Recruiting for technical roles can present its own set of challenges. One of these challenges is determining the true level of skill and expertise of a candidate based on their resume alone.
This is where technical assessment tools can help. Today, we’ll discuss what technical assessment tools are, how they help employers and some of the best options on the market.
By the time you finish reading, you’ll have a good understanding of the top players in the industry and hopefully be in a better position to choose the best tool for your situation.
Ready? Let’s go.
Is Technical Hiring Really Broken?
It is worth considering that the technical hiring process may have certain areas of improvement, at least in most organizations. From the way job descriptions are written to the way interviews are conducted. Let’s discuss some of the reasons in detail:
Difficulty in Assessing Technical Skills
One of the most challenging aspects of hiring for technical positions is accurately assessing applicants’ technical skills. In many cases, resumes and interviews can only provide a limited picture of applicants’ skills and experience. As a result, employers may place too much emphasis on a candidate’s resume or interview performance, rather than on their actual technical skills.
Vague Job Descriptions
Another issue is that job descriptions are often too vague. They’ll list a bunch of skills and qualifications that are necessary for the role, but they don’t give any accurate indication of what the day-to-day responsibilities will be. As a result, candidates often apply for jobs that they’re not suited for. A more specific and detailed job description can help to avoid misunderstandings and clarify expectations.
Bias in Technical Hiring
Bias in the technical hiring process can lead to several problems, including a lack of diversity in the workforce, missed opportunities to hire the best candidates, and even hiring your reputation as an employer.
Inaccuracies in Traditional Hiring Methods
One of the most common issues with traditional hiring methods is using word processors like Microsoft Word or Google Docs to assess candidates for technical roles which lack the ability to compile and debug code.
Additionally, traditional technical hiring methods often lack objective measurement. Companies often rely on subjective factors, such as a candidate’s resume or referrals, rather than pre-determined scoring criteria for technical abilities.
What is a Technical Assessment Tool?
A technical assessment tool is an effective way to assess a candidate’s technical skills and knowledge in a structured, repeatable manner during the recruitment process.
Technical assessment tools are often used by organizations as part of the evaluation process to determine if a job applicant has the technical capabilities necessary to excel in their role.
Technical assessments also give recruiters an opportunity to gauge how well each candidate solves problems, thinks critically and collaborates with others on a task – all important qualities for successful engineers and developers.
Benefits of Using a Technical Assessment Tool
Technical assessment tools can be highly beneficial to organizations, as they can help ensure that they hire employees who have the necessary skills to perform their duties effectively. Let’s take a look at some of the benefits offered by technical assessment tools.
Single Source of Truth
Technical assessment tools can be your main platform to evaluate and review candidate solutions, allowing you to shortlist the most relevant candidates faster and easier. Having all candidate information in one place can streamline your assessment process and make it more efficient. In addition, you can use the data collected from the assessment process to improve your recruiting strategy.
Saves Time
Taking too long to hire impacts the capacity of your developer teams, applicant experience, and overall employer brand. A technical assessment tool facilitates faster decisions and makes it easier to evaluate many candidates.
Code Compilation
Despite the widespread adoption of more sophisticated tools for assessing technical ability, a lot of interviewers still use Notepad when assessing candidates.
A better way to evaluate a candidate’s technical abilities is by using a technical assessment tool that supports code compilation. This can help determine the candidate’s proficiency in various programming languages and ability to debug code in real time.
Question Templates
Pre-designed question templates can help you conduct assessments in a standard way every time without having to come up with new questions. This will also ensure that your assessment is as objective as possible.
The Top 6 Technical Assessment Tools
With so many options on the market, it can be hard to know which tool is the right fit for your needs. Here’s a rundown of some of the top 3 tools available in the market.
CodeInterview
CodeInterview is a web-based code interview platform that allows both candidates and interviewers to solve coding challenges in real-time using an online code editor and compilers for all popular programming languages.
It can assess a candidate’s technical skills in more than 30+ programming languages. This makes it an ideal choice for companies that want a comprehensive picture of a candidate’s technical skills.
With CodeInterview, you can quickly create code tests for any programming language and invite candidates to take the test online. The platform provides an interactive code editor that makes it easy for candidates to write and run code, and you can see the candidates’ code and output in real-time.
CodeInterview also provides a library of ready-made code challenges to save you time in creating your own tests.
Some of the most commonly used features include:
- Whiteboard Mode
Whiteboard mode compatibility for easy collaboration during the interview with an option to switch between IDE and Whiteboard mode as required. - Availability of Single Sign-On (SSO)
Simple yet effective log-in to provide a seamless experience and top-quality security. - Audio and Video Features
This feature helps in avoiding third-party applications to conduct video interviews. You can have a quick chat right before the interview and minimize the window to focus on the assessment. - Screening & Take Home Projects
By administering coding tests and take-home projects, CodeInterview provides employers with a more accurate picture of candidates’ skills. - Easy to use
CodeInterview is one of the most user-friendly coding platforms available, with an almost zero learning curve. This makes it ideal for beginners and experienced coders alike.
CodeInterview is trusted by top brands globally, including SAP, Toyota, HP, Continental, and many more. Want to know more about CodeInterview? Request a free demo.
HackerRank
HackerRank is a technical assessment and remote interview tool for developer hiring. It allows businesses to identify candidates’ technical skills through various coding challenges and interview questions. In addition, it provides a platform for developers to practice their coding skills and compete with others in a fun and engaging way. It benefits from a large user base of candidates as well.
Codility
Codility is a technical interview platform that helps teams test developers’ coding skills and make evidence-based hiring decisions. The platform provides a range of coding challenges that can be used to assess a candidate’s skills and tools to help interviewers evaluate a candidate’s performance. One of its main advantages is a large question library, allowing you to test for a variety of skills without coming up with your own questions.
Coderbyte
Coderbyte provides a wealth of features at a fixed, affordable price. In addition to unlimited coding tests and challenges, you’ll find the ability to evaluate skills in technologies like MS Excel. Starting from $99 per month on their basic annual plan, you can add advanced features like SSO and API integrations for an additional cost as needed. One unique feature is the ability to compensate candidates for their work on trial projects directly via Coderbyte.
CoderPad
CoderPad is best known for their solid coding interview product. However, the company also provides technical screening tests and take-home projects which are well integrated into the main product. With CoderPad, you’ll get a nice and intuitive experience starting from $300 per month with a 14-day trial available.
CodeSignal
One of Armenia’s top tech companies, CodeSignal provides everything you need to screen and interview developers in one place. A key advantage is their human-led live interviews. This means a trained interviewer can assess candidates on your behalf, enabling your engineers to focus on the highest quality candidates at later stages.
Wrapping it up
Technical assessment tools are transforming recruitment in a way that benefits both job seekers and recruiters alike by streamlining the process of finding qualified talent for open roles.
Technical assessment tools can assist you in eliminating the biases that enter into the hiring process, resulting in a more equitable experience with better long-term results.
By leveraging modern-day technical assessment tools, employers can save time while ensuring they hire top-notch professionals who fit their organization’s culture and values. With this technology becoming more accessible every day, now is the perfect time to take advantage of its potential.
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