5 ways to improve employee development programs for your organization

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Learning and development, learning and development in organization

Benefits of having an employee development programs in an organization

1. For new hires

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

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

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

2. Tackle shortcomings

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

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

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

3. Become self-driven and more productive

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Organizations which have been using employee development programs effectively

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here are a few pointers to help:

5 points to help your organizations in Learning & Development programs

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Schedule a call

Revolutionizing Mobile Talent Hiring: The HackerEarth Advantage

The demand for mobile applications is exploding, but finding and verifying developers with proven, real-world skills is more difficult than ever. Traditional assessment methods often fall short, failing to replicate the complexities of modern mobile development.

Introducing a New Era in Mobile Assessment

At HackerEarth, we're closing this critical gap with two groundbreaking features, seamlessly integrated into our Full Stack IDE:

Now, assess mobile developers in their true native environment. Our enhanced Full Stack questions now offer full support for both Java and Kotlin, the core languages powering the Android ecosystem. This allows you to evaluate candidates on authentic, real-world app development skills, moving beyond theoretical knowledge to practical application.

Say goodbye to setup drama and tool-switching. Candidates can now build, test, and debug Android and React Native applications directly within the browser-based IDE. This seamless, in-browser experience provides a true-to-life evaluation, saving valuable time for both candidates and your hiring team.

Assess the Skills That Truly Matter

With native Android support, your assessments can now delve into a candidate's ability to write clean, efficient, and functional code in the languages professional developers use daily. Kotlin's rapid adoption makes proficiency in it a key indicator of a forward-thinking candidate ready for modern mobile development.

Breakup of Mobile development skills ~95% of mobile app dev happens through Java and Kotlin — This chart illustrates the importance of assessing proficiency in both modern (Kotlin) and established (Java) codebases.

Streamlining Your Assessment Workflow

The integrated mobile emulator fundamentally transforms the assessment process. By eliminating the friction of fragmented toolchains and complex local setups, we enable a faster, more effective evaluation and a superior candidate experience.

Old Fragmented Way vs. The New, Integrated Way — Visualize the stark difference: Our streamlined workflow removes technical hurdles, allowing candidates to focus purely on demonstrating their coding and problem-solving abilities.

Quantifiable Impact on Hiring Success

A seamless and authentic assessment environment isn't just a convenience, it's a powerful catalyst for efficiency and better hiring outcomes. By removing technical barriers, candidates can focus entirely on demonstrating their skills, leading to faster submissions and higher-quality signals for your recruiters and hiring managers.

A Better Experience for Everyone

Our new features are meticulously designed to benefit the entire hiring ecosystem:

For Recruiters & Hiring Managers:

Accurately assess real-world development skills.
Gain deeper insights into candidate proficiency.
Hire with greater confidence and speed.
Reduce candidate drop-off from technical friction.

For Candidates:

Enjoy a seamless, efficient assessment experience.
No need to switch between different tools or manage complex setups.
Focus purely on showcasing skills, not environment configurations.
Work in a powerful, professional-grade IDE.

Unlock a New Era of Mobile Talent Assessment

Stop guessing and start hiring the best mobile developers with confidence. Explore how HackerEarth can transform your tech recruiting.

A New Era of Code

Vibe coding is a new method of using natural language prompts and AI tools to generate code. I have seen firsthand that this change makes software more accessible to everyone. In the past, being able to produce functional code was a strong advantage for developers. Today, when code is produced quickly through AI, the true value lies in designing, refining, and optimizing systems. Our role now goes beyond writing code; we must also ensure that our systems remain efficient and reliable.

From Machine Language to Natural Language

I recall the early days when every line of code was written manually. We progressed from machine language to high-level programming, and now we are beginning to interact with our tools using natural language. This development does not only increase speed but also changes how we approach problem solving. Product managers can now create working demos in hours instead of weeks, and founders have a clearer way of pitching their ideas with functional prototypes. It is important for us to rethink our role as developers and focus on architecture and system design rather than simply on typing c

The Promise and the Pitfalls

I have experienced both sides of vibe coding. In cases where the goal was to build a quick prototype or a simple internal tool, AI-generated code provided impressive results. Teams have been able to test new ideas and validate concepts much faster. However, when it comes to more complex systems that require careful planning and attention to detail, the output from AI can be problematic. I have seen situations where AI produces large volumes of code that become difficult to manage without significant human intervention.

AI-powered coding tools like GitHub Copilot and AWS’s Q Developer have demonstrated significant productivity gains. For instance, at the National Australia Bank, it’s reported that half of the production code is generated by Q Developer, allowing developers to focus on higher-level problem-solving . Similarly, platforms like Lovable enable non-coders to build viable tech businesses using natural language prompts, contributing to a shift where AI-generated code reduces the need for large engineering teams. However, there are challenges. AI-generated code can sometimes be verbose or lack the architectural discipline required for complex systems. While AI can rapidly produce prototypes or simple utilities, building large-scale systems still necessitates experienced engineers to refine and optimize the code.

