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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.
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In a digitally-native hiring landscape, online assessments have proven to be both a boon and a bane for recruiters and employers.
The ease and efficiency of virtual interviews, take home programming tests and remote coding challenges is transformative. Around 82% of companies use pre-employment assessments as reliable indicators of a candidate's skills and potential.
Online skill assessment tests have been proven to streamline technical hiring and enable recruiters to significantly reduce the time and cost to identify and hire top talent.
In the realm of online assessments, remote assessments have transformed the hiring landscape, boosting the speed and efficiency of screening and evaluating talent. On the flip side, candidates have learned how to use creative methods and AI tools to cheat in tests.
As it turns out, technology that makes hiring easier for recruiters and managers - is also their Achilles' heel.
Cheating in Online Assessments is a High Stakes Problem
With the proliferation of AI in recruitment, the conversation around cheating has come to the forefront, putting recruiters and hiring managers in a bit of a flux.
The problem becomes twofold - if finding the right talent can be a competitive advantage, the consequences of hiring the wrong one can be equally damaging and counter-productive.
As per Forbes, a wrong hire can cost a company around 30% of an employee's salary - not to mention, loss of precious productive hours and morale disruption.
The question that arises is - "Can organizations continue to leverage AI-driven tools for online assessments without compromising on the integrity of their hiring process? "
This article will discuss the common methods candidates use to outsmart online assessments. We will also dive deep into actionable steps that you can take to prevent cheating while delivering a positive candidate experience.
Common Cheating Tactics and How You Can Combat Them
Using ChatGPT and other AI tools to write code
Copy-pasting code using AI-based platforms and online code generators is one of common cheat codes in candidates' books. For tackling technical assessments, candidates conveniently use readily available tools like ChatGPT and GitHub.
Using these tools, candidates can easily generate solutions to solve common programming challenges such as:
Debugging code
Optimizing existing code
Writing problem-specific code from scratch
Ways to prevent it
Enable full-screen mode
Disable copy-and-paste functionality
Restrict tab switching outside of code editors
Use AI to detect code that has been copied and pasted
Enlist external help to complete the assessment
Candidates often seek out someone else to take the assessment on their behalf. In many cases, they also use screen sharing and remote collaboration tools for real-time assistance.
In extreme cases, some candidates might have an off-camera individual present in the same environment for help.
Ways to prevent it
Verify a candidate using video authentication
Restrict test access from specific IP addresses
Use online proctoring by taking snapshots of the candidate periodically
Use a 360 degree environment scan to ensure no unauthorized individual is present
Using multiple devices at the same time
Candidates attempting to cheat often rely on secondary devices such as a computer, tablet, notebook or a mobile phone hidden from the line of sight of their webcam.
By using multiple devices, candidates can look up information, search for solutions or simply augment their answers.
Ways to prevent it
Track mouse exit count to detect irregularities
Detect when a new device or peripheral is connected
Use network monitoring and scanning to detect any smart devices in proximity
Conduct a virtual whiteboard interview to monitor movements and gestures
Using remote desktop software and virtual machines
Tech-savvy candidates go to great lengths to cheat. Using virtual machines, candidates can search for answers using a secondary OS while their primary OS is being monitored.
Remote desktop software is another cheating technique which lets candidates give access to a third-person, allowing them to control their device.
With remote desktops, candidates can screen share the test window and use external help.
Ways to prevent it
Restrict access to virtual machines
AI-based proctoring for identifying malicious keystrokes
Use smart browsers to block candidates from using VMs
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Secure, sealed-off testing environment
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Enterprise-grade, industry leading compliance
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Boost your hiring efficiency and conduct reliable online assessments confidently with HackerEarth's revolutionary Smart Browser.
Former employees who return to work with the same organisation are essential assets. In talent acquisition, such employees are also termed as ‘Boomerang employees’. Former employees are valuable because they require the least training and onboarding because of their familiarity with the organization’s policies. Rehiring former employees by offering them more perks is a mark of a successful hiring process. This article will elaborate on the talent acquisition strategies for rehiring former employees, supported by a few real-life examples and best practices.
Why Should Organizations Consider Rehiring?
One of the best ways of ensuring quality hire with a low candidate turnover is to deploy employee retention programs like rehiring female professionals who wish to return to work after a career break. This gives former employees a chance to prove their expertise while ensuring them the organization’s faith in their skills and abilities. Besides, seeing former employees return to their old organizations encourages newly appointed employees to be more productive and contribute to the overall success of the organization they are working for. A few other benefits of rehiring old employees are listed below.
Reduced Hiring Costs
Hiring new talent incurs a few additional costs. For example, tasks such as sourcing resumes of potential candidates, reaching out to them, conducting interviews and screenings costs money to the HR department. Hiring former employees cuts down these costs and aids a seamless transition process for them.
Faster Onboarding
Since boomerang employees are well acquainted with the company’s onboarding process, they don’t have to undergo the entire exercise. A quick, one-day session informing them of any recent changes in the company’s work policies is sufficient to onboard them.
Retention of Knowledge
As a former employee, rehired executives have knowledge of the previous workflows and insights from working on former projects. This can be valuable in optimizing a current project. They bring immense knowledge and experience with them which can be instrumental in driving new projects to success.Starbucks is a prime example of a company that has successfully leveraged boomerang employees. Howard Schultz, the company's CEO, left in 2000 but returned in 2008 during a critical time for the firm. His leadership was instrumental in revitalizing the brand amid financial challenges.
Best Practices for Rehiring Former Employees
Implementing best practices is the safest way to go about any operation. Hiring former employees can be a daunting task especially if it involves someone who was fired previously. It is important to draft certain policies around rehiring former employees. Here are a few of them that can help you to get started.
1. Create a Clear Rehire Policy
While considering rehiring a former employee, it is essential to go through data indicating the reason why they had to leave in the first place. Any offer being offered must supersede their previous offer while marking clear boundaries to maintain work ethics. Offer a fair compensation that justifies their skills and abilities which can be major contributors to the success of the organization. A well-defined policy not only streamlines the rehiring process but also promotes fairness within the organization.
2. Conduct Thorough Exit Interviews
Exit interviews provide valuable insights into why employees leave and can help maintain relationships for potential future rehires. Key aspects to cover include:
Reasons for departure.
Conditions under which they might consider returning.
Feedback on organizational practices.
Keeping lines of communication open during these discussions can foster goodwill and encourage former employees to consider returning when the time is right.
3. Maintain Connections with Alumni
Creating and maintaining an alumni association must be an integral part of HR strategies. This exercise ensures that the HR department can find former employees in times of dire need and indicates to former employees how the organization is vested in their lives even after they have left them. This gesture fosters a feeling of goodwill and gratitude among former hires. Alumni networks and social media groups help former employees stay in touch with each other, thus improving their interpersonal communication.Research indicates that about 15% of rehired employees return because they maintained connections with their former employers.
4. Assess Current Needs Before Reaching Out
Before reaching out to former employees, assess all viable options and list out the reasons why rehiring is inevitable. Consider:
Changes in job responsibilities since their departure.
Skills or experiences gained by other team members during their absence.
It is essential to understand how the presence of a boomerang employee can be instrumental in solving professional crises before contacting them. It is also important to consider their present circumstances.
5. Initiate an Honest Conversation
When you get in touch with a former employee, it is important to understand their perspective on the job being offered. Make them feel heard and empathize with any difficult situations they may have had to face during their time in the organization. Understand why they would consider rejoining the company. These steps indicate that you truly care about them and fosters a certain level of trust between them and the organization which can motivate them to rejoin with a positive attitude.
6. Implement a Reboarding Program
When a former employee rejoins, HR departments must ensure a robust reboarding exercise is conducted to update them about any changes within the organization regarding the work policies and culture changes, training them about any new tools or systems that were deployed during their absence and allowing them time to reconnect with old team members or acquaint with new ones.
7. Make Them Feel Welcome
Creating a welcoming environment is essential for helping returning employees adjust smoothly. Consider:
Organizing team lunches or social events during their first week.
Assigning a mentor or buddy from their previous team to help them reacclimate.
Providing resources that facilitate learning about any organizational changes.
A positive onboarding experience reinforces their decision to return and fosters loyalty.
Real-Life Examples of Successful Rehiring
Several companies have successfully implemented these strategies:
IBM: The tech giant has embraced boomerang hiring by actively reaching out to former employees who possess critical skills in emerging technologies. IBM has found that these individuals often bring fresh perspectives that contribute significantly to innovation7.
Zappos: Known for its strong company culture, Zappos maintains an alumni network that keeps former employees engaged with the brand. This connection has led to numerous successful rehiring instances, enhancing both morale and productivity within teams6.
Conclusion
Rehiring former employees can provide organizations with unique advantages, including reduced costs, quicker onboarding, and retained knowledge. By implementing strategic practices—such as creating clear policies, maintaining connections, assessing current needs, and fostering welcoming environments—companies can effectively tap into this valuable talent pool.
As organizations continue navigating an ever-changing workforce landscape, embracing boomerang employees may be key to building resilient teams equipped for future challenges. By recognizing the potential benefits and following best practices outlined above, businesses can create a robust strategy for rehiring that enhances both employee satisfaction and organizational performance.
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Team members who work remotely face communication challenges every day. The digital work environment brings a host of challenges for organizations and they need to proactively take steps to promote collaboration and two-way communication! A culture of open, honest, and transparent communication fosters the exploration of new, creative ideas necessary for innovative thinking. Recent research shows that the right workplace environment can boost employee productivity by up to 25%. Regular communication between teams can lead to higher job satisfaction, which reduces absenteeism, sick days, and turnover. In addition, when people feel understood at work, they will also put effort into understanding clients or customers. Today's modern tools make communication more accessible than ever, so there's no excuse not to implement them sooner rather than later. How can you make meaningful connections when working with your teammates at different locations and rarely interacting face-to-face? Communication can be tricky to master in remote teams, but it is not impossible. Effective communication can help remote teams become closer and improve collaboration. Remote teams have unique communication needs. Managing such teams requires understanding the challenges and nuances of communicating effectively.
Workplace communication: Why it is essential for success
Effective communication is paramount to achieving business objectives, fostering a corporate culture, creating accountability, ensuring work gets done, and increasing revenue. When a company makes improving communication a mission, it does more than prevent future misunderstandings and conflicts. Instead, they position themselves for sustainability and long-term success. Start by conducting an internal communications audit to determine whether your internal communications serve the company's needs or need adjustment. A communication channel audit asks a few basic questions:
How well are you getting the information you need?
How effective are the following channels of communication?
Do you find it easy to find information or contact the right people when necessary?
Here are a few critical points for effective workplace communication.
Empathy is key
Remote work is bound to have a learning curve. Some will adapt quickly, and some will need time to get used to it. It is essential to be empathetic toward all employees trying to minimize this learning curve. During the transition, let them know you will be available for assistance and that they can voice their concerns. A little compassion can go a long way during this stressful time. We should try to create an open dialogue and keep the lines of communication open.Also, read: Corporate Compassion In The New ‘New Normal’: Where Do You Stand?
