Tech interviews are broken

Companies need to get their act together if they want decent talent. I’ve been involved in both sides of the interview process, and as developers, we deserve better. Developers should be helping to improve the process regardless of the position they are in. A good interview process will net you the best talent.

Technical tests - avoid them!

Many companies out there are doing unpaid technical tests. As developers, we should know better than to turn them away. If you are offering an unpaid technical test, you are spitting in the applicant’s face. You are asking them to spend their own time that only benefits you. It doesn’t help them understand the company’s goals, their technical stack and debt, or their culture. It’s a one-sided interview. Whilst paying is better and shows you value their time, it doesn’t solve the problem. I often ask people,

“Do you ask a surgeon to perform surgery on a patient to prove he is capable of doing the job?”

The answer is obviously no. The same goes for developers, a capable developer will not hold down a job if they are not good at their role. Even more so if they have been promoted at their current company.

Furthermore, tests can push away talent and limit your options. Many people simply do not have time to complete a 6 hour or more technical test. Even two hours is still too much. To put into perspective, a working mother - on average will work 40 hour weeks. Then, they will have to raise their children in the other hours. So as a company, you are asking her to put aside all other matters. You are not the only company asking for this amount of time. How is this person supposed to complete your technical test? Simply put, they can’t and won’t. You aren’t worth their time, and you are missing out on a great candidate.

There is just simply no winning regardless, if you pay and keep it a low amount of time - you are still missing out on this small pool of candidates.

Technical tests are often misguided, the company is just doing it because they were told it was a requirement.

But, but… My company told me I have to.

Push back, and if you still can’t get a no - get them to pay at the very least. Introduce a time limit, no more than an hour. Any more and you are excluding a large number of candidates.

Too much pressure to perform

You’re throwing good talent away due to pressure. Do you find it useful when someone is micromanaging, breathing down your back and saying “your work must be complete by the end of the day!”? No. People do not perform under pressure. Whilst I’ve learned to be more confident in interviews, I’ll always forget things. But many developers simply do not feel confident straight away in speaking. There are people out there who turned away because they were nervous, but by a second interview, they’ll usually settle a little more and speak clearly and openly.

Speak to the recruiters because the dev ain’t listening

Stop forwarding to recruiters for the entire process. Developers want to speak to the developers. There have been so many companies that try to get a technical test before I even speak to someone about the role, the culture and so on. So I’m supposed to spend 6 hours doing a technical test before I even know I want to work at your company? Hell no! In my experience, a capable developer can figure out in half an hour to decide whether they are a good suit for the role. It doesn’t take long for someone to know they are interested in working for you; so just give them the time. If you aren’t committed to hiring and spending the time, then you shouldn’t half-arse hire. You’ll end up with crap candidates.

An interview is a conversation

Don’t conduct an interview - have a conversation instead. The hiring process is a two-way agreement. When you are hiring - you are trying to figure out if they are a good suit for the role. The candidate is looking to find out more about the role to see if they want to work there. Create a conversation - find out what they are looking for and talk about your experience. If they are engaged, and respond well with accurate answers - they are likely to be a great candidate.

Take a few steps back and remember what you’d want as a candidate - start putting your foot down - value yourself! ⭐️