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Linux, 24 and dominant

To the uninitiated, the word Linux is synonymous with open source. This is because Linux, an open source OS had rose to prominence. This is marked as one of the most important event of the free and open source revolution. OSes built on the Linux kernel run a huge chunk of today’s computing world.

It’s been 24 years since Linux kernel first emerged in a Minix newsgroup on Usenet. It popped as a post from a 21 year old programmer from Finland, who went by the name Linus Torvalds. He was building a “free operating system” which was just to be a “hobby”. According to him the OS he built wouldn’t be “big and professional like GNU”.

Today the Linux kernel has over 19.5 million lines of source code, powers 97% of all supercomputers in the world. Among the innumerate applications that use Linux, nuclear submarines controls, air traffic control systems, the Japanese bullet train operation are a few. Linux also powers over a billion smartphones and embedded devices.

But what made it so popular? How did the Linux kernel achieve such large adoption? To answer this question, you must research the history of Linux. Somewhere along the way, you will stumble upon a document, called the Cathedral and the Bazaar. This document, written by Eric Raymond, explores the reasons behind the rapid and widespread development and the subsequent adoption of the Linux kernel.

The Cathedral is a philosophy of building software. Before the explosive growth of Linux, Eric Raymond believed that important software needs to be built like cathedrals -

“carefully crafted by individual wizards or small bands of mages working in splendid isolation, with no beta to be released before its time.”

Linux on the other hand, resembled something that came out of a loud, noisy and an unorganised bazaar. Linux opened its doors to anyone who wanted to contribute to the project. Everyone came with a different approach and agendas, and they came in huge numbers. How could a coherent and stable system ever emerge from such an environment?

Surprisingly, it did, and in an emphatic fashion. Linus Torvalds had built the largest community of kernel developers in the world. He wisely used his users as beta testers and ardently listened to them. He implemented user feedback rapidly and adhered to absurd release cycles (sometimes, 2 kernel releases a day!) and cleverly delegated ironing out the consequent issues and bugs to the several thousand co-developers. This stems into the infamous Linus law -

“Given enough eyeballs, all bugs are shallow”

This up, up and away trajectory of the adoption of the Linux kernel in the last 24 years have been as a result of a few key factors -

An able founder

While Linus Torvalds' true innovation lies in community building, motivation and resource marshalling. Building a production quality OS kernel from scratch is no easy job. Even to this day, Linus has the most number of commits to the Linux project.

This allowed Linus to position himself as a universally accepted gatekeeper of for the Linux project, where he could give the project direction, and exercise his legendary community building and management skills.

Intel’s proliferation into the PC and server market

In the beginning, many of the Linux kernel’s functionalities, like task switching, used exclusive features of the Intel 386 processor. This meant that the Linux kernel couldn’t be used on any other piece of hardware. This was one of the arguments Andrew Tanenbaum, the creator of Minix, used when he called Linux obsolete

While the open source development model ensured that the Linux kernel was ported to all other major hardware platforms, the Intel x86 series of processors soon became widely used by PCs and servers, ensuring the relevance of the Linux kernel.

The Internet

By 1994, Linux had stepped out of its infancy and the Linux developer community had begun to leverage the internet to make the world its talent pool. This time period also saw the growth of the ISP industry and that gave rise to large scale adoption of the internet.

The internet became cheaper and easier to access and more developers were online, which helped the community grow. But more importantly, it gave Linus a vast and effective communication and collaboration channel.

Channeling egos

Today, 80% of Linux kernel developers are paid. However, in the early days of Linux, the story was very different. They were mostly volunteers. And volunteer motivation relies mainly on satisfying their egos.

Linus nurtured enough interest in the Linux project that hackers got an ego boost by contributing to it. Furthermore, he connected the developers’ selfish motives and channeled it to result in sustained corporation, that ensured rapid and cohesive growth of the project.

“A good hack is a solution to a personal problem”

While the open source method is a great way to build and develop software, it might not be the best way to create one. There must be a project founder, who floats an idea to a developer community. The community must find the hack interesting and believe that it has potential to be something great. From there on, the founder must continue to nurture interest in it, till it reaches a point of self sustenance.