Don't micromanage
Managing remote teams is challenging since you can't just walk up to people and see what they are doing during the workday. Some people try to contact their teammates multiple times a day to check their progress. Even though it may work for urgent tasks, it isn't a good idea. Regardless of how they work, they are responsible adults. The key to effective remote working is trusting your team members, and not harassing them with repeated calls and emails. Use collaboration and tracking tools, but resist overly intrusive means and too many calls.
Make internal messaging a priority
An office is where someone can share their views if they are not comfortable speaking in a meeting. But in a virtual environment, this isn't easy. They must be able to have one-on-one discussions. Using messaging tools that let people communicate outside the group is the best way to do so in a remote team. In addition, using a messaging system can help employees communicate quickly and efficiently without straining their inboxes. Using it may even spark more communication among employees once they learn how easy it is. For example, you could use tools like Slack or WhatsApp to accomplish this. According to David Grossman's report, "The cost of poor communications, "companies incur an estimated $62.4 million annually due to workplace communication barriers, which profiled 400 large companies with 100,00 employees.
Specify communication tools for remote workers
Having too many communication tools means too many places to share information. Employees often miss messages when conversations are dispersed across multiple platforms. It is also possible for employees to become overwhelmed by messages from everywhere. There should be tools for synchronous and asynchronous communication for remote teams. You can also use ControlHippo to streamline your communication with sales and support teams.
Instant messaging applications should be used for asynchronous communication.
Email must be used only for critical communication taking into account email security protocols..
For synchronous communications like team meetings or 1:1 discussions, consider using video applications or a reliable cloud phone system.
Encourage virtual team-building activities
One of the biggest problems remote workers face is loneliness, which results in disengagement, reduced productivity, and employee turnover. Developing personal and social bonds among team members is the only way to combat loneliness. When team members connect, they can communicate better, discuss problems, and find solutions before they become huge problems. It is possible to conduct synchronous and asynchronous team-building activities in virtual teams, just like there are activities for people in an office. Video conferencing possibilities are practically endless, especially with a good WiFi connection and a bit of imagination.
Weekly virtual trivia nights
Game nights
Theme-based virtual happy hour every week
Encourage non-work-related conversations through video coffee dates
Reward employees for achievements
We celebrate all kinds of events at work - birthdays, festivals, sporting events, and accomplishments. However, most remote teams neglect to do so since it's complicated. People believe it makes no sense to celebrate a birthday or a festive occasion if you are working remotely or if it falls on a holiday if you have no way of decorating the office or eating together. Nevertheless, good teams find a way to show appreciation, even as simple as singing "Happy Birthday to You" or sharing a photo of a celebration. Applaud individual and team achievements. Send physical cards and gifts that people can hold in their hands.Also, read: 7 Employee Engagement Strategies For WFH Tech Teams
Implement a support system
Create a support system for tools and processes that your team uses. You can building a knowledge base or FAQ that helps your team learn how to use the tools. Most of the tools you use come with support systems, such as a self-help portal and customer service. However, you may still want to create content that shows how your business uses the tools. Set up a single point of contact in the team to coordinate any help team members may need to access policies and processes. Share links to policy documents and procedures so they can be easily found. Creating a telephone directory and listing everyone's contact details would be wise—outline clear guidelines as to who to contact during an emergency.
Wrapping up
Nowadays, as offices are becoming more and more online environments, workplace communication is becoming more critical, alongside digital tools and proper training. Improved workplace communication increases productivity, profitability, and employee retention and potentially saves businesses millions of dollars.
Virtual hackathons are online events where people come together to explore challenges, and design and build solutions. Unlike physical hackathons, in a virtual hackathon the finale can be hosted from anywhere and do not have the same geographical boundaries—all you need is a live-streaming platform like Zoom to get started.
Furthermore, these hackathon finales last for a few hours or a few days. When we asked Vineet Khandelwal, Director of Customer Success at HackerEarth about the ideal duration of a hackathon, he said that the registration for a hackathon usually takes 4-8 weeks depending on the size of the community that the hackathon is targeting.
This timeframe is used to create a buzz about the hackathon in our community and enables the registered candidates to come up with a unique idea related to the theme of the hackathon. The time in which the participants can work on their ideas and submit a working prototype is usually another 4 weeks which ultimately end with a virtual finale.
If this sounds daunting, let’s break it down together as we take you through the intensive process of organizing virtual hackathons.
Why should you host a virtual hackathon?
A virtual hackathon comes with several perks that a physical hackathon would not have. Let’s talk about these benefits in detail.
Cost-effective
With a virtual hackathon, you can reduce overheads you otherwise have to bear in a physical hackathon—the elimination of paying rent for physical venues, food, event settings, and more. Moreover, this makes it easier for candidates as well, as they can attend the hackathon from the comfort of their homes.
Eco-friendly
Most companies are becoming environment conscious, and virtual hackathons are helpful in that way.
With virtual hackathons, the carbon emissions the online event produces are much lesser than a physical event as participants don’t have to travel.
The research article published in International Journal of Environmental Studies talks about a case study based on a virtual conference held by Airminers in 2020, which produces 66 times less greenhouse emissions than in-person gathering in San Francisco would have done.
Clearly: Virtual hackathons are a boon for the environment too.
Diversity
With physical hackathons, you can only invite local developers — from the same city, state, or nearby places. But virtual hackathons open doors to different geographical locations, helping the company get diverse participants with a large skillset.
Developers like to be associated with projects where they can use their skills for real-world problems. For example, if you want to introduce a specific technology in a geographical location you’ve never explored, participants from that region can give ideas and develop the technology that works well for people in that region.
How to host a successful virtual hackathon?
At HackerEarth, we have perfected a 4-step process for organizing and conducting a hackathon which we recommend to our clients. This process begins with ideating the theme for a hackathon and includes tips on promoting and gaining more participants as well. Let’s begin.
Step 1: Decide your goals
Ask yourself this—what do you want to accomplish with this virtual hackathon?
Do you want to engage with participants and create awareness about your company?
Do you want to develop a product prototype via crowdsourced ideas?
Or, do you want to attract talent and hire them?
Once you have the answers, you can proceed further.
Let’s look at LGBTQIA+ matters, a recent virtual hackathon organized with the clear aim to foster cross-cultural dialogue, promote awareness and understanding of LGBTQIA+ issues and developing innovative solutions to address the challenges faced by LGBTQIA+ community.
Themes should be decided according to the trends in industry, the company’s own target audience and product lines, and whether they want to build employer branding by using CSR initiatives.
So, pick the theme for the virtual hackathon keeping these components in mind.
For example, the Perkins School of Blind used our end-to-end managed hackathon platform to host the Perkins Hacks in 2018. Participating developers had to build a wearable device for older people with lower vision to navigate spaces.
In this hackathon, the theme was visual impairment, and the challenge was building such a device that was never developed before.
But you don’t have to always stick to one theme. You can have multiple themes for a single hackathon.
💡Pro tip: HackerEarth’s Hackathons allows you to add multiple themes for the participants to pick from.
Step 3: Choose the timelines
Dates: Virtual hackathons are long-term events with multiple stakeholders. This is why, it is important to divide the duration into specific phases and timelines so that everything can move smoothly.
For example, virtual hackathon organized by Intel, the event timelines were broken down into individual phases: date of registration, dates when submission phase 1 and phase 2 start, and so on.
Step 4: Get the word out
Once you have planned all the elements like collaborating with judges, deciding on the prizes, setting up communication, etc., it’s time to promote the event.
A simple way to do it is to promote the virtual hackathon on social media. For example, companies use HackerEarth’s Hackathons to conduct their virtual hackathons where we promote their online hackathons on social media platforms like Twitter and drive registrations.
Here are some ways to spread the word about virtual hackathons:
Get your employees to share about the virtual hackathon on social media channels like Twitter and LinkedIn.
Create a short video with your company’s leadership team and share it on the official social channels.
Tell the participants the benefits of participating in the virtual hackathon—prizes, subject matter experts, and more.
Conduct polls and ask questions to keep developers engaged and curious about the upcoming virtual hackathon. This is where digital business cards can be handy as they can be used everywhere. You have the option of including custom links such as polls, hackathon registration pages etc. Along with contact detail you can use top digital card software. So go ahead and on your platform where you are promoting hackathon.
What do you need to host a virtual hackathon?
Wondering what exactly you need to host a virtual hackathon? Here’s a list you must follow:
Software
Here are a few tools you must use to host a virtual hackathon:
Video and text platform
Since the hackathon finale is hosted virtually, it’s imperative to choose a good video conferencing platform to conduct the event.
✅Google Meet and Zoom: Meet the participants virtually
Digital collaboration
Participants will need a place to manage all projects and timelines, and brainstorm ideas with their team members.
✅HackerEarth’s Hackathons: Registration of participants and organizations, managing the project and team formation.
✅Slack and Discord: Use asynchronous messaging platforms for more interactive group activities.
✅Screen Recorder : Use a free screen recorder to communicate effectively with other remote participants when organizing the event
Centralized resource hub
Don’t give participants the chance to come to you during the live hackathon to ask about event-related information like rules, schedules, FAQs, contact information, and promotional material.
Instead, create a centralized resource workspace using Google Docs, Dropbox, or Notion and give access to each participant and share that on the hackathon page under the Resource Center tab Leverage a text summarizer to highlight key points related to your hackathon that can serve as a guiding document and add it to your resource hub. Here are a few suggestions from our end.
✅Google Docs and Dropbox: Save important documents and resources for participants and organizers to access
✅Notion: Create collaborative documents
Presentation during the finale
While Zoom and Google Meet’s screen-sharing options are good options to showcase presentations, and conduct a simple finale, to make it look more lucrative you can dip your toes in the latest technological advancements like VR using tools like Hubilio to make it more interesting..
Judges
Just like a physical hackathon, virtual hackathons too need to have a judging panel to assess the finished project and award prizes.
🧠Best practice: Invite subject matter experts related to the theme.
Also, having a judging panel can help you with the promotion. Here’s how: During the promotion, talk about the specific judges who’ll be judging the event and share their credentials.
This will drive curiosity and more interest from participants. Plus, ask the judges to promote the event on their social media channels and in their network to get more registrations.
Prizes
While running a virtual hackathon, there’s no limit on the kind of prizes you can offer to the winners. Some of them include cash prizes, cryptocurrency, and digital and physical products.
For example, the organizers of HCL Volt MX Hackathon 2023 handed out multiple prizes after the hackathon ended which included the main prize category (the three winners get cash prizes worth $7000, 4000, and 3000) and special prizes with creative titles like ‘Most Innovative Submission’ and ‘Most Beautiful Design’.
You need a landing page to drive more registrations to your virtual hackathon. This is where participants can better get all the information they need about the virtual hackathon.
Companies without an official hackathon landing page can use HackerEarth’s hackathons platform to set up a landing page and share all the information related to the event.
Picture this: Your virtual hackathon is live. Participants are willing. Judges are curious to see the final project.
But there comes a blocker: the participants have a concern related to a specific component but alas, there’s no way for them to communicate about it.
That’s why, along with providing a platform that enables communication within teams, you also need to set up a company workspace, especially for online hackathons where one cannot just turn around and ask for help. This way participants can raise their concerns and get them addressed in real time.
A Slack or Discord workspace works great as developers are already familiar with such platforms and it has the necessary file sharing and other capabilities needed for such conversations. Providing virtual phone number for participants to reach out with queries can complement your existing communication plan.
