Problem-solving Ability Is a
Must for Freshers

For fresher candidates, a proven capability to solve problems is necessary for landing jobs. Candidates with over 4 years of experience must be adept at Systems Architecture Design and be able to write clean code.

Conventional Assessment Methods
Still Haunt the System

Despite the changes brought about by remote/hybrid work, there is still some resistance to adopting new hiring methods. About 28.9% of our respondents who don’t use an assessment tool said that they feel their oft-used methods are effective, proving that technical assessments aren’t as commonplace as initially estimated.

In Absence of Dedicated Tools, Recruiters
Use Resumes to Assess Candidates

Of the respondents who said they do not use an assessment tool, most believe that sorting candidates via resumes or telephonic conversations is enough to move them to the interview round. While take-home/coding assignments are still in play, they are used less often than other methods.

Companies That Use Assessment Tools
Align Better on Hiring Criteria

In comparison with non-users, companies that use assessment tools for their tech hiring report a more standardized process. The process is also more objective, and more accurate. Neither engineering managers nor recruiters seem to be paying much mind to the fact that technical skill assessment software can also reduce TTH and CTH; proving that in most cases they care more about the bigger picture than immediate gains.

Many Interviewers Use Multiple Online
Tools to Conduct a Single Interview

The pandemic has ensured that whiteboard interviews are on their way out, but the replacement is not ideal either. Of the respondents who do not use a dedicated interview tool, 27.2% said they use a video tool and ask candidates to explain take-home assignments. About 25% said they use a video platform in collaboration with an online IDE.

This is in stark contrast to our findings from our annual Developer Survey, where over 40% of coders said that they would like to be interviewed via dedicated interview platforms.

Tech Interview Tools Offer Standardization
and Improve Candidate Experience

Of the respondents who use a dedicated tool to conduct tech coding interviews, the recruiters (25%) said they enjoyed the standardized evaluation process. The engineering managers (24%) ranked smooth candidate experience over other benefits.

It is clear that companies that have taken the initiative to use tech hiring tools in their processes see the benefits in a more homogeneous, and equitable hiring environment. Using coding interview tools also helps provide a better candidate experience for developers and ties in with their expectations from interviewers.

Gauging Team-fit in Virtual Interviews
Is Still a Hurdle for Managers

Even those engineering managers who use dedicated interview tools believe that gauging team-fit without an in-person meeting can be a challenge. About 19% of this cohort said that they find judging communication skills hard. The ability to code well, solve design problems and critical thinking are other skills that interviewers find hard to evaluate.

Most Teams Would Use Interview Tools
for On-site Interviews Post Pandemic

A trend that makes both hiring managers and candidates smile :) 43% of our survey respondents are currently using a tech interview tool - a number that we foreshadow to rise. Most recruiters and the majority of engineering managers from this pool say that they will continue to use these tools even post-pandemic.

This reaffirms the premise that it isn’t just remote interviews that are broken, but coding interviews as a whole. Hence, the teams that shifted to using dedicated interview tools in the pandemic year, will continue to do so to keep reaping the benefits.

Employer Branding + Hiring Challenges =
Improved Tech Hiring

Both the cohorts see the need for amping up employer branding activities in the wake of the pandemic. It is also heartening to see engineering managers own their role in improving tech hiring. A large chunk of managers have also said that un-siloing tech hiring is important; echoing the fact that both functions need to collaborate more in order to hire the best. We expect that this trend will only improve in the future as the lessons from the year of remote work are carried forward.

Internal Hackathons Are Becoming
Part of Tech Team ‘Culture’

While hackathons have often been touted as an exemplary method of engaging and sourcing from the tech community, they are also becoming integral as inter-team collaboration activities. About 43.5% of our respondents said they had organized an internal hackathon this year, and found that it improved ideation and cross-team functioning.

Social Media for Promoting Culture and
Hackathons for Fostering Communication

What do recruiters use to promote their company’s values? Social media platforms win hands down - whether it is via personal branding initiatives, or through the company’s handles. Internal hackathons are also currying favor as a great way to break silos within teams and foster communication during the times of remote.

The Future of Work IS Hybrid, Mostly

We ended the survey with the question that is on top of everyone’s minds - are we going back to the office in 2022? About 37.9% of our respondents said working from the office will be voluntary in the coming future, with 32.5% saying that they plan to be completely remote.