At the end of the day, it’s all about the hack.

By 1991, there were quite a few endeavors towards making a free and open source operating system. Richard Stallman was working on the GNU project, but the Kernel that powered it, HURD, failed to attract interest from other developers. UC Berkeley built the Berklee software distribution or BSD, which was built from UNIX. But, BSD contained UNIX code that was owned by AT&T, and the company filed a lawsuit against the University of California for it. And then there was Tanenbaum’s MINIX OS - its source code was available, but you couldn’t modify and redistribute it.

All this, made a 21 year old in Finland want his own, free and open source operating system. And that, is how Linux came into existence.

When developers met the makers of Aadhaar

For those who've been following the HackerEarth platform over the past few months, you might have noticed a neat little product that we recently launched - AMA (ask me anything). It's an online forum where eminent people conduct open discussions with our developer community. We ran a few top-quality AMAs in the past, but we kept it low key to validate the usefulness of the product. Initial reactions? Our developers loved it.

So after a few little steps, we took the proverbial giant leap. We called in the the chief architect of the soon-to-be world's largest biometric identification system - Aadhaar. And to join him, the stellar investor and chairman of India's first Twitter acquisition, who was also a key stakeholder in the Aadhaar project.

The result? Dr. Pramod Varma, chief architect of UIDAI, and Sanjay Swamy, managing partner of Angelprime Partners, spending 45 minutes answering over a hundred questions in what was possibly the first public, un-moderated discussion about Aadhaar, which was convened by its stakeholders.



In this AMA, we spoke scale:

AMA1

We asked questions about security:

AMA2

We asked questions about its future:

AMA3

We spoke about possibilities:

AMA4

We asked about security again:

AMA5

We asked so many questions, that it slightly overwhelmed our guests:

AMA6

Overall, it was a very new experience for our guests too. Dr. Pramod Varma said, "Amazing experience talking to developers via the HackerEarth AMA platform. Thoroughly enjoyed the rapid fire conversation. Wish we could spend more time with developer community like this. Thanks for this wonderful opportunity."

Sanjay tweeted his experience to the world as well:

https://twitter.com/theswamy/status/599530501888573440

AMAs on HackerEarth is going to be a regular update. Watch this space for more updates!

Don't forget to register for the Aadhaar Hackathon - https://www.hackerearth.com/sprints/aadhaar-application-hackathon/

5 amazing developers from Singapore

Singapore, the city-state, has the reputation of being the home to one of the most conscientious people in the world. They’re hard workers - it is said that an average Singaporean works as much as 45 hours a week, which is longer than in most parts of the world. Surveys also suggest that 3 out of 4 Singaporeans take pride in the work that they do.

This 227 square kilometer island houses just over 5 million people, but has a 0.091 human development index - this is the 9th in the world. No wonder, the Singapore developer community boasts of some of the best programming talent in the world.

Here are 5 developers from Singapore that you must know a bit about!



Andrew “Bunnie” Huang

A simple Google search for the keyword Bunnie, will lead you to the Wikipedia page of Andrew Huang, who’s also affectionately known as Bunnie. This MIT grad, who has a PhD in electrical engineering has done and is doing some really cutting-edge stuff in computer programming.

From being the hardware lead for Chumby to designing the world's first fully integrated photonic-silicon chips running at 10 Gbit/s with Luxtera, Inc. to building some of the first prototype hardware for silicon nanowire device research with Caltech, Bunnie has donned many hats. He has also participated in the design of wireless transceivers for use in 802.11b and Bluetooth networks with Mobilian, graphics chips at Silicon Graphics, digital cinema codecs at Qualcomm, and autonomous robotic submarines during the 1999 competition held by the AUVSI that the MIT team won. And that’s not even everything he’s done till date!

He’s now known for being one half of the brain behind Novena, an open-source computing platform. It is dubbed as the world’s first open source laptop.

Follow Bunnie here - https://twitter.com/bunniestudios

Arun Thampi

Arun is one of NUS’s many success stories. Before graduating, Arun had already interned with 2 of the forerunners in mobile technology - Motorola and Palm. After graduating, Arun took the startup route and became one of Wego’s first employees, which is now one of the largest travel companies in the world.