What are good ideas for a virtual hackathon?
If you’re planning to host a virtual hackathon but are clueless about where to start, here are a few ideas you might find helpful.
Web3
Coindesk hosted a crypto, blockchain, and Web3-oriented hackathon called Consensus 2023 where they wanted to bring the Web2 developers into Web3 and support native Web3 builders. This virtual hackathon was focused on teams and projects open to seeking out the right protocols to build on it.
The Hacking Health Tech hackathon, hosted by Johnson and Johnson Medtech was aimed at building medical technology to enable efficiency in surgical procedures and developing wearable technology.
While there are several niche hackathons that we talked about above, you don’t have to always box your virtual hackathons. Instead, here are a few generic hackathon ideas you can use too:
Impact Analysis hosted a virtual hackathon where they wanted frontend developers to build and design AI/ML-enabled enterprise SaaS software for retail companies
DAO Global Hackathon 2023 was a 4-week virtual hackathon to get hackers to leverage existing tools and build governance and coordination tools
AI Genesis hackathon is organized where developers will explore the power of artificial intelligence with themes in domains like gaming, social media, visual art, and music.
3 expert tips from top engineers that can make your virtual hackathons A+
Tip #1: Have clear communication
One tip I’d like to share with you is to prioritize clear and concise communication throughout the event. Effective communication plays a crucial role in ensuring participants understand the guidelines, challenges, and judging criteria.
As a judge at various events, including the design event at Michigan Tech University, I’ve witnessed how transparent communication fosters a positive and engaging atmosphere.
To achieve this, leverage multiple channels to disseminate information, such as a dedicated hackathon website or landing page. This page can serve as a central hub for participants, providing them with detailed instructions, schedules, and access to necessary resources. Additionally, consider hosting pre-event webinars or virtual orientation sessions to address any questions or concerns participants may have.
Make sure the event is well-organized and easy to navigate. This means providing clear instructions and resources for participants, as well as having a dedicated team of staff members who are available to answer questions and provide support. It is also important to create a positive and engaging atmosphere for participants so that they feel comfortable and motivated to participate.
In comparison to physical hackathons, the social aspects of virtual hackathons present the biggest challenge. Building relationships and cooperating with others requires extra effort because people are no longer working in the same rooms together.
How HackerEarth helps in maximizing virtual hackathons
We have put down the ins and outs of how you can host a virtual hackathon in your organization. We know the process of developing a virtual hackathon from scratch is time-consuming.
When time is money, and when your internal team doesn’t have the bandwidth to plan the event in detail, you can use HackerEarth’s end-to-end managed hackathons for organizing an event that will resonate with the developer community. From setting up the theme for your virtual hackathon to providing the landing page to promoting your virtual hackathon—HackerEarth does everything.
A virtual hackathon is an event where individuals or teams connect virtually to collaborate and solve problems through technology.
During a virtual hackathon, participants usually work on projects related to software development, coding, web design, or other areas of technology. They form teams, brainstorm ideas, and work intensively over a set period of time, typically ranging from a few hours to a few days or even weeks.
Participants collaborate remotely using various communication tools, such as video conferencing, chat platforms, and project management software. They leverage their skills, creativity, and expertise to develop innovative solutions, build prototypes, or create functioning applications or software.
Organizers of virtual hackathons provide participants with the necessary resources, guidelines, and access to relevant tools or technologies. They may also organize workshops, mentorship sessions, and expert talks to support participants in their projects. At the end of the event, participants typically present their work to a panel of judges who evaluate the projects based on criteria such as innovation, functionality, and presentation.
What are the advantages of virtual hackathons?
Virtual hackathons offer several advantages over traditional in-person hackathons. Here are some key benefits:
Diversity: It allows participants from all over the world to participate in the event—increasing the diversity of participants and encouraging a wider range of perspectives and ideas.
Cost-effective: Participants can save on travel expenses, accommodation, and other costs associated with attending in-person hackathons. Plus, organizations can bear lower expenses when compared to physical hackathons.
Accessibility: Participants have immediate access to online resources, documentation, tutorials, and open-source libraries, which enables rapid learning and implementation of new technologies, frameworks, or tools during the event.
Networking: It gives them a chance to connect with participants, mentors, industry experts, and potential employers from around the world—expanding their professional network, exploring job prospects, and seeking mentorship or guidance.
How can one ensure a smooth virtual hackathon experience?
To ensure a smooth virtual hackathon experience, consider the following tips:
Clear communication: Establish clear channels of communication for participants, mentors, and organizers. For example, Zoom for video conferencing, Slack for messaging, and Notion for project management.
Robust technical platform: Ensure that the live streaming platform can handle the expected number of participants and their activities.
Detailed guidelines: Provide participants with detailed guidelines about the hackathon’s rules, project submission requirements, judging criteria, and timelines.
Realistic timelines: Give participants sufficient time to prepare before the hackathon starts. Share relevant resources, pre-event materials, and any specific challenges or problem statements in advance so participants can familiarize themselves with the topic.
Mentors and support: Arrange subject matter experts to support participants during the hackathon. Offer mentorship sessions, Q&A opportunities, and technical assistance to help teams overcome obstacles and enhance their projects.
Regular check-ins: Schedule regular check-ins with participants to monitor progress, address concerns, and provide guidance. Use video conferencing or chat platforms to hold virtual stand-up meetings or progress updates.
Engaging workshops and talks: Organize virtual workshops or talks on relevant topics to enhance participants’ skills and knowledge—technical skills, design thinking, project management, or industry insights, providing valuable learning opportunities.
Transparent judging process: Clearly communicate the judging criteria and process to participants in advance.
Which platform is best for a hackathon?
HackerEarth’s hackathons platform helps companies conduct virtual hackathons from scratch. They provide a process management team, creative and design support, organic event promotion, and evaluation of product ideas.
What are the types of hackathons?
Internal hackathons: These hackathons are conducted internally within the organization. Here, employees collaborate to solve internal challenges, develop new products or features, or foster innovation in the company.
External hackathons: These hackathons are conducted externally where participants outside of the organization share their skill sets and bring in innovative solutions such as a product prototype.
In-person hackathons: These are physical hackathons where participants come together in one place to work on projects. These events usually last for a few hours or a few days. In such hackathons, participants are restricted as only location-specific folks can only participate.
Virtual hackathons: These are virtual events where participants from any geographical location can participate. These hackathons are hosted on a live-streaming platform which makes it easier for talent from different geographical locations to come and participate.
In recent years, multiple avenues have opened up for successful tech hiring and hackathons are one of everyone’s favorites. Apart from helping various tech corporations gain skilled employees, hackathons have also helped generate great ideas that furthered the growth of businesses.
Typically hackathons are external, meaning they are held for individuals who are not part of the company but are seeking to be. On the other hand, internal hackathons are held for individuals who are a part of the company. The duration of these hackathons can be anywhere from a few hours to a few days and are held for several reasons, such as generating innovative ideas and products while improving employee engagement.
What are Internal hackathons?
In simple words, internal hackathons are tech-related events held by companies to drive internal engagement, break the clutter, promote skill development, and help boost innovation within the company.
After a hackathon ends, the winner is decided by a board of jury and is offered a variety of rewards for the same. It could either be an offer to bring their product or software to life or it could be a monetary reward.
Internal hackathons serve as a creative platform within an organization to bring together employees from different departments to collaborate, innovate, and solve real business problems. The primary purpose is to stimulate fresh ideas, encourage cross-functional teamwork, and identify hidden talent among employees.
These events foster a culture of innovation and open communication, allowing participants to experiment with new concepts and technologies without the constraints of their regular job roles. Additionally, internal hackathons help companies explore potential solutions to existing problems or uncover new business opportunities that may not have been considered otherwise. By the end of the hackathon, not only does the organization gain novel ideas, but it also boosts employee morale and creates a sense of ownership and pride in contributing to the company’s progress.
How Do You Organize an Internal Hackathon?
Organizing a successful internal hackathon involves careful planning and clear communication. Here’s a step-by-step guide to ensure a smooth and impactful event:
Define the Objectives: Start by setting clear goals for the hackathon. Are you looking to solve a specific problem, enhance a product feature, or simply encourage creativity? Defining the purpose will guide all other aspects of planning.
Form a Planning Committee: Assemble a small team to handle the logistics, from securing a venue to arranging the necessary tools and technologies. This team will also be responsible for promoting the event internally and managing participants.
Set Rules and Themes: Establish the rules, format, and themes for the hackathon. Decide if the event will be open-ended or focused on specific challenges. Make sure the guidelines are clear to encourage meaningful contributions.
Select Participants: Open the hackathon to employees across various departments. Diversity in teams can lead to more innovative solutions. To foster collaboration, consider forming teams of employees with different skill sets.
Provide Resources: Ensure participants have access to the necessary tools, software, and data to work on their projects. A dedicated workspace, reliable Wi-Fi, and refreshments can go a long way in keeping participants energized and focused.
Schedule the Event: Plan a timeline for the hackathon, whether it’s a one-day sprint or spread out over a week. Include time for brainstorming, development, presentation, and judging.
Arrange for Judges and Prizes: Invite a panel of judges consisting of executives, department heads, or industry experts to evaluate the projects. Offering prizes or incentives can boost engagement and add an element of friendly competition.
Plan Post-Hackathon Activities: After the event, provide teams with feedback, announce winners, and discuss the next steps for implementing viable ideas. This follow-up process helps maintain momentum and shows the company’s commitment to employee-driven innovation.
Types of Internal Hackathons with Examples
Internal hackathons can take on various forms, depending on the goals of the company. Here are a few common types, along with examples:
Product Innovation Hackathons: Focused on creating new features, improving existing products, or even developing completely new products. For example, a software company might hold a hackathon for its developers to design new app functionalities, with the aim of adding value to the user experience.
Process Improvement Hackathons: These hackathons aim to streamline internal processes, such as automating repetitive tasks or improving workflow efficiency. An example is a financial institution conducting a hackathon to develop a tool that simplifies data entry and reporting, reducing manual errors.
Cultural or Social Good Hackathons: These events focus on building a sense of community within the company or working on projects that have a social impact. For instance, a company might host a hackathon where employees develop solutions to make the workplace more inclusive, or tools to support local charitable initiatives.
Technical Skill-Building Hackathons: Designed to help employees enhance their technical skills in a fun and collaborative way. An example would be an IT company organizing a hackathon to learn and experiment with new technologies like blockchain or artificial intelligence.
Cross-Departmental Hackathons: Encourages collaboration between different departments, such as marketing, sales, development, and HR, to tackle company-wide challenges. For example, a retailer might hold a hackathon involving both its technical and business teams to find ways to improve customer experience across digital platforms.
By choosing the right type of internal hackathon, companies can align the event’s objectives with their broader strategic goals while providing a rewarding experience for employees.
Benefits of conducting an internal hackathons:
There are great benefits to hosting internal hackathons, let’s take a look at a few of them:
Encourage and drive innovation
Internal hackathons will bring out the best in your employees, there is no doubt about that. With great rewards at stake, you can be sure that every participant will bring out their best game. More often than not, people tend to whip out extremely unique solutions to abstract problems while in a competitive environment.
