In today’s fast-tech world, the only way to ensure an organisation’s success was with the appropriate talent on board. As demands keep on rising from skilled professionals, firms are constantly finding new ways of enhancing their recruitment process. The central part is in the technical skills screening of candidates recruited. This post enunciates novel concepts that would enable technical skills screening to be more rationalised, expeditious, and unbiased towards both employer and candidate.
- Start real-world scenario-based assessments.
Real-world scenario-based assessments are one of the best ways to enhance the screening of technical skills. While there may still be some theoretical questions or basic coding challenges, it would be better if you could lay down tasks that mirror some of the real problems the candidate is likely to face on the job.
These scenario-based tests can be designed in such a way to test not just the technical knowledge but the problem-solving abilities, creativity, and the ability to work under pressure. For example, a candidate software developer is tasked with debugging the code that mirrors a real problem the company has encountered in the past.
- Utilise AI-Powered Screening Tools
Artificial intelligence has been taking new heights in application with hiring processes over the last several years, and its application is becoming both diverse and sophisticated. Screening tools based on AI can help improve technical skills assessments more by making the process more efficient and objective.
These tools can analyse a candidate’s response to technical questions, evaluate coding samples, and even analyse soft skills using language analysis. The use of AI at the first stage of screening helps identify the best candidates faster rather than divert the human resources for further evaluation.
- Propose collaborative coding sessions.
Technical skills screening need not be a solitary experience for the candidate. An alternative is to include collaborative coding sessions in your screening process. Sometimes referred to as pair programming, this allows an interviewee an opportunity for you to observe how she works with others and communicate her thought process.
Pair up a candidate with an existing team member of your organisation and have them collaborate on a coding session to solve a problem or complete a small project. It tests not only their technical abilities but also their teamwork capabilities, style of communication, and how one handles feedback.
- Progressive skill assessments
First test the candidates with an easy test, and then increase progressively to more difficult and more specified tasks. This could be useful in getting the best applicant who is perfectly skilled for the position, but it will most importantly show their scope of growth.
- Use Open-Source Contributions
For most technical positions, open-source contributions are the best way to assess the skills and working habits of a candidate. Do consider adding reviewing of open-source contributions to your tech skills screening process.
An ideal place to look at is in a candidate’s GitHub profile, or any other open-source repositories where their code could be, to assess their style of coding, how they’d approach solving problems with their code, and their ability to deliver complex projects. It also demonstrates their passion for technology and a desire to give back to the more general tech community.
- Introduce time-boxed challenges
Most technical positions require time management. Consider incorporating time-boxed challenges into your screening process to assess this, along with technical ability. These are tasks that have to be completed within an actual clock time period, mimicking the pressure of true-world project deadlines.
Challenges can be anything from simple coding exercises to more complex problem-solving activities. They help assess how the candidate performs under stress and manages his or her time well in producing quality work under reasonable time constraints. The time limit for designing these challenges must be reasonable and reflect realistic job expectations to avoid stressing candidates unnecessarily but to assess time management skills.
- Add InterviewVector Style Technical Interviews
The technically administered interviews through a series of interviews have also gained popularity nowadays in order to make the assessment process much more holistic and impartial. The number of structured interviews makes up the sequence, each interview concentrating on a particular aspect of the technical or skill set area.
InterviewVector is a leading Intervue alternative. In an InterviewVector technical skills screening, a candidate might be required to undergo short series, one each with a different interviewer or concentrated on a different aspect of the job. This method provides for a balanced rating of the candidate’s skills and offers several channels for evaluating his or her competencies. This approach is excellent for jobs that demand multiple skill sets or organisations that need to fill a few positions simultaneously. This also combats individual bias in recruitment as it engages many team members.
- Include continuous learning assessments.
In such an ever-evolving tech environment, sometimes the ability to learn and adjust is just as critical as any technical skill one has currently. Consider adding assessments to determine a candidate’s ability for lifelong learning to your screening process.
These may involve sending them out to research and present on a new technology or assigning them something that could require a new skill or tool to be learnt on the fly. Such an approach not only reviews their base of knowledge at the time but also their abilities to acquire and apply it appropriately. Continuous learning assessments can be very beneficial during hiring for emerging technologies or positions that require a lot of upskilling.
Conclusion
Screening technical skills is not an event; it’s a process. It demands you be creative, responsive, and keep in touch with the needs of your organization. By doing any or all of these suggestions—from scenario-based assessments to InterviewVector style interviews and continuous learning evaluations—you can develop a far more effective, complete screening process.
Remember, technical skills screening is not just about seeking those who have the right current skills. It is also about finding people with the potential to grow with your organisation to satisfy the long-term needs of the organization. And if you always refine and improve your methods of screening, then you are guaranteed to bring in the best for your team.