After Wego, Arun spent some time experimenting with other startup ideas, before Nitrous IO. The company, which offers a cloud development platform, has been functional for the last 2 years and has raised over 7 million dollars in funding.

When not at work, Arun is a traveller and an avid Manchester United fan, who one day wishes to catch a match at Old Trafford.

Follow Arun here - https://twitter.com/iamclovin

Erwan Mace

Calling Erwan a technology enthusiast will be far from doing justice to his 16-year -ong illustrious career. From holding senior technology positions in some of the world’s biggest companies like Alcatel, Akamai, Vivendi, and Google, to guiding successful startup exits, namely Spray (acquired by Lycos in 2000) and Soundbuzz (acquired by Motorola in 2008), Erwan has done it all.

He currently runs a Singapore-based mobile application development company which he started in 2009. The company is behind some really innovative apps, some of which have been downloaded over 10 million times, which you can check out here - http://www.bitsmedia.com/products

Follow Erwan here - https://twitter.com/erwanmace

Calvin Cheng

Calvin is the quintessential community hacker. When he’s not leading the technology team at the medical tech startup AlgoAccess, he is a part of many community-based projects like hackersandpainters.sg, golang.sg, python.sg, LittleMakers.ccand LittleHackers.com, and Tripconomics.com.

He’s quite well-known for lending a helping hand to startups. He is an expert in Python, Golang, Javascript, and Objective C. In his blog, he writes, “As a hacker, I have learnt a lot from my peers and stackoverflow and github are awesome resources that I use every day.”

Before his time as a programmer, this 38-year-old engineer used to be a Cascade Refrigeration Product Lead.

Follow Calvin here - https://twitter.com/calvinchengx

Loong Jin Chow

Loong Jin Chow is the youngest person on this list. He graduated in 2011, but has a body of work of someone who has been in the industry far longer. His contributions to the Linux ecosystem is right up there with any other top programmer in the field.

Loong currently works for Red Hat. He’s spent about 2 years at the company, but his work with Canonical goes back a long time. He’s been a Debian developer, an Ubuntu developer, and a package maintainer at Canonical. His contributions to the ecosystem have been recognized by NTU too, where he is the technical director at the NTU open source society.

He is also one of the Masters of the Universe (MOTU) at Ubuntu. ‘Nuff said.

Follow Loong here - https://twitter.com/hyperair

If you're a developer in Singapore, then you must take part in this cool challenge - http://hck.re/tSKgt3

Top 5 Tech Interview No's

A tech interview is one of the most strenuous things that a programmer can be put through. Companies like Google and Facebook put prospective employees through as many as 8 to 9 rounds of interviews before making a hiring decision. Each round is tougher than the previous round and the number of mistakes that you can make is directly proportional to it.

Most mistakes are hardly ever technical. They're mostly related to interpersonal skills or the lack thereof!

Here are 5 ways in which you can mess up your tech interview.

1. Talking too much

Alright. You're interviewing with Google. You're excited! That's understandable. But being too excited can cost you that job like it did for Prakash Tibrewal.

Here is his story.

"During campus selections, I had an interview with Facebook. I had butterflies in my stomach!

The interview duration was 50 min. When the interview started, the interviewer was talking about what he was working on (just to make me comfortable). I was so excited that I asked him questions for the next 25 minutes.

That, believe it or not, was my biggest mistake. After those first 25 minutes, he gave me a problem to solve. While I figured out the algorithm quickly, I couldn't finish writing the code in time.

My interview as over after round 1.

This experience taught me that I must gauge a situation and learn to ask questions at the right time."

While asking too many questions can be unfavorable, asking a few or no questions can be interpreted as a display of lack of interest in the company. It is important to get the balance right.

However, as a rule of thumb, it is better to let the interviewer do most of the asking.

2. Being overconfident

Coding interviews can be a nerve-racking ordeal. You may know the answer to every question but nervousness can get the better of you and you are prone to making silly mistakes.

Prakash Deivakani let nervousness get the better of him at his interview with Facebook.