Hackathon is a cost-effective way of getting every team in the organization involved in hopes of discussing and generating ideas that align with the organization’s goals. Apart from giving innovative minds a much-required boost, it also helps drive engagement.
Improved learning experience
If you are looking to target specific skills then internal hackathons may just be what you need. It gives the employees and other individuals of the company a chance to try out new tools and new frameworks and also allows them to think of a unique solution for abstract problems. It provides the employees with a safe space for them to showcase skills without being under any pressure.
Whatever solution seems to work the best can be incorporated later by the organization’s employees. This way it helps the organization streamline quite a few of its processes as well.
Continued exposure to learning is extremely important for individuals as they do not end up stagnating their skills and capabilities. This further helps the help organization decrease its turnover rates as well.
Inclusion and diversity
Internal hackathons help drive inclusion and diversity. People from different backgrounds and different teams come together to bring about solutions that can further help the organization move forward.
Try to involve the entire organization rather than just technical teams, this helps in giving the entire organization’s employees a broader perspective and helps them work together and bring about viable solutions that can further help them and the organization.
Additionally, people feel free together voices any concerns they may have as there is no higher kill role present in an internal hackathon
Encourages internal networking
In a time where quite a few organizations work remotely, it is essential to get the teams to interact with each other. This can be done by bringing them together for events such as these.Additionally, internal hacked ones are not your everyday formal office interactions. Internal hackathons can help build productivity and help the organization move toward its objectives. Internal hackathons result in increased employee engagement and happiness and there are several pieces of research that state that happier employees always result in low turnover rates for organizations.Also, read: Virtual Hackathons: All You Need To Know
Healthy competition
Comes as no surprise that internal hackathons help drive competition within organizations and with multiple rewards being at stake encourage the employee to work harder and smarter to come up with abstract solutions for any given problem.Healthy competition always gives birth to creating innovation, this comes as no surprise. The same goes for internal hackathons, almost every internal hackathon has a great reward for the employees and the organization waiting at the end.
Identify employee skills
This is one of the best reasons to hold an internal hackathon at your organization. It gives organizations a chance to review their employees and their skills.More often than not, individuals possess skills that can help the organization move forward. As a manager or a higher-up in the organization, you should be able to identify such talent across the organization. Once identified, you can help them hone the skills to help them grow and your employee will use those skills for the benefit of the organization.Doing this also helps increase employee retention rates, in other words, your employees' loyalty toward the company will do nothing but increase.
Final thoughts
Internal hackathons are a great way of furthering the success of your organization as well as your employees. From being creative with solutions to promoting internal networking, internal hackathons can help a lot.It can help organizations retain their employees, improve employee satisfaction rates, help them be more creative, create a safe environment for the growth of employees, and much more.So why don't you give it a try? And why don't you choose HackerEarth's hackathon platform?It's got amazing functionality and features! From hackathon promotion to evaluation/analysis support, we've got everything covered for you.
Internal Hackathons FAQs
What is an internal hackathon?
An internal hackathon is an event where employees within a company collaborate intensively on software projects. It's a creative and productive way to foster innovation, team building, and problem-solving skills among tech teams.
How do internal hackathons drive innovation?
Internal hackathons encourage participants to think outside the box and explore new ideas and technologies. This environment of unrestricted creativity leads to the development of innovative solutions to existing problems or the creation of entirely new products.
What are the benefits of hosting an internal hackathon?
Benefits include improved employee engagement, enhanced collaboration across different departments, rapid problem-solving, skill development, and the potential to uncover hidden talents within your organization.
How long does a typical internal hackathon last?
The duration can vary, but most internal hackathons last between 24 to 48 hours. This time frame allows participants to dive deep into projects without disrupting regular work schedules significantly.
Who can participate in an internal hackathon?
While primarily designed for tech teams, employees from all departments can participate. Involving a diverse group can lead to more creative solutions and better team cohesion.
Do participants need to have coding skills to join?
Not necessarily. Participants can contribute in various ways, such as idea generation, project management, design, and testing. It's about collaboration and leveraging each team member's strengths.
How are projects chosen for the hackathon?
Projects can be proposed by participants or pre-selected by organizers. In some cases, a theme is provided, and teams develop projects aligned with that theme.
Picture this: your employee is on vacation. Before taking their time off, they submitted all the tasks assigned. But, the manager reviewed their work after they left and drops them messages after messages. Two cases would happen:
Case 1: Employee checks the messages and edits their work while on vacation.
Case 2: Employee turns off their notifications, enjoys their vacation, and checks the messages after returning.
When employees choose the latter approach, they quiet quit their work.However, numerous misconceptions are floating about the term.Let’s understand what exactly quiet quitting is and what you as a tech company need to know about it.
What is quiet quitting?
Employers' and recruiters' perspectives on quiet quitting: employees quitting their job or being lazy. It’s neither.When employees quiet quit their job, they do exactly what their job description says. They don't choose to overwork, cling on to after-work calls, and shut their emails once they head home.In other words, quiet quitting is all about maintaining healthy boundaries and creating a work-life balance.
What does quiet quitting look like in practice?
Because quiet quitting focuses on creating a healthy work-life balance, employees practicing it usually:
Say no to projects that do not come under your job description
Leave work on time
Don't check their emails and slack messages after work hours
Quiet quitting in tech: Why does it happen?
Higher expectations: Imagine a manager overworking, staying late (even on weekends), and working while employees enjoy their weekends off. Because they are driven toward their job, they expect their team members to have a similar approach.
But here's the thing: not every employee has similar career aspirations and not all of them want to work day in and out—especially Gen Z.
Unable to take full advantage of health and wellness benefits: Half of the employees fail to utilize the health and wellness benefits companies provide. They may go on once-a-year vacation but it (still) leaves room for burnout.
Poor management: According to Gallup, quiet quitting is a consequence of poor management. Managers fail to show leadership skills their team needs where empathy and compassion count first. That's why, when employees overwork, managers fail to recognize their efforts—leading to disengaged employees.
Tech companies have been changing their approach to creating a healthy work environment for their employees ever since the companies transitioned to on-premises. Why?
Working remotely helped employees create healthy boundaries that have been disturbed after their return to the office.
For those interested, here's an insightful thread on what quiet quitting means for people working in different sectors. So what can you do to make sure your employees are engaged and minimize quiet quitting?
#1 Transition to a 4-day work week
Companies have already started transitioning to a 4-days work week model. Employees in these organizations work for four days and have the remaining days off. This gives them ample time to rejuvenate. Does this mean they‘ll need to work extra hours on the 4 working days? Not at all.A great example: MyCheckins, a Bangalore-based SaaS company functions Monday to Thursday for 32 hours.
#2 Switching teams internally
Are the employees disinterested in working with your team? Instead of pushing them to give quality output, get them to work with another tech team in your department for a few days. If they feel engaged working with the other team, help them make the switch to the other team.
#3 Run employee pulse surveys
Running regular employee pulse surveys is a great way to keep a tab on what's happening on the ground level. By reviewing the survey, you can find the loopholes and work on improving the reasons for disengagement.
#4 Recognize them for their efforts
Many times, employees work hard only to feel unappreciated. When they put in extra effort, they expect two things from their managers—to be appreciated or rewarded with a pay rise.When neither happens, they pull themselves off from the overwork they had been doing. To tackle these situations, managers must learn to appreciate their team members more and reward them whenever relevant.For example, when a team member does incredible work on a project, send them a thank you note or celebrate their efforts in front of fellow team members.Also, read: 7 Employee Engagement Strategies For WFH Tech Teams
Can quiet quitting ever be positive? Let’s see…
In the context of technology companies, where the phenomenon of quiet quitting has been prevalent, specific positive effects can be observed. Quiet quitting often results in less immediate disruption to ongoing projects and workflows. Teams can continue their work without the abrupt departure of key personnel. Employees who quietly quit may stay on for an extended period during their transition, allowing for the transfer of critical knowledge and skills to team members, ensuring continuity in project execution.For employees, quiet quitting provides time to reevaluate their career paths within the tech industry. They can explore new opportunities while still fulfilling their current roles, leading to a more informed career shift.
What are some of the negative effects of quiet quitting in tech companies?
While there are positives, quiet quitting often leads to a reduction in employee productivity, as workers only perform the bare minimum required by their job roles. In tech companies, this can slow down project timelines and innovation cycles.When some employees engage in quiet quitting, it can negatively affect the morale of their colleagues who may feel overburdened or demotivated by the lack of shared effort and enthusiasm. In the tech industry, where precision and innovation are key, quiet quitting may lead to a decline in the quality of work. This could manifest in more bugs in software or less creative solutions to technical problems.What’s even more important to understand is that quiet quitting is often a precursor to actual quitting. Tech companies might face higher turnover rates, leading to the loss of skilled employees and increased costs in hiring and training new staff. One of the biggest assets in tech is innovative thinking. Quiet quitting can lead to a stagnation in creative ideas and initiatives, which are crucial for a tech company’s growth and adaptation to market changes.The ripple effect of reduced productivity and quality can potentially reach customers, leading to dissatisfaction with the products or services, which is particularly detrimental in the competitive tech industry. Managers may find themselves spending more time micromanaging or addressing the consequences of quiet quitting, instead of focusing on strategic planning and fostering a positive work environment.
Become a healthy employee-first company
As a company, HackerEarth has a healthy employee-first perspective on things. If employees are indulging in producing lesser output than what their job says (instead of creating healthy boundaries!), relook into the few ways we shared above to create a meaningful and healthy work environment.
On our latest episode of This Is Recruiting, we spoke at great length with Crystal Lay, CEO of GBS Worldwide about what talent teams can learn from the Quiet Quitting trend to improve employer branding and workplace culture. Watch the full episode here!
We all love tasks when they are simplified, don’t we? FaceCode is an online coding assessment platform that renders the interview process simple. With it you can conduct remote interviews with the utmost ease, this platform will not only connect you to potential candidates but also allows you to assess the candidates' coding proficiency in real-time.
With multiple features to offer, FaceCode is something we recommend to every tech recruiter out there. FaceCode, although relatively new, has seen quite a few changes over time. These changes are attributed to recruiters who provided intelligent feedback. In this article, we will talk about some of the biggest changes on FaceCode since you were last here.Let’s dive right into it.
Ask questions and evaluate with ease
You don't have to worry too much about coming up with interview questions and answers from scratch.You can now use our extensive library to ask candidates relevant questions. There are test cases you can use as well and that's not all,
You no longer have to solve each test case manually. The risk of manual errors is drastically reduced. Assess your candidates' answers with ease and save time by making use of the recently added auto-evaluation feature.
Every question can be shared through a link on the live chat. This is where one of our newer features of candidates being able to share screen comes in handy. More on that soon!
Each and every pre-existing SQL and programming question can be sent inline in the video editor itself.
It really gets frustrating when an interview is hindered due to a problem as simple as a poor internet connection.You no longer need to worry about that because FaceCode will disconnect from the network and reconnect with a new update. The best part, you hardly notice any lag and it's easier for you to continue your interview. Additionally,
It records and provides recruiters with data on "when" and "if" the internet connection dropped off and “when” the candidate reconnected as well.
It further assesses and provides you with information on if there was a problem with the network.
We further provide well-assessed information if there were any other problems experienced.
