Technical skills assessment

A technical skills assessment is a test or evaluation that measures a candidate's ability to perform technical tasks related to the job they're applying for.

The assessment can take various forms, such as a programming skills test or a code task, and helps employers determine whether the candidate has the necessary skills to excel in the role.

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Programming skills testing

Employers, including recruiters, hiring managers, and engineering team leaders, use programming tests to quickly identify candidates who lack the necessary skills so that they can focus their time and effort on interviewing those who are qualified.

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Why are technical skills assessments important?

There are several reasons why technical assessments are important for employers:

• They can save time and money in the hiring process. By identifying unqualified candidates early on, you can avoid wasting time and resources on interviewing them.
• Additionally, technical skills testing improves the quality of your hires by ensuring that candidates have the necessary technical skills, which increases their chances of success in their roles.

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How to conduct a technical skills testing

If you're interested in implementing a technical skill assessment as part of your hiring process, here are some tips on how to do it right:

• Determine which skills to test. Before you send a test to candidates, it's important to identify which technical skills are essential for the role. This will help you create an assessment that is relevant and effective.
• Once you have a list of needed technical skills, choose a test that covers those skills. We provide different programming tests that cover a wide range of languages and platforms.
• Send the assessment to your candidates through an individual link or a common one shared with all of them.
• Review the PDF report that we deliver to your email after the candidates have completed the test. This report contains information such as how the candidate performed compared to others and an easy-to-understand grade, such as "top 10%," "average," or "below average."

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Technical skills assessment questionnaire

Along with programming tests, employers may ask technical questions during interviews to assess a candidate's technical knowledge and problem-solving abilities. Here are some examples of technical questions that could be asked during an interview for various technical roles:

1. For a Java developer position:
   • What is the difference between an abstract class and an interface?
   • Can you explain the Java Memory Model?
   • What is the purpose of the "synchronized" keyword in Java?
2. For a SQL developer position:
   • What is the difference between a JOIN and a UNION?
   • Can you explain the concept of normalization in database design?
   • What is a stored procedure and how is it different from a function?
3. For a Python developer position:
   • What are the differences between a list and a tuple?
   • What is the difference between a shallow and a deep copy in Python?
   • Can you explain the difference between a decorator and a generator in Python?

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Challenges and limitations of technical skills assessments

While technical assessments can be an effective way to evaluate a candidate's technical abilities, there are some challenges and limitations to keep in mind. For example:

• Cheating is a potential issue. Candidates may be tempted to cheat on an assessment, which can undermine the integrity of the evaluation process. To prevent cheating in our coding tests, we use several techniques, such as blocking copy/paste functionality, displaying all code snippets as images, and recording IP addresses and locations.
• Soft skills may be overlooked. While technical skills are important, soft skills such as communication, collaboration, and problem-solving are also critical for success in many roles. Technical skills testing may not be able to fully evaluate a candidate's soft skills.
• Technical skills are just one piece of the puzzle. It's important to balance technical skills with other factors such as culture fit, values, and motivation to ensure that you're hiring the best candidate for the role.

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Best practices for conducting technical skills assessments

To make the most of technical skills evaluation, here are some best practices to keep in mind:

• Use online programming tests to eliminate incompetent candidates. Online programming tests can help quickly filter out unqualified candidates, saving time and resources in the hiring process.
• Provide a coding task to candidates who pass the initial screening. A coding task can give you a better idea of the candidates' technical abilities and problem-solving skills. Ensure that the task is not too time-consuming, so many candidates do not reject spending their time on it. Also, consider paying candidates for the time they spend on the coding task.
• Involve multiple interviewers to ensure the assessment is fair and unbiased. Multiple interviewers can provide different perspectives and help reduce bias in the evaluation process.
• Provide candidates with clear and timely feedback. Providing feedback can help candidates improve their skills and feel more invested in the hiring process. Timely feedback can help move the hiring process along quickly and smoothly.
• Balance technical skills with other factors. Technical skills are important but don't forget to consider factors like culture fit, values, and motivation when evaluating candidates. Balancing these factors can help ensure you're hiring the best candidate for the role.

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Conclusion

Technical skills assessments can be a valuable tool for evaluating a candidate's technical abilities and ensuring that they have the skills they need to succeed in their roles. By taking the time to create effective and fair assessments, and by balancing technical skills with other factors, organizations can improve their chances of making successful hires who are able to thrive in their roles.