Here's his story.

"I was interviewed by Ajay Somani of Facebook (Red in Topcoder). I was a grey coder by then. He asked me to solve a problem on the board.

I made a mistake and he asked, 'Are you sure your solution is correct?' I identified the mistake and corrected it.

He asked again, 'Are you sure your solution is correct?'. Again, I identified the mistake and corrected it.

He asked yet again, 'Are you sure your solution is correct?'. While I remained silent, he said, 'Your solution is correct. You can wait outside.'"

There are a few coders who are overconfident bordering on arrogant. It is very important to be confident yet humble. Any sign of arrogance is just going to tell the recruiter that you could be a bad team player.

Find that sweet spot between confidence and humility and you should be fine.

3. Taking the competition into office

Do some ground work about the company you are going to interview with. Who knows, using your favorite device might not go down too well with your prospective employer.

Here's what Doug Luce found out.

"I pulled out an iPad mid-interview to google the interviewer's question. He became visibly agitated and told me I couldn't do that.

The rest of the interview went downhill from there."

We're not quite sure if he was upset about the iPad or the fact that he was googling the question.

Rajat Khandelwal also had a similar experience.

"On the day of interview, I went to the Google office and just as I reached there, I realized that the bag I had was the one I got from InMobi. I didn't think ahead and carried that bag. I don't know but I like to think that it was one of the factors.

The interviewer asked a few questions, which I answered as best as I could. And in the end I asked him this question:

I've heard rumors that all good projects at Google are moved to MtV office so working at Google India is not as great as the name suggests. How true is this?

As soon as I asked the question, I realized that it was inappropriate. Even though my interview was great, my application was terminated at that level."

It's just that simple. Don't ask inappropriate questions or google your interviewer's questions.

4. Being too eager about the perks and privileges

IT companies set benchmarks in spoiling their employees. From free lunches and unlimited snacks to family severance packages and free health insurance—IT companies have probably covered every possible perk and privilege. This doesn't mean that you ask for it.

Naveen Kumar found it out the hard way.

"I was making a jump from Google to Facebook and I'd heard about the great perks that the Facebook office provides. I was particularly interested in the exotic meals that they provided—so excited that I asked a lot of questions about the meals and other benefits at Facebook to the interviewer.

I think the interview went off quite well, but I never heard back from them. Maybe they thought I was greedy."

Maybe they did. Questions about perks and benefits should be reserved for the HR preferably after you receive a job offer. Stay away from what's-in-it-for-me questions till then.

5. Not getting enough sleep before the interview

Whether it's nervousness or plain old fun, lack of sleep before a big day has never helped anyone. Especially before an interview.

Nakul Agarwal made this mistake and he lost it all.

"I had just completed an interview with DirectI from 2 AM - 4 AM.

Earlier that day I had given two written tests for DirectI (for around 4 hours).

Yet there I was sitting in a black suit all ready for my interview at 5:30 AM with Intel India Pvt. Ltd.

I also had an Nvidia interview at 10 AM.

You can imagine the stress and exhaustion.

So I walk in, he asks me to sit down and asks my name. I give a smile and tell him my name. He then directly starts with the technical questions.

Interviewer: Can you write code for merge sort?

Me: Do you really want me to write the code for merge sort? Won't an explanation suffice? (I mean it is a well known algorithm! What can you possibly test by that?!)

Interviewer: Yes. Please write the code.

Me (writing on the paper) - void mergesort(int a[], int n) { }

Me: Do you really want me to write the code?

Interviewer: Yes

Me: I am not able to write it.

Interviewer (Smiles): Thanks. That will be enough.

Me: Thanks (A sigh of relief)

I go to my room and sleep like a child. I got late for Nvidia test next day :P and still finished first and went back to sleep. Like a child.

Now that's how you screw up interviews.

I didn't get through DirectI, Intel or Nvidia."

Always get enough sleep before your interview. Also, try to space interviews and schedule them for different days.

4 things that will piss off your developer

No matter what kind of company you're running today, the use of technology is inevitable. You're either using some kind of technology product or service to run your business. Furthermore, as your business scales, the requirement to build your technology becomes more and more pressing.