All new and improved interface
You can now bid adieu to our old interface. The all-new and updated interface has so much more to offer and we know you'll love it!
For starters, this is a much simpler and easy-to-navigate UI (user interface)
You can now search for information on specific candidates using a search bar built for the same.
In addition to the above point, there are built-in filters that you can use to further refine your search.
Our all-new and updated FaceCode will now alert recruiters if the candidate moves away from the screen.
Account summary of all interviews
Once you click on the "Email summary of all interviews" option, you will receive an email as shown below.
This feature has already been present on our Assessments platform and we’ve incorporated it into our interview platform as well. FaceCode will provide you with an email summary of every interview conducted by your team. This information can be used to assess/analyze the interview process of every recruiter in the team and identify if your hiring process is satisfactory or needs to be tweaked.
A single meeting invite link
Previously, when scheduling an interview, all fields needed to be populated with some options like title and evaluation criteria that were pre-selected. Now, no fields are mandatory and you can generate an interview link with just one click.
Share screen enabled for candidates
Admin's screen -
Candidate's screen -
Candidates too can share their screens. This will come in handy if the candidate has something to display in the public domain or when they have to solve problems from the library.
Easy trial
Are you interested in trying out FaceCode but don't want to sign up just yet? Well then, you don't have to. Interested parties can now try out FaceCode without having to share any of their contact information. Try it out here.
And that’s a wrap, for now.
These features will further render your interview process easy, simple, and streamlined and of course, watch this space for more updates.
Recruitment, in general, has undergone several transformations in recent years and it comes as no surprise that most of these were influenced by technological advancements. This applies to non-technical and technical industries alike.
But today, we’re talking about the technical screening platforms. A technical screening platform needs to be developed the right way. If it is poorly developed, then getting accurate results becomes quite impossible and you will not be able to assess candidates the right way.
As per a study conducted by Aberdeen Group, it was seen that recruiters and hiring managers who use assessment tools have 36% more satisfaction when hiring a candidate than HR managers who don’t.
Benefits of Technical Screening Platforms
In simple terms, technical screening platforms are technologies that help to hire managers to automate the recruitment process. This helps save time, money, and effort and gives accurate results. Using a screening platform also makes sure that there is no bias involved.Technical screening platforms are gaining popularity and for a good reason, there are too many benefits to ignore. Let’s take a brief look at them:
It helps you hire the best candidates. A good technical screening platform will not only facilitate communication between the candidates and recruiters but also help in making an accurate assessment of the candidates’ skills and provide reports for the same.
There may be bias involved with human recruitment for a variety of reasons and this affects making good hiring decisions. But with a technical screening platform, results are all that matter and make the playing field level, this way you get the best candidates.
A bad hire can cost a company a lot of money. Technical screening platforms will not let that happen, when you make a good hiring decision based on performance, you will end up saving a lot of money for your company.
Every hiring decision made is driven by data. This immediately raises the standard of hires and it eliminates hiring based on assumptions.
Features of an ideal technical screening platform
Best technical screening platforms in 2024
It probably doesn’t surprise you when we say there are hundreds of technical screening platforms available. Not every technical screening platform measures the same and this is why we have compiled a list of the 5 best technical screening platforms you can use, without further ado, let’s get into it:
An online technical-recruitment platform that will help you assess and evaluate candidates for their technical abilities to choose the best fit.Here are a few features offered by HackerEarth:
It has a technical questionnaire of over 10,000 questions
Has assessments for every relevant developer skill
Video interview with in-built code editor
Offers accurate results and assessment reports
Video proctoring is enabled as well
also has features that can be used by candidates to prepare themselves for interviews
They too offer a 14-day free trial, after which there are 3 primary pricing plans:
StartUps - $119 Per Month
Enterprise - $279 Per Month
Custom - tailored to your requirements
Also, we may be biased but we believe we are the best. Don't take our word for it. Instead, take our platform for a spin and find out for yourself!
WeCP - We Create Problems
WeCP is a AI-native skills testing software with the largest repository of technical skills questions & templates covering various technical domains, including programming, data science, DevOps, and more. WeCP’s standout feature is its AI ability to create highly-relevant, user-friendly, customisable skill tests with a simple text prompt. Their G2 review score stands at 4.8/5.
Startups to Fortune 500 use WeCP to generate customized tests tailored to specific requirements, such as:
Recruiting teams – use WeCP to avoid mis-hires and build productive teams for their business.
Employee training teams – use WeCP to build experiential skill training programs hence, improve the ROI.
Online learning platforms – integrate WeCP to their e-learning platform
Features offered by WeCP:
Access over 0.2 million technical questions across various domains.
Easily create tailored assessments in minutes using WeCP AI Copilot to evaluate specific skills and roles.
Evaluate proficiency in over 2000 technical skills.
Ensure test integrity with built-in proctoring features like force full-screen, log candidate tab change activities, disable external copy/paste, ai powered video proctoring, whole screen & multi screen recording.
Gain insights with comprehensive performance analytics.
Integrate with existing recruitment workflows and ATS like Workday, Lever, Greenhouse, LinkedIn, SAP Successfactor, Oracle Recruiting Cloud and more
WeCP offers a 7 days free trial with limited features. Users can also unlock and get WeCP premium for FREE.
Pricing starts at $240 per month. Pricing information is available upon request for the Custom and Enterprise plans.
Organizations can choose plans based on their requirements, whether they want to screen candidate skills, improve the quality of hire, or enhance employee skills and retention.
Skillsz
A pre-employment talent screening platform helping tech companies hire the best developers.Here are a few features of Skillsz:
Ability to customize evaluation based on company requirements
Custom branding
Multiple ways to invite candidates
A library of 5000+ technical questions
Real-time dashboard
Advanced algorithm to prevent cheating
Demo evaluations
Detailed PDF reports
This technical screening platform comes with a trial period of 14 days after which it has three pricing options :
Essential - $3500 Per Month
Professional - $7000 Per Month
Business - $11,500 Per Month
Xobin
Xobin is yet another remote screening platform that facilitates virtual interviews.Here are a few features Xobin has to offer:
AI-based webcam proctoring
It has over 1000 inbuilt tests
The platform and the assessments are mobile-friendly
Helps in customizing workflow
Xobin also has a 14-day free trial period after which there are three pricing options:
Essential - $166 Per Month
Standard - $399 Per Month
Custom - depends on requirements
Devskiller
A tech talent sourcing platform that is powered by RealLife Testing.Here are a few features offered by Devskiller
More than 3000 tasks ready to be used
Customization options
Efficiently integrates with ATS
Can assess over 200+ tech-related skills
Offers shareable reports
They do not offer any free trial but have two pricing plans that can be customized;
Talent Score - $499 Per Month
Talent Boost - $999 Per Month
So, there you go!These 5 platforms are quite unique in their own ways and have a lot to offer the tech-recruitment sphere. If you’re looking to hire the best developers out there, making use of these will definitely benefit you and your organization.
Get to know the experts behind our content. From industry leaders to tech enthusiasts, our authors share valuable insights, trends, and expertise to keep you informed and inspired.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has permeated virtually every industry, transforming operations and interactions. The tech recruitment sector is no exception, and AI’s influence shapes the hiring processes in revolutionary ways. From leveraging AI-powered chatbots for preliminary candidate screenings to deploying machine learning algorithms for efficient resume parsing, AI leaves an indelible mark on tech hiring practices.
Yet, amidst these promising advancements, we must acknowledge the other side of the coin: AI’s potential malpractices, including the likelihood of cheating on assessments, issues around data privacy, and the risk of bias against minority groups.
The dark side of AI in tech recruitment
The introduction of AI in recruitment, while presenting significant opportunities, also brings with it certain drawbacks and vulnerabilities. Sophisticated technologies could enable candidates to cheat on assessments, misrepresent abilities and potential hiring mistakes. This could lead to hiring candidates with falsifying skills or qualifications, which can cause a series of negative effects like:
Reduced work quality: The work output might be sub-par if a candidate doesn’t genuinely possess the abilities they claimed to have.
Team disruptions: Other team members may have to pick up the slack, leading to resentment and decreased morale.
Rehiring costs: You might have to let go of such hires, resulting in additional costs for replacement.
Data privacy is another critical concern
Your company could be left exposed to significant risks if your AI recruiting software is not robust enough to protect sensitive employee information. The implications for an organization with insufficient data security could be severe such as:
Reputational damage: Breaches of sensitive employee data can damage your company’s reputation, making it harder to attract clients and talented employees in the future.
Legal consequences: Depending on the jurisdiction, you could face legal penalties, including hefty fines, for failing to protect sensitive data adequately.
Loss of trust: A data breach could undermine employee trust in your organization, leading to decreased morale and productivity.
Financial costs: Besides potential legal penalties, companies could also face direct financial losses from a data breach, including the costs of investigation, recovery, and measures to prevent future breaches.
Operational disruption: Depending on the extent of the breach, normal business operations could be disrupted, causing additional financial losses and damage to the organization’s reputation.
Let’s talk about the potential for bias in AI recruiting software
Perhaps the most critical issue of all is the potential for unconscious bias. The potential for bias in AI recruiting software stems from the fact that these systems learn from the data they are trained on. If the training data contains biases – for example, if it reflects a history of preferentially hiring individuals of a certain age, gender, or ethnicity – the AI system can learn and replicate these biases.
Even with unbiased data, if the AI’s algorithms are not designed to account for bias, they can inadvertently create it. For instance, a hiring algorithm that prioritizes candidates with more years of experience may inadvertently discriminate against younger candidates or those who have taken career breaks, such as for child-rearing or health reasons.
This replication and possible amplification of human prejudices can result in discriminatory hiring practices. If your organization’s AI-enabled hiring system is found to be biased, you could face legal action, fines, and penalties. Diversity is proven to enhance creativity, problem-solving, and decision-making. In contrast, bias in hiring can lead to a homogenous workforce, so its absence would likely result in a less innovative and less competitive organization.
When used correctly, AI in recruitment can take your hiring to the next level
How do you evaluate the appropriateness of using AI in hiring for your organization? Here are some strategies for navigating the AI revolution in HR. These steps include building support for AI adoption, identifying HR functions that can be integrated with AI, avoiding potential pitfalls of AI use in HR, collaborating with IT leaders, and so on.
Despite certain challenges, AI can significantly enhance tech recruitment processes when used effectively. AI-based recruitment tools can automate many manual recruiting tasks, such as resume screening and interview scheduling, freeing up time for recruiters to focus on more complex tasks. Furthermore, AI can improve the candidate’s experience by providing quick responses and personalized communications. The outcome is a more efficient, candidate-friendly process, which could lead to higher-quality hires.
Let’s look at several transformational possibilities chatbots can bring to human capital management for candidates and hiring teams. This includes automation and simplifying various tasks across domains such as recruiting, onboarding, core HR, absence management, benefits, performance management, and employee self-service resulting in the following:
For recruiters:
Improved efficiency and productivity: Chatbots can handle routine tasks like responding to common inquiries or arranging interviews. Thereby, providing you with more time to concentrate on tasks of strategic importance.
Enhanced candidate experience: With their ability to provide immediate responses, chatbots can make the application process more engaging and user-friendly.
Data and insights: Chatbots can collect and analyze data from your interactions with candidates. And provide valuable insights into candidate preferences and behavior.