The Economic Impact

The democratization of code generation is altering the economic landscape of software development. As AI tools become more prevalent, the value of average coding skills may diminish, potentially affecting salaries for entry-level positions. Conversely, developers who excel in system design, architecture, and optimization are likely to see increased demand and compensation.
Seizing the Opportunity

Vibe coding is most beneficial in areas such as rapid prototyping and building simple applications or internal tools. It frees up valuable time that we can then invest in higher-level tasks such as system architecture, security, and user experience. When used in the right context, AI becomes a helpful partner that accelerates the development process without replacing the need for skilled engineers.

This is revolutionizing our craft, much like the shift from machine language to assembly to high-level languages did in the past. AI can churn out code at lightning speed, but remember, “Any fool can write code that a computer can understand. Good programmers write code that humans can understand.” Use AI for rapid prototyping, but it’s your expertise that transforms raw output into robust, scalable software. By honing our skills in design and architecture, we ensure our work remains impactful and enduring. Let’s continue to learn, adapt, and build software that stands the test of time.

Ready to streamline your recruitment process? Get a free demo to explore cutting-edge solutions and resources for your hiring needs.

What is Systems Design?

Systems Design is an all encompassing term which encapsulates both frontend and backend components harmonized to define the overall architecture of a product.

Designing robust and scalable systems requires a deep understanding of application, architecture and their underlying components like networks, data, interfaces and modules.

Systems Design, in its essence, is a blueprint of how software and applications should work to meet specific goals. The multi-dimensional nature of this discipline makes it open-ended – as there is no single one-size-fits-all solution to a system design problem.

What is a System Design Interview?

Conducting a System Design interview requires recruiters to take an unconventional approach and look beyond right or wrong answers. Recruiters should aim for evaluating a candidate’s ‘systemic thinking’ skills across three key aspects:

How they navigate technical complexity and navigate uncertainty
How they meet expectations of scale, security and speed
How they focus on the bigger picture without losing sight of details

This assessment of the end-to-end thought process and a holistic approach to problem-solving is what the interview should focus on.

What are some common topics for a System Design Interview

System design interview questions are free-form and exploratory in nature where there is no right or best answer to a specific problem statement. Here are some common questions:

How would you approach the design of a social media app or video app?

What are some ways to design a search engine or a ticketing system?

How would you design an API for a payment gateway?

What are some trade-offs and constraints you will consider while designing systems?

What is your rationale for taking a particular approach to problem solving?

Usually, interviewers base the questions depending on the organization, its goals, key competitors and a candidate’s experience level.

For senior roles, the questions tend to focus on assessing the computational thinking, decision making and reasoning ability of a candidate. For entry level job interviews, the questions are designed to test the hard skills required for building a system architecture.

The Difference between a System Design Interview and a Coding Interview

If a coding interview is like a map that takes you from point A to Z – a systems design interview is like a compass which gives you a sense of the right direction.

Here are three key difference between the two:

Coding challenges follow a linear interviewing experience i.e. candidates are given a problem and interaction with recruiters is limited. System design interviews are more lateral and conversational, requiring active participation from interviewers.

Coding interviews or challenges focus on evaluating the technical acumen of a candidate whereas systems design interviews are oriented to assess problem solving and interpersonal skills.

Coding interviews are based on a right/wrong approach with ideal answers to problem statements while a systems design interview focuses on assessing the thought process and the ability to reason from first principles.

How to Conduct an Effective System Design Interview

One common mistake recruiters make is that they approach a system design interview with the expectations and preparation of a typical coding interview.
Here is a four step framework technical recruiters can follow to ensure a seamless and productive interview experience:

Step 1: Understand the subject at hand

Develop an understanding of basics of system design and architecture
Familiarize yourself with commonly asked systems design interview questions
Read about system design case studies for popular applications
Structure the questions and problems by increasing magnitude of difficulty

Step 2: Prepare for the interview

Plan the extent of the topics and scope of discussion in advance
Clearly define the evaluation criteria and communicate expectations
Quantify constraints, inputs, boundaries and assumptions
Establish the broader context and a detailed scope of the exercise

Step 3: Stay actively involved

Ask follow-up questions to challenge a solution
Probe candidates to gauge real-time logical reasoning skills
Make it a conversation and take notes of important pointers and outcomes
Guide candidates with hints and suggestions to steer them in the right direction

Step 4: Be a collaborator

Encourage candidates to explore and consider alternative solutions
Work with the candidate to drill the problem into smaller tasks
Provide context and supporting details to help candidates stay on track
Ask follow-up questions to learn about the candidate’s experience

Technical recruiters and hiring managers should aim for providing an environment of positive reinforcement, actionable feedback and encouragement to candidates.

Evaluation Rubric for Candidates

Facilitate Successful System Design Interview Experiences with FaceCode

FaceCode, HackerEarth’s intuitive and secure platform, empowers recruiters to conduct system design interviews in a live coding environment with HD video chat.

FaceCode comes with an interactive diagram board which makes it easier for interviewers to assess the design thinking skills and conduct communication assessments using a built-in library of diagram based questions.

With FaceCode, you can combine your feedback points with AI-powered insights to generate accurate, data-driven assessment reports in a breeze. Plus, you can access interview recordings and transcripts anytime to recall and trace back the interview experience.

Learn how FaceCode can help you conduct system design interviews and boost your hiring efficiency.