Enter the awesome developer. The answer to all of your scaling problem. The wizard who can will your ideas into working products.

Every company needs this kind of developers. But developers, at the end of the day, are people. They're people with emotions and they too have limits. You often hear of companies with high attrition rates. Yes, a large part of it could be the availability of another offer. But a lot of times, developers leave companies because they are angry.

They could be angry about a host of things, from the way the company is run, to the way they're treated or because of their insensitive boss barking meaningless orders at them. Having worked with some of the brightest developers from the world, we've compiled a list of four things that will piss off your developers -

  1. Restricting Rules

    2. Given that we're talking about good developers who are passionate about the work that they do, and are really good at what they do, restricting rules are a definite no-no. Developers thrive on freedom and like working on their terms. Of course, there are rules and regulations that every developer adheres to, but if it gets in the way of their creativity, or their need to experiment, you're pissing your developer off.

    The best retention strategy for a developer is providing them with an environment of freedom. Of course, there are constraints set by the nature of the business that you're running, but within them, you've got to give your best developers as much time as possible. Most developers are productive in spurts and some of their best work comes in short periods of time and they appreciate the freedom to work like that.

  2. Expectation without consultation

    3. The non-techies in an organisation look up to a developer as a magician who can will things into reality. However, as game changing as these ideas can be, non-techies often overlook the intricate details of building such a product. And often, these intricate details would actually make bringing the idea to reality a really difficult task. And if you don't consult a developer about an idea's feasibility and expect the job to be completed, you can sure well expect a pissed off the developer.

    Most good developers have the uncanny ability to explain complex concepts in layman terms. Before seriously pursuing a development project, it might be a good idea to talk to your developer; be absolutely sure about what you want to build and see if it's possible in the first place, before committing developer hours to it. While this might seem quite obvious, you'd be surprised by the number of developers who actually have this complaint.

  3. Insensitive leaders

    4. This will piss off any good employee of a company. In the case of a good developer, the last thing you want to do is to put that person under an insensitive leader. This will weigh down on the developer and before you know it, your developer will be well on his way to another company.

    Everyone needs good leaders to look up to; a leader who takes a subordinate's personal goals and aspirations into account. More companies should start factoring in attrition as a way to measure the performance of a leader. The number of employees complaining about their boss is very high and a good developer will be no different. The only way to avoid this is to make it a company mandate to get managers to understand the importance of being sensitive to their developers' personal needs and aspirations too.

  4. Lack of a good peer group

    5. This one is quite tough to avoid, especially if your company is not a technology company. A good developer wants to be surrounded by other developers. Birds of a feather flock together and developers yearn the same as well. Every developer wants an inner circle of colleagues who can understand their deep geek jokes. Every developer wants to see the same kind of excitement towards a technology problem in their peers' eyes as well.

    If you're building a company that needs great developers to build, make sure you never compromise on the quality of the people you're hiring. Hire the absolute best and build a team of really good developers. Of course, an argument could be made that good developer are expensive, but the fact that one good developer is also as good as 10 average ones is also true. A good techie among a bunch of average ones might be good for the average ones, but the good one will leave for places that will give him/her a better peer group to work with. Never compromise on hiring.


If you're a developer, feel free to use the comments section to tell us what else pisses you off

[Culture] At ZipDial, you're probably going to work on what you're good at!

A business based on missed calls?

Well, for anyone who’d start something like that, most people would have said, ‘good luck’. But when Valerie Wagoner, Amiya Pathak and Sanjay Swami started brainstorming about the idea, they felt a huge potential in this market, which was untapped. Four years on, with a clientele which includes Disney, Gillette, Unilever, and P&G, and a million dollars in revenue last year alone, the ZipDial team is scaling rapidly and are one of the most promising companies to emerge from sub-continent in recent times.

But what does an engineer do at such a company? We spoke to the head of marketing of ZipDial, Mr. Shantanu Deshmukh, who took us through the prominent engineers who have played an important role in the company’s growth so far. Here are some edited excerpts from our conversation with him.