Improved compliance: By consistently following predefined rules and guidelines, chatbots can help ensure that hiring processes are fair and compliant with relevant laws and regulations.
Cost saving: By automating routine tasks for recruiters, chatbots can help reduce the labor costs associated with hiring.
Additionally, candidates can leverage these AI-powered chatbots in a dialog flow manner to carry out various tasks. These tasks include the following:
Personalized greetings: By using a candidate’s name and other personal information, chatbots can create a friendly, personalized experience.
Job search: They can help candidates search for jobs based on specific criteria.
Create a candidate profile: These AI-powered chatbots can guide candidates through the process of creating a profile. Thus, making it easier for them to apply for jobs.
Upload resume: Chatbots can instruct candidates on uploading their resume, eliminating potential confusion.
Apply for a job: They can streamline the application process, making it easier and faster for candidates to apply for jobs.
Check application status: Chatbots can provide real-time updates on a candidate’s application status.
Schedule interviews: They can match candidate and interviewer availability to schedule interviews, simplifying the process.
For hiring managers:
These can also be utilized by your tech hiring teams for various purposes, such as:
Create requisition: Chatbots can guide hiring managers through the process of creating a job requisition.
Create offers: They can assist in generating job offers, ensuring all necessary information is included.
Access requisition and offers: Using chatbots can provide hiring managers with easy access to job requisitions and offers.
Check on onboarding tasks: Chatbots can help track onboarding tasks, ensuring nothing is missed.
Other AI recruiting technologies can also enhance the hiring process for candidates and hiring teams in the following ways:
For candidates:
Tailor-made resumes and cover letters using generative AI:Generative AI can help candidates create custom resumes and cover letters, increasing their chances of standing out.
Simplifying the application process: AI-powered recruiting tools can simplify the application process, allowing candidates to apply for jobs with just a few clicks.
Provide similar job recommendations: AI can analyze candidates’ skills, experiences, and preferences to recommend similar jobs they might be interested in.
For recruiters:
Find the best candidate: AI algorithms can analyze large amounts of data to help you identify the candidates most likely to succeed in a given role.
Extract key skills from candidate job applications: Save a significant amount of time and effort by using AI-based recruiting software to quickly analyze job applications to identify key skills, thereby, speeding up the screening process.
Take feedback from rejected candidates & share similar job recommendations: AI can collect feedback from rejected candidates for you to improve future hiring processes and recommend other suitable roles to the candidate.
These enhancements not only streamline the hiring process but also improve the quality of hires, reduce hiring biases, and improve the experience for everyone involved. The use of AI in hiring can indeed take it to the next level.
Where is AI in recruitment headed?
AI can dramatically reshape the recruitment landscape with the following key advancements:
1. Blockchain-based background verification:
Blockchain technology, renowned for its secure, transparent, and immutable nature, can revolutionize background checks. This process which can take anywhere from between a day to several weeks today for a single recruiter to do can be completed within a few clicks resulting in:
Streamlined screening process: Blockchain can store, manage, and share candidates’ credentials and work histories. Thereby speeding up the verification and screening process. This approach eliminates the need for manual background checks. And leads to freeing up a good amount of time for you to focus on more important tasks.
Enhanced trust and transparency: With blockchain, candidates, and employers can trust the validity of the information shared due to the nature of the technology. The cryptographic protection of blockchain ensures the data is tamper-proof, and decentralization provides transparency.
Improved data accuracy and reliability: Since the blockchain ledger is immutable, it enhances the accuracy and reliability of the data stored. This can minimize the risks associated with false information on candidates’ resumes.
Faster onboarding: A swift and reliable verification process means candidates can be onboarded more quickly. Thereby, improving the candidate experience and reducing the time-to-hire.
Expanded talent pool: With blockchain, it’s easier and quicker to verify the credentials of candidates globally, thereby widening the potential talent pool.
2. Immersive experiences using virtual reality (VR):
VR can provide immersive experiences that enhance various aspects of the tech recruitment process:
Interactive job previews: VR can allow potential candidates to virtually “experience” a day i.e., life at your company. This provides a more accurate and engaging job preview than traditional job descriptions.
Virtual interviews and assessments: You can use VR to conduct virtual interviews or assessments. You can also evaluate candidates in a more interactive and immersive setting. This can be particularly useful for roles that require specific spatial or technical skills.
Virtual onboarding programs: New hires can take a virtual tour of the office, meet their colleagues, and get acquainted with their tasks, all before their first day. This can significantly enhance the onboarding experience and help new hires feel more prepared.
Immersive learning experiences: VR can provide realistic, immersive learning experiences for job-specific training or to enhance soft skills. These could be used during the recruitment process or for ongoing employee development.
To summarize, AI in recruitment is a double-edged sword, carrying both promise and potential problems. The key lies in how recruiters use this technology, leveraging its benefits while vigilantly managing its risks. AI isn’t likely to replace recruiters or HR teams in the near future. Instead, you should leverage this tool to positively impact the entire hiring lifecycle.
With the right balance and careful management, AI can streamline hiring processes. It can create better candidate experiences, and ultimately lead to better recruitment decisions. Recruiters should continually experiment with and explore generative AI. To devise creative solutions, resulting in more successful hiring and the perfect fit for every open role.
“Every hire is an investment for a company. A good hire will give you a higher ROI; if it is a bad hire, it will cost you a lot of time and money.”
Especially in tech hiring!
An effective tech recruitment process helps you attract the best talents, reduce hiring costs, and enhance company culture and reputation.
Businesses increasingly depend on technical knowledge to compete in today’s fast-paced, technologically driven world. Online platforms that provide technical recruiting solutions have popped up to assist companies in finding and employing top talent in response to this demand.
The two most well-known platforms in this field are HackerEarth and Mettl. To help businesses make wise choices for their technical employment requirements, we will compare these two platforms’ features, benefits, and limitations in this article.
This comparison of Mettl alternative, HackerEarth and Mettl itself, will offer helpful information to help you make the best decision, whether you’re a small company trying to expand your tech staff or a massive organization needing a simplified recruiting process.
HackerEarth
HackerEarth is based in San Francisco, USA, and offers enterprise software to aid companies with technical recruitment. Its services include remote video interviewing and technical skill assessments that are commonly used by organizations.
HackerEarth also provides a platform for developers to participate in coding challenges and hackathons. In addition, it provides tools for technical hiring such as coding tests, online interviews, and applicant management features. The hiring solutions provided by HackerEarth aid companies assess potential employees’ technical aptitude and select the best applicants for their specialized positions.
Mettl
Mettl, on the other hand, offers a range of assessment solutions for various industries, including IT, banking, healthcare, and retail. It provides online tests for coding, linguistic ability, and cognitive skills. The tests offered by Mettl assist employers find the best applicants for open positions and make data-driven recruiting choices. Additionally, Mettl provides solutions for personnel management and staff training and development.
Why should you go for HackerEarth over Mercer Mettl?
Because HackerEarth makes technical recruiting easy and fast, you must consider HackerEarth for technical competence evaluations and remote video interviews. It goes above and beyond to provide you with a full range of functions and guarantee the effectiveness of the questions in the database. Moreover, it is user-friendly and offers fantastic testing opportunities.
The coding assessments by HackerEarth guarantee the lowest time consumption and maximum efficiency. It provides a question bank of more than 17,000 coding-related questions and automated test development so that you can choose test questions as per the job role.
As a tech recruiter, you may need a clear understanding of a candidate’s skills. With HackerEarth’s code replay capability and insight-rich reporting on a developer’s performance, you can hire the right resource for your company.
Additionally, HackerEarth provides a more in-depth examination of your recruiting process so you can continuously enhance your coding exams and develop a hiring procedure that leads the industry.
HackerEarth and Mercer Mettl are the two well-known online tech assessment platforms that provide tools for managing and performing online examinations. We will examine the major areas where HackerEarth outperforms Mettl, thereby proving to be a great alternative to Mettl, in this comparison.
HackerEarth believes in upgrading itself and providing the most effortless navigation and solutions to recruiters and candidates.
HackerEarth provides various tools and capabilities to create and administer online tests, such as programming tests, multiple-choice questions, coding challenges, and more. The software also has remote proctoring, automatic evaluation, and plagiarism detection tools (like detecting the use of ChatGPT in coding assessments). On the other side, Mettl offers comparable functionality but has restricted capabilities for coding challenges and evaluations.
Test creation and administration
HackerEarth: It has a user-friendly interface that is simple to use and navigate. It makes it easy for recruiters to handle evaluations without zero technical know-how. The HackerEarth coding platform is also quite flexible and offers a variety of pre-built exams, including coding tests, aptitude tests, and domain-specific examinations. It has a rich library of 17,000+ questions across 900+ skills, which is fully accessible by the hiring team. Additionally, it allows you to create custom questions yourself or use the available question libraries.
Mettl: It can be challenging for a hiring manager to use Mettl efficiently since Mettl provides limited assessment and question libraries. Also, their team creates the test for them rather than giving access to hiring managers. This results in a higher turnaround time and reduces test customization possibilities since the request has to go back to the team, they have to make the changes, and so forth.
Reporting and analytics
HackerEarth: You may assess applicant performance and pinpoint areas for improvement with the help of HackerEarth’s full reporting and analytics tools. Its personalized dashboards, visualizations, and data exports simplify evaluating assessment results and real-time insights.
Most importantly, HackerEarth includes code quality scores in candidate performance reports, which lets you get a deeper insight into a candidate’s capabilities and make the correct hiring decision. Additionally, HackerEarth provides a health score index for each question in the library to help you add more accuracy to your assessments. The health score is based on parameters like degree of difficulty, choice of the programming language used, number of attempts over the past year, and so on.
Mettl: Mettl online assessment tool provides reporting and analytics. However, there may be only a few customization choices available. Also, Mettle does not provide code quality assurance which means hiring managers have to check the whole code manually. There is no option to leverage question-based analytics and Mettl does not include a health score index for its question library.
Adopting this platform may be challenging if you want highly customized reporting and analytics solutions.
HackerEarth: The security and privacy of user data are top priorities at HackerEarth. The platform protects data in transit and at rest using industry-standard encryption. Additionally, all user data is kept in secure, constantly monitored data centers with stringent access controls.
Along with these security measures, HackerEarth also provides IP limitations, role-based access controls, and multi-factor authentication. These features ensure that all activity is recorded and audited and that only authorized users can access sensitive data.
HackerEarth complies with several data privacy laws, such as GDPR and CCPA. The protection of candidate data is ensured by this compliance, which also enables businesses to fulfill their legal and regulatory responsibilities.
Mettl: The security and data privacy features of Mettl might not be as strong as those of HackerEarth. The platform does not provide the same selection of security measures, such as IP limitations or multi-factor authentication. Although the business asserts that it complies with GDPR and other laws, it cannot offer the same amount of accountability and transparency as other platforms.
Even though both HackerEarth and Mettl include security and data privacy measures, the Mettle alternative, HackerEarth’s platform is made to be more thorough, open, and legal. By doing this, businesses can better guarantee candidate data’s security and ability to fulfill legal and regulatory requirements.
