Traditional hiring methods have their limitations, and can lead to mismatched skill sets and poor job fits. Skill-based hiring, on the other hand, has gained popularity as a way to objectively identify and evaluate candidates’ practical abilities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The thing is, there are right <\/em>ways and wrong <\/em>ways to implement skill-based hiring. In this article, we\u2019ll explore the dos and don’ts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the fundamental dos of skill-based hiring is to design technical assessments that closely mirror the tasks developers will perform in their role. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Ensure that the assessment evaluates the skills, tools, and technologies directly related to the job. This not only provides a more accurate picture of a candidate’s capabilities but also sets expectations for the role from the outset.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Candidates shouldn\u2019t be expected to spend several hours or even days on an assessment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Keep assessments reasonably short and make sure that the difficulty level matches the role’s requirements. In other words, don\u2019t ask a senior engineer to write a “Hello World” program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Candidates should be able to complete their assessment within a reasonable timeframe, allowing them to showcase their skills without feeling overwhelmed. A test that takes days to complete may well discourage top talent from pursuing your organization. <\/p>\n\n\n\n To focus on skills doesn\u2019t mean to eliminate any human interaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After the technical assessment, schedule follow-up interviews where candidates can discuss their thought processes, problem-solving skills, and approach to coding challenges. This collaborative interaction also provides valuable insights into a candidate’s ability to work with others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Spoiler alert: a whiteboard is not it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Ensure that candidates complete their technical assessments in a performant, familiar Integrated Development Environment (IDE). This environment should mimic the one they would use in their day-to-day work and include all the normal features (syntax highlighting, auto-completion, multi-language support, refactoring support, etc.). <\/p>\n\n\n\n Using an IDE they are comfortable with allows candidates to perform at their best.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the biggest hiring mistakes you can make is narrowing your candidate pool based solely on resume pedigree. The opposite of skill-based hiring, if you will. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhen recruiters spend just seconds on application and resume reviews for each candidate, unconscious bias can easily creep in. For example, a Harvard graduate or Google alumni might be moved to the next stage without regard for skills, while a top performer without well-known institutions or organizations listed may be quickly passed over.\u201d<\/p>\n– Jen Dewar, Women in Tech<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Be conscious and thoughtful about your screening process. Don’t assume that candidates with prestigious degrees or experience at well-known companies are the only ones worth considering. Instead, focus on evaluating skills and potential contributions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While specific language proficiency might be essential for a role, remember that developers can learn new skills and technologies. Don’t limit your hiring process to only one language or framework. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Consider the transferability of skills and a candidate’s ability to adapt to new tools and processes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 66% of developers and 56% of recruiters consider that, when it comes to hiring software engineers, soft skills are just as important as hard skills. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Don’t make the mistake of hiring someone solely based on technical prowess without evaluating their communication, teamwork, analytical and problem-solving skills. Developers who can effectively collaborate and communicate are valuable assets to any organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83d\udd16<\/strong> Related read:<\/strong> Skills-Based Hiring Is on the Rise<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Lastly, don’t limit candidates from using available resources during assessments and interviews. In real-world development, developers have access to online resources, documentation, and collaboration tools. Allowing candidates to leverage these resources provides a more realistic evaluation of their problem-solving abilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With this in mind, we recently released our CoderPad Interview ChatGPT integration<\/a> to enable interviewers to observe how candidates critically approach problems and utilize modern toolsets. Many users of our ChatGPT integration use it as a collaboration tool during interviews with candidates. They present a question to the candidate and allow them to use the integration as they would Google or StackOverflow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Skill-based hiring is a holistic approach. Make sure to adjust every part of your funnel to facilitate skills-based recruitment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Take your job descriptions, for example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rather than describing the person you hope to hire, focus on the results you hope to see\u2014and the skills needed to achieve those results. Highlight the role\u2019s responsibilities and the skills needed to get the job done. This way, you avoid creating an unnecessary barrier to entry, like a requirement for a formal computer science degree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You may well find that this approach boosts your application numbers. According to LinkedIn research, job posts that mention \u201cresponsibilities\u201d without mentioning \u201crequirements\u201d receive 14% more applications per view<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe dos of skill-based hiring<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDo\u201d build relevant technical assessments<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDo\u201d be reasonable when it comes to assessment length and difficulty<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDo\u201d facilitate two-way coding conversations <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDo\u201d choose a performant, familiar development environment for technical interviews<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The Don’ts of Skill-Based Hiring<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDon\u2019t\u201d focus on resume pedigree<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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\u201cDon\u2019t\u201d neglect other skills and technologies<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDon\u2019t\u201d ignore soft skills<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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\u201cDon\u2019t\u201d restrict resource access<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDon\u2019t\u201d presume that skill-based hiring starts and ends with assessment<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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