HE: It has been a prolific four years for you guys at ZipDial. What would you say the main focus of the ZipDial team has been in this time and how has that translated to the products you’ve launched?

ZD: Innovation and execution have been the focus for the ZipDial team. The business model which ZipDial invented nearly 4 years ago—missed call marketing—today has transformed into a comprehensive suite of mobile marketing and analytics solutions. And our product innovations like re-targeting over SMS, friend referrals, and Twitter fast-follow are the testimony to the culture of innovation that we foster.

HE: What would you say is the attitude of a successful engineer at ZipDial? What makes an engineer succeed at ZipDial?

ZD: Customer empathy, collaboration, getting into the depths of things, idea generation, YES attitude to roll up sleeves and getting things done. Not giving up easily is an important trait that we look for.

HE: What keeps great engineers at ZipDial? Why do they continue to work for you?

ZD: Our clients, who are some of the biggest brands around the world, come to us with lots of innovative requirements. Every advertising campaign comes up with its own challenge. These things keep our guys busy and excited about their days at ZipDial. Besides that, the young team ensures that the atmosphere remains fun-filled.

HE: What is the average day of a coder at ZipDial?

ZD: As the company is growing and expanding internationally, engineers are busy with newer innovations that company is looking to bring to the market. The day is filled with building new things, understanding new campaign flows, brainstorming and getting things done. And an engineer’s measure of success is when sales team reports back that the clients are happy about the campaign's successful implementation.

HE: What do you do for fun at ZipDial?

ZD: The atmosphere is relaxing with friendly co-workers. We lunch together, celebrate birthdays, play TT, hang out over chai, go out for team lunches and more when the bosses are not around! On Friday Founder and COO, Amiya Pathak often takes the lead in asking folks to get off their seats and join for beer.

HE: Do you do anything special for a new recruit? How long does it take for them to settle into the new job and what do you do to make them feel at home?

ZD: Each new recruit goes through a short orientation to understand the business of ZipDial. The founders ensure that the new member gels well with her team and the leader.

To make employees "feel at home", we literally operate out of a spacious home in Koramangala—an upmarket locality in Bangalore. And from what we’ve seen so far, they settle as quickly as the foam over beer! We are also taking a poll using ZipDial to decide whether to domesticate an Indian or African elephant to welcome a new recruit :)

HE: What is the unique thing about working at ZipDial?

ZD: You are likely to work on what you’re good at. And occasionally, you can even bring your dog to the office. :)

HE: In one line, what is the culture of ZipDial and what makes it an awesome place to work?

ZD: I think it is a great chance for young innovators to take an Indian start-up global. And working at ZipDial gives you an opportunity to be a part of that story.

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Forecasting Tech Hiring Trends For 2023 With 6 Experts

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

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

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

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

Meet the Expert Panel

Radoslav Stankov

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

Mike Cohen

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

Pamela Ilieva

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

Brian H. Hough

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

Steve O'Brien

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

Patricia (Sonja Sky) Gatlin

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

Overview of the upcoming tech industry landscape in 2024

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

6 industry experts predict the 2023 recruiting trends

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

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

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

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

Pamela Ilieva, Director of International Recruitment, Shortlister

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

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

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

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

Patricia Gatlin, DEI Specialist and Curator, #blacklinkedin

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

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

Radoslav Stankov, Head of Engineering, Product Hunt

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

Mike “Batman” Cohen, Founder of Wayne Technologies

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

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

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

Companies can create internal hackathons to exercise creativity...

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

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

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

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

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

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

6 industry experts predict the 2023 recruiting trends

Rado: Prioritization, team time, and environment management.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Brian: Agility, resourcefulness, and empathy.

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

Steve: Negotiation, data management, and talent development.

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

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

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

Patricia: Technology, research, and relationship building.