Pricing and support
HackerEarth: To meet the demands of businesses of all sizes, HackerEarth offers a variety of customizable pricing options. The platform provides yearly and multi-year contracts in addition to a pay-as-you-go basis. You can select the price plan that best suits their demands regarding employment and budget.
HackerEarth offers chat customer support around the clock. The platform also provides a thorough knowledge base and documentation to assist users in getting started and troubleshooting problems.
Mettl: The lack of price information on Mettl’s website might make it challenging for businesses to decide whether the platform fits their budget. The organization also does not have a pay-as-you-go option, which might be problematic.
Mettl offers phone and emails customer assistance. However, the business website lacks information on support availability or response times. This lack of transparency may be an issue if you need prompt and efficient help.
User experience
HackerEarth: The interface on HackerEarth is designed to be simple for both recruiters and job seekers. As a result of the platform’s numerous adjustable choices for test creation and administration, you may design exams specifically suited to a job role. Additionally, the platform provides a selection of question types and test templates, making it simple to build and take exams effectively.
In terms of the candidate experience, HackerEarth provides a user-friendly interface that makes navigating the testing procedure straightforward and intuitive for applicants. As a result of the platform’s real-time feedback and scoring, applicants may feel more motivated and engaged during the testing process. The platform also provides several customization choices, like branding and message, which may assist recruiters in giving prospects a more exciting and tailored experience.
Mettl: The platform is intended to have a steeper learning curve than others and be more technical. It makes it challenging to rapidly and effectively construct exams and can be difficult for applicants unfamiliar with the platform due to its complex interface.
Additionally, Mettl does not provide real-time feedback or scoring, which might deter applicants from participating and being motivated by the testing process.
According to G2, HackerEarth and Mettl have 4.4 reviews out of 5. Users have also applauded HackerEarth’s customer service. Many agree that the staff members are friendly and quick to respond to any problems or queries. Overall, customer evaluations and feedback for HackerEarth point to the platform as simple to use. Both recruiters and applicants find it efficient.
Mettl has received mixed reviews from users, with some praising the platform for its features and functionality and others expressing frustration with its complex and technical interface.
May the best “brand” win!
Recruiting and selecting the ideal candidate demands a significant investment of time, attention, and effort.
This is where tech recruiting platforms like HackerEarth and Mettl have got you covered. They help streamline the whole process.Both HackerEarth and Mettl provide a wide variety of advanced features and capabilities for tech hiring.
We think HackerEarth is the superior choice. Especially, when contrasting the two platforms in terms of their salient characteristics and functioning. But, we may be biased!
So don’t take our word for it. Sign up for a free trial and check out HackerEarth’s offerings for yourself!
Let’s face it—cheating on tests is quite common. While technology has made a lot of things easier in tech recruiting, it
has also left the field wide open to malpractice. A 2020 report by ICAI shows
that 32% of undergraduate students have cheated in some form on an online test.
It’s human nature to want to bend
the rules a little bit. Which begs the question, how do you stay on top of cheating, plagiarism, and other forms of
malpractice during the assessment process?
How do you ensure that take-home assessments and remote interviews
stay authentic and credible? By relying on enhanced virtual supervision, of course!
HackerEarth Assessments has
always been one step ahead when it comes to remote proctoring which is able to capture the nuances of candidate
plagiarism. The recent advancements in technology (think generative AI) needed
more robust proctoring features, so we went ahead and built The HackerEarth Smart
Browser to ensure our assessments remain as foolproof as ever.
Presenting to you, the
latest HackerEarth proctoring fix - The Smart Browser
Our Smart Browser is the chocolatey version of a plain
donut when compared to a regular web browser. It is extra effective and comes packed with additional remote proctoring capabilities to
increase the quality of your screening assessments.
The chances of a candidate cheating on a HackerEarth technical assessment are virtually zero with
the latest features! Spilling all our secrets to show you why -
1. Sealed-off testing environment makes proctoring
simpler
To get started with
using the Smart Browser, enable the Smart Browser setting as shown above. This setting is available under the test
proctoring section on the test overview page.
As you can see, several other proctoring settings such as disabling
copy-paste, restricting candidates to full-screen mode, and logout on leaving the test interface are selected
automatically.Now, every candidate you invite to take the assessment will only be able to do so through the Smart
Browser. Candidates are prompted to download the Smart Browser from the link shared in the test invite mail.When the
candidate needs to click on the ‘start test’ button on the launch test screen, it opens in the Smart Browser. The
browser also prompts the candidate to switch to full-screen mode. Now, all candidates need to do is sign in and attempt
the test, as usual.
Also read: 6
Ways Candidates Try To Outsmart A Remote Proctored Assessment
2. Eagle-eyed online test monitoring leaves no room for error
Our AI-enabled Smart Browser takes frequent snapshots via the webcam, throughout the assessment.
Consequently, it is impossible to copy-paste code or impersonate a candidate.The browser prevents the following
candidate actions and facilitates thorough monitoring of the assessment:
Any candidate actions attempting to switch tabs with the intent to copy-paste or use a generative AI like ChatGPT
are shown a warning and captured in the candidate report.HackerEarth’s latest proctoring fixes
bulletproof our assessment platform, making it one of the most reliable and accurate sources of candidate hiring in the
market today.
Also read: 4 Ways
HackerEarth Flags The Use Of ChatGPT In Tech Hiring Assessments
Experience reliable assessments with the Smart Browser!
There you have it - our newest offering that preserves
the integrity of coding assessments and enables skill-first hiring, all in one go. Recruiters and hiring managers, this
is one feature that you can easily rely on and can be sure that every candidate’s test score is a result of their
ability alone.Curious to try out the Smart Browser? Well, don’t take our word for it. Head over here to check it out for
yourself!
We also love hearing from our customers so don’t hesitate to leave us any feedback you might
have.
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.
The job industry is not the same as it was 30 years ago. Progresses in AI and automation have created a new work culture that demands highly skilled professionals who drive innovation and work efficiently. This has led to an increase in the number of companies reaching out to external sources of recruitment for hiring talent. Over the years, we have seen several job aggregators optimise their algorithms to suit the rising demand for talent in the market and new players entering the talent acquisition industry. This article will tell you all about how external sources of recruitment help companies scout some of the best candidates in the industry, the importance of external recruitment in organizations across the globe and how it can be leveraged to find talent effectively.
Understanding external sources of recruitment
External sources refer to recruitment agencies, online job portals, job fairs, professional associations and any other organizations that facilitate seamless recruitment. When companies employ external recruitment sources, they access a wider pool of talent which helps them find the right candidates much faster than hiring people in-house. They save both time and effort in the recruitment process.
Online job portals
Online resume aggregators like LinkedIn, Naukri, Indeed, Shine, etc. contain a large database of prospective candidates. With the advent of AI, online external sources of recruitment have optimised their algorithms to show the right jobs to the right candidates. Once companies figure out how to utilise job portals for recruitment, they can expedite their hiring process efficiently.
Social Media
Ours is a generation that thrives on social media. To boost my IG presence, I have explored various strategies, from getting paid Instagram users to optimizing post timing and engaging with my audience consistently. Platforms like FB an IG have been optimized to serve job seekers and recruiters alike. The algorithms of social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram have been optimised to serve job seekers and recruiters alike. Leveraging them to post well-placed ads for job listings is another way to implement external sources of recruitment strategies.
Employee Referrals
Referrals are another great external source of recruitment for hiring teams. Encouraging employees to refer their friends and acquaintances for vacancies enables companies to access highly skilled candidates faster.
Campus Recruitment
Hiring freshers from campus allows companies to train and harness new talent. Campus recruitment drives are a great external recruitment resource where hiring managers can expedite the hiring process by conducting screening processes in short periods.
Recruitment Agencies
Companies who are looking to fill specific positions with highly skilled and experienced candidates approach external recruitment agencies or executive headhunters to do so. These agencies are well-equipped to look for suitable candidates and they also undertake the task of identifying, screening and recruiting such people.
Job Fairs
This is a win-win situation for job seekers and hiring teams. Job fairs allow potential candidates to understand how specific companies work while allowing hiring managers to scout for potential candidates and proceed with the hiring process if possible.
Importance of External Recruitment
The role of recruitment agencies in talent acquisition is of paramount importance. They possess the necessary resources to help companies find the right candidates and facilitate a seamless hiring process through their internal system. Here is how external sources of recruitment benefit companies.
Diversity of Skill Sets
External recruitment resources are a great way for companies to hire candidates with diverse professional backgrounds. They possess industry-relevant skills which can be put to good use in this highly competitive market.
Fresh Perspectives
Candidates hired through external recruitment resources come from varied backgrounds. This helps them drive innovation and run things a little differently, thus bringing in a fresh approach to any project they undertake.
Access to Specialized Talent
Companies cannot hire anyone to fill critical roles that require highly qualified executives. This task is assigned to executive headhunters who specialize in identifying and screening high-calibre candidates with the right amount of industry experience. Huge conglomerates and companies seek special talent through external recruiters who have carved a niche for themselves.
Now that you have learnt the different ways in which leveraging external sources of recruitment benefits companies, let’s take a look at some of the best practices of external recruitment to understand how to effectively use their resources.
Best Practices for Effective External Recruitment
Identifying, reaching out to and screening the right candidates requires a robust working system. Every system works efficiently if a few best practices are implemented. For example, hiring through social media platforms requires companies to provide details about their working environment, how the job is relevant to their audience and well-positioned advertisements. The same applies to the other external sources of recruitment. Here is how you can optimise the system to ensure an effective recruitment process.
Craft Clear and Compelling Job Descriptions
Detail Responsibilities: Clearly outline the key responsibilities and expectations for the role.
Highlight Company Culture: Include information about the company’s mission, values, and growth opportunities to attract candidates who align with your organizational culture.
Leverage Multiple Recruitment Channels
Diversify Sources: Use a mix of job boards, social media platforms, recruitment agencies, and networking events to maximize reach. Relying on a single source can limit your candidate pool.
Utilize Industry-Specific Platforms: In addition to general job boards, consider niche job sites that cater to specific industries or skill sets
Streamline the Application Process
Simplify Applications: Ensure that the application process is user-friendly. Lengthy or complicated forms can deter potential candidates from applying.
Mobile Optimization: Many candidates use mobile devices to apply for jobs, so ensure your application process is mobile-friendly.
Engage in Proactive Sourcing
Reach Out to Passive Candidates: Actively seek out candidates who may not be actively looking for a job but could be a great fit for your organization. Use LinkedIn and other professional networks for this purpose.
Maintain a Talent Pool: Keep a database of previous applicants and strong candidates for future openings, allowing you to reach out when new roles become available.
Utilize Social Media Effectively
Promote Job Openings: Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to share job postings and engage with potential candidates. This approach can also enhance your employer brand
Conduct Background Checks: There are several ways of learning about potential candidates. Checking out candidate profiles on job boards like LinkedIn or social media platforms can give companies a better understanding of their potential candidates, thus confirming whether they are the right fit for the organization.
Implement Data-Driven Recruitment
Analyze Recruitment Metrics: Track key metrics such as time-to-hire, cost-per-hire, and source effectiveness. This data can help refine your recruitment strategies over time. Using external hiring software like HackeEarth can streamline the recruitment process, thus ensuring quality hires without having to indulge internal resources for the same.
