates to build an application may vary, a single auto-evaluation system cannot be created.

    Evaluation Summary

    how to hire an android developer, android developer, android, guide to hire android developer, how to assess an android developer, recruit an android developer, android developer assessment, android developer assessment, assessment android developer, android developer certification

    Post-assessment, HackerEarth Recruit publishes a detailed report.

    The candidate’s information, performance evaluation with a number of questions attempted, the time is taken, and the total score achieved for a set of problems are shared.

    Based on the report, the best candidate can be invited for further rounds.



    how to hire an android developer, android developer, android, guide to hire android developer, how to assess an android developer, recruit an android developer, android developer assessment, android developer assessment, assessment android developer, android developer certification
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    Forecasting Tech Hiring Trends For 2023 With 6 Experts

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

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

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

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

    Meet the Expert Panel

    Radoslav Stankov

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

    Mike Cohen

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

    Pamela Ilieva

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

    Brian H. Hough

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

    Steve O'Brien

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

    Patricia (Sonja Sky) Gatlin

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

    Overview of the upcoming tech industry landscape in 2024

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    6 industry experts predict the 2023 recruiting trends

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

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

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

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

    Pamela Ilieva, Director of International Recruitment, Shortlister

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


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

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

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

    Patricia Gatlin, DEI Specialist and Curator, #blacklinkedin

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

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

    Radoslav Stankov, Head of Engineering, Product Hunt

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

    Mike “Batman” Cohen, Founder of Wayne Technologies

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

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

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

    Companies can create internal hackathons to exercise creativity...


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


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

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

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


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


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

    6 industry experts predict the 2023 recruiting trends

    Rado: Prioritization, team time, and environment management.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


    Brian: Agility, resourcefulness, and empathy.

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

    Steve: Negotiation, data management, and talent development.

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

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


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

    Patricia: Technology, research, and relationship building.

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

    7 Tech Recruiting Trends To Watch Out For In 2024

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

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

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

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

    7 tech recruiting trends for 2024

    6 Tech Recruiting Trends To Watch Out For In 2022

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

    Trend #1—Leverage data-driven recruiting

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

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

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

    Trend #2—Have impactful employer branding

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

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

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

    Trend #3—Focus on candidate-driven market

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

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

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


    Recommended read: What NOT To Do When Recruiting Fresh Talent


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

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

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

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

    —Swetha Harikrishnan, Sr. HR Director, HackerEarth

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


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

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

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

    Trend #6—Conduct remote interviews

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

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

    Trend #7—Be proactive in candidate engagement

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

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

    —Narayani Gurunathan, CEO, PlaceNet Consultants

    Recruiting Tech Talent Just Got Easier With HackerEarth

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

    Our tech recruiting platform enables you to:

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Developer Survey

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

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

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

    Staying ahead of the skills game

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

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

    How happy are developers

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

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

    What works when looking for work

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

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


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


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

    Tips straight from the horse’s mouth

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

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

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

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

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

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

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    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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