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

7 Tech Recruiting Trends To Watch Out For In 2024

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

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

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

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

7 tech recruiting trends for 2024

6 Tech Recruiting Trends To Watch Out For In 2022

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

Trend #1—Leverage data-driven recruiting

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

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

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

Trend #2—Have impactful employer branding

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

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

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

Trend #3—Focus on candidate-driven market

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

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

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

Recommended read: What NOT To Do When Recruiting Fresh Talent

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

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

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

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

—Swetha Harikrishnan, Sr. HR Director, HackerEarth

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

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

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

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

Trend #6—Conduct remote interviews

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

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

Trend #7—Be proactive in candidate engagement

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

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

—Narayani Gurunathan, CEO, PlaceNet Consultants

Recruiting Tech Talent Just Got Easier With HackerEarth

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

Our tech recruiting platform enables you to:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Developer Survey

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

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

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

Staying ahead of the skills game

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

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

How happy are developers

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

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

What works when looking for work

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

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

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

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

Tips straight from the horse’s mouth

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

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

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

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

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

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

View all

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

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

What is Pre-Employement Assessment?

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

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

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

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

Why pre-employment assessments are key in hiring

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

  • Improved decision-making:

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

  • Reduced bias:

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

  • Increased efficiency:

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

  • Enhanced candidate experience:

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

Types of pre-employment assessments

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

1. Skill Assessments:

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

2. Personality Assessments:

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

3. Cognitive Ability Tests:

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

4. Integrity Assessments:

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

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

Leading employment assessment tools and tests in 2024

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

  • HackerEarth:

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

  • SHL:

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

  • Pymetrics:

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

  • Wonderlic:

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

  • Harver:

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

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

Choosing the right pre-employment assessment tool

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

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

Comparative analysis of assessment options

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

  • Technical skills assessment:

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

  • Soft skills and personality assessment:

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

  • Candidate experience:

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

Additional tips:

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

Best practices for using pre-employment assessment tools

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

  • Define your assessment goals:

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

  • Choose the right assessments:

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

  • Set clear expectations:

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

  • Integrate seamlessly:

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

  • Train your team:

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

Interpreting assessment results accurately

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

  • Use results as one data point:

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

  • Understand score limitations:

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

  • Look for patterns and trends:

    Analyze results across different assessments and identify consistent patterns that align with your desired candidate profile.

  • Focus on potential, not guarantees:

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

Choosing the right pre-employment assessment tools

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

  • Industry and role requirements:

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

  • Company culture and values:

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

  • Candidate experience:

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

Budget and accessibility considerations

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

  • Budget:

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

  • Accessibility:

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

Additional Tips:

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

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

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

Future trends in pre-employment assessments

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

  • Artificial intelligence (AI):

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

  • Adaptive testing:

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

  • Micro-assessments:

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

  • Gamification:

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

Conclusion

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

Tech Layoffs: What To Expect In 2024

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

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

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

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

What are tech layoffs?

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

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

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

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

Causes for layoffs in the tech industry

Why are tech employees suffering so much?

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

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

In addition, some common reasons could be:

Financial struggles

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

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

Changes in demand

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

Restructuring

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

Automation

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

Mergers and acquisitions

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

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

Will layoffs increase in 2024?

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

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

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

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

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

What types of companies are prone to tech layoffs?

2023 Round Up Of Layoffs In Big Tech

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

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

Large tech firms

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

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

Startups

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

Small and medium-sized businesses

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

Companies in certain industries

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

Companies that lean on government funding

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

How to track tech layoffs?

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

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

Use tech layoffs tracker

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

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

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

News articles

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

Social media

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

Online forums and communities

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

Government reports

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

How do companies reduce tech layoffs?

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

Salary reductions

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

Implementing a hiring freeze

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

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

Non-essential expense reduction

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

Reducing working hours

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

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

Tech layoffs to bleed into this year

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

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

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

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

What is Headhunting in recruitment?

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

How do headhunting and traditional recruitment differ from each other?

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

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

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

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

Types of headhunting in recruitment

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

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

How does headhunting work?

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

Identifying the role

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

Defining the job

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

Candidate identification and sourcing

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

Approaching candidates

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

Assessment and Evaluation

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

Interviews and negotiations

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

Finalizing the hire

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

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

Common challenges in headhunting

Despite its advantages, headhunting also presents certain challenges:

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

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

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

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

Advantages of Headhunting

Headhunting offers several advantages over traditional recruitment methods:

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

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

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

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

Conclusion

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

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