Use Predictive Analytics: In this age of fast paced internet, everybody makes data-driven decisions. Using predictive analytics to study employee data will help companies predict future trends, thus facilitating a productive hiring process.
Conclusion
External sources of recruitment play a very important role in an organization’s talent acquisition strategy. By employing various channels of recruitment such as social media, employee referrals and campus recruitment drives, companies can effectively carry out their hiring processes. AI-based recruitment management systems also help in the process. Implementing best practices in external recruitment will enable organizations to enhance their hiring processes effectively while meeting their strategic goals.
The Progressive Pre-Employment Assessment is a crucial step in the hiring process, as it evaluates candidates through various dimensions including cognitive abilities, personality traits, and role-specific skills.
While employers and recruiters have this in the palm of their hand, candidates who master it will successfully navigate the assessment and have a higher chance of landing that dream job. But what does it entail in the first place?
Candidates can expect to undergo tests that assess verbal, numerical, and work style capabilities, as well as a personality assessment. Hence, understanding the structure and purpose of the Progressive Pre-Employment Assessment can give candidates a competitive edge. But before one tackles online tests, we must first dissect what this assessment is and what it consists of.
The evolution of pre-employment assessments
Pre-employment assessments have undergone significant changes over the decades, from rudimentary tests to sophisticated, modern evaluations. Let’s put the two side by side.
Traditional methods:
Initially, pre-employment assessments focused on basic skills and educational qualifications. These paper-based tests primarily assessed cognitive and verbal abilities, without any conclusions about the candidates’ output in very specific situations.
Modern techniques:
Today, online assessments are prevalent, evaluating a variety of dimensions, including cognitive skills, personality traits, and behavioral evaluations. These tools offer a more comprehensive view of a candidate's job performance potential, while, at the same time, saving precious time for both parties involved.
In today’s competitive job market, progressive pre-employment assessments play a crucial as they not only measure technical skills and knowledge but also provide insights into a candidate's ethical bias, cultural fit, and communication skills.
Likewise, assessment tests have evolved to include situational judgment tests and culture fit analyses, which are pivotal in assessing the suitability of a candidate for specific roles. And this isn’t just in terms of skillsets—they help in identifying candidates who align well with the company's values and working environment.
This is mainly for the tests’ ability to accurately gauge a candidate's interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence, which are essential for roles that require teamwork and client interactions.
What are progressive pre-employment assessments?
Progressive pre-employment assessments are structured evaluations designed to judge a candidate’s abilities and fit for a role at Progressive Insurance. Unlike traditional aptitude tests, these assessments encompass various elements such as cognitive abilities, situational judgments, and personality traits.
These tests typically include verbal and numerical reasoning sections, as well as work style assessments that gauge behavioral tendencies. Through this merger of multiple dimensions, Progressive seeks to understand not just the skills and knowledge of the candidate, but also their ethical perspectives and communication skills.
Components of a progressive assessment strategy
What sets progressive assessments apart? Well, as most employers just focus on the basic credentials and competencies, the comprehensive assessment strategy at Progressive includes several key components:
Cognitive evaluations: These tests measure candidates' logical reasoning and problem-solving capabilities through verbal, numerical, and abstract reasoning questions.
Personality assessments: These tests evaluate traits and tendencies to understand how a candidate might behave in various workplace scenarios. They aim to provide insight into their ethical bias and interpersonal skills.
Behavioral evaluations: These sections analyze how candidates might act in specific situations, ensuring a good cultural fit and alignment with Progressive's values.
Role-specific skills tests: These assessments focus on the specialized skills required for the position, ensuring the candidate has the necessary technical knowledge and expertise.
Implementing progressive assessments
Successful implementation of Progressive Assessments in the hiring process requires designing an effective assessment process and following best practices for administration. This ensures accuracy, better data security, and reliable decision-making. In particular, the implementation hinges on the feasibility of the original design.
Step 1 --- Designing the assessment process
Designing an effective Progressive Assessment involves understanding the specific needs of the role and the company's approach to hiring. Each test component — verbal, numerical, and work style — must align with the desired skills and personality traits for the role.
HR teams need to define clear objectives for each assessment section. This includes establishing what each part aims to evaluate, like the problem-solving or personality assessments. Incorporating legal and policy guidelines ensures the assessments are fair and non-discriminatory, which is crucial for avoiding legal issues.
Likewise, everaging online assessment tests provides flexibility and efficiency. These tests allow candidates to complete them remotely, easing logistics and scheduling concerns. Ensuring security is also essential, and implementing testing and other recruitment tools can help enhance data security and accuracy.
Step 2 --- Best practices for assessment administration
Administering assessments effectively revolves around consistency and fairness. Establish structured guidelines for the administration process to ensure each candidate undergoes the same conditions, promoting reliability. This includes standardizing the timing, environment, and instructions for all assessments.
Training HR representatives is vital. They should be well-versed in handling the assessments, from initial candidate interactions to evaluating the results. Regular training updates ensure the team remains knowledgeable about best practices and any new tools used in the assessment process.
Administering assessments also involves maintaining better data security and accuracy. This is achieved by utilizing secure online platforms and ensuring that only authorized personnel have access to sensitive data. Leveraging top API penetration testing tools is one approach to securing candidate data and preserving the integrity of the assessment process.
Implementing consistent feedback mechanisms for candidates can also improve the process. Providing insights on their performance helps candidates understand their strengths and areas for growth, which reflects positively on the company’s commitment to candidate experience.
Benefits of progressive assessments
Progressive assessments offer significant advantages in the hiring process, such as improving the accuracy of hiring decisions and enhancing the overall candidate experience. These benefits help companies find better-fitting candidates and reduce turnover rates.
1. Improved hiring accuracy
Progressive pre-employment assessments allow companies to evaluate candidates more comprehensively. By assessing personality traits, cognitive abilities, and ethical biases, employers can identify individuals who align with the company’s values and have the necessary skills for the job.
For example, personality assessments can pinpoint traits like empathy, communication, and problem-solving abilities. This helps employers select candidates who are not only qualified but also fit well within the team. Evaluating these qualities ensures that new hires can thrive in customer service roles where empathy and effective communication are crucial.
Moreover, using tools like the DDI Adaptive Reasoning Test helps to simulate real job tasks. This gives employers deeper insights into a candidate's capability to handle job-specific challenges. As a result, the company is more likely to experience lower turnover rates due to better candidate-job fit.
2. Enhanced candidate experience
A well-structured assessment process can significantly enhance the candidate experience. Clear instructions,fair testing procedures, and timely feedback create a positive impression of the company. Candidates appreciate transparency and feel valued when the process is designed with their experience in mind.
Implementing assessments that reflect actual job roles and responsibilities gives candidates a realistic preview of the job. This reduces later dissatisfaction and turnover. Additionally, personality assessments that highlight traits such as confidence and empathy provide a more engaging candidate experience.
Companies can also strengthen their employer brand by showcasing their commitment to a fair and comprehensive hiring process. Providing resources like practice tests helps candidates feel better prepared and less anxious about the assessment, leading to a more positive perception of the company.
Common pitfalls in progressive assessments
Candidates often struggle with the cognitive abilities section, which requires strong analytical skills and problem-solving capabilities. The situational judgment tests can also be tricky as they assess empathy, decision-making, and customer service scenarios. Personality assessments can pose challenges as well, especially for those unsure how to present their personality traits aligned with the job role.
A significant issue is also misinterpretation of the test's format and expectations. Many find it daunting to navigate through various sections, such as verbal, numerical, and work style assessments. Lastly, some candidates might overlook the legal nuances of personality assessments or document redaction protocols, leading to compliance issues.
Strategies to overcome challenges
To tackle cognitive abilities assessments, candidates should engage in consistent practice with sample questions and mock tests. This helps enhance their analytical and problem-solving skills. For situational judgment tests, it is essential to practice empathy and customer service scenarios to develop a better understanding of role-specific challenges.
In personality assessments, being honest while demonstrating relevant personality traits like being a team player is crucial. Seeking guidance from study materials such as Job Test Prep can provide a realistic testing environment.
Understanding legal considerations, such as those around document redaction, is important for compliance. Utilizing a document redaction SDK can ensure adherence to required policies. Familiarity with each section's format will aid in navigating the assessments confidently and effectively.
Trends and innovations in employee assessments
There is a growing emphasis on AI-powered assessments —these tools analyze vast amounts of data to predict a candidate's job performance, ensuring a more objective and efficient selection process.
Personality assessments are evolving to include metrics like empathy and communication skills, which are crucial for roles in customer service and other people-centric positions.
Additionally, gamified assessments, which make the evaluation process engaging, are gaining popularity. They not only assess problem-solving skills but also gauge how candidates perform under pressure.
Organizations can prepare for the future by integrating cutting-edge technologies into their hiring processes. Investing in training for evaluators to accurately interpret new assessment metrics is crucial. This involves
Moreover, companies should stay updated on legal requirements to maintain compliance and ensure fair assessment practices.
Encouraging candidates to focus on developing their personality traits, such as being team players and showing confidence, can also better prepare them for progressive assessments that look beyond technical skills.
The strategic value of progressive assessments
Progressive pre-employment assessments rigorously evaluate candidates on multiple fronts, including cognitive abilities, situational judgment, personality fit, and role-specific skills. This multifaceted approach not only helps in identifying the best match for specific roles but also reduces the risk of bad hires.
By investing in these assessments, companies can significantly enhance their recruitment processes. Consistent use of these tools leads to more informed decision-making, reducing turnover rates and ensuring employee retention.
Appropriate preparation and implementation of these assessments can streamline the hiring pipeline, saving time and resources. Furthermore, this approach bolsters team performance and aligns employee roles with their strengths, promoting a culture of efficiency and productivity. While Progressive is far from the only company using this approach, they’ve set a standard in terms of looking at candidates holistically and making sure they’re truly ready for the job.
Frequently Asked Questions
This section covers common inquiries related to the Progressive Pre-Employment Assessments, including differences from psychometric tests, benefits for small businesses, legal considerations, and the role of technology.
How do progressive assessments differ from psychometric testing?
Progressive assessments typically examine a candidate's ethical bias and personality traits. In contrast, psychometric tests focus on cognitive abilities and personality dimensions. The Progressive Pre-Employment Assessment includes verbal, numerical, and work style components, offering a broader evaluation spectrum.
Can small businesses benefit from implementing progressive assessment strategies?
Small businesses can gain significant advantages from adopting progressive assessment strategies. These assessments help identify candidates that align closely with the company’s values and culture, reducing turnover rates. Additionally, they provide insights into a candidate's ethical stance and work style, which are crucial for cohesive team dynamics.
What are the legal considerations when using pre-employment assessments?
Legal considerations include ensuring compliance with equal employment opportunity laws and avoiding discrimination based on race, gender, or disability. It is essential to validate the assessment tools and ensure they are scientifically proven to be fair. Companies must also maintain transparency about the purpose and usage of the assessments.
How can technology enhance the effectiveness of progressive assessments?
Technology can streamline the assessment process by allowing candidates to complete the tests remotely. Advanced analytics help in the accurate interpretation of results, ensuring a better match between the candidate and the job role. Many platforms offer practice tests that mirror the actual assessment, aiding in preparation and reducing test anxiety.