Aug 24, 2016
The Technical Test
Over the last few years I’ve worked with some phenomenal candidates that haven’t done overly well when it’s come to the technical test part of the interview process, or should I say certain technical tests.
This has always puzzled me especially when I know that person is great. Not just from my market knowledge, but due to their reputation amongst their peers as well as projects and companies they’ve worked on, and for.
So where does it go wrong?
I still can’t answer this question as there is no rhyme nor reason as to why one test works better than another, with the exception that it may suit the individuals thought process/personality better, and let’s be honest, not everyone is great under test conditions.
What I’ve noticed over the last year is that developers at similar levels, with similar skill sets interviewing for similar roles seem to do well in certain technical tests, and not others.
Does it mean someone isn’t a great technically because they fall short on a specific Technical Test? The answer is NO.
I know candidates that fail during interactive design tests but excel with coding challenges and vice versa.
I recruit within the .Net space and the majority of my clients conduct technical tests and when I say the majority, literally all of them. Whether that be;
- An in-depth technical discussion
- Coding Challenge
- Paired programming session
- live environment
- Interactive design test.
Each of my client use at least one, so why not use multiple?
The point I’m keen to stress is that candidates that don’t perform a specific test, are getting snapped up by other companies/competitors that hire top talent within the dev space and you could be/are likely to be losing great people by not playing to their strengths and ensuring you get the best from them during the interview process.
What Would I do?
I’m suggesting that in a war for talent where candidates are in short supply organisations that want to hire the best within their tech space should offer options when it comes to technical testing to ensure they get the best from every candidate and fully understand their technical capabilities.
I appreciate there is a time element and I’m not suggesting you do multiple tests for each individual. However if culturally they tick the box, and after having an in-depth discussion you understand what they’ve been doing from a technical perspective.
Why not offer a few testing options and allow them to play to their strengths and highlight their capabilities within a realistic environment that embody what they would be required to do on a daily basis?
In today’s market not reviewing how you conduct technical interviews and sticking to the same test you’ve always used is likely to result in you losing out on amazing technical talent that could bring something different to your team.
View my live roles in the .Net space here. I look forward to speaking with you.
