English
Bahasa Indonesia
Take-home coding test is a method that recruiters can use in selecting which developer candidates have the best technical skills. This recruitment method should be considered by recruiters because it has a big impact on the recruitment process that your company runs.
That’s why, in this article, we present an in-depth discussion of the take-home coding test; why you need this approach and how to strategize to maximize the implementation of take-home coding tests in order to recruit the best developers.
What is a take-home coding test?
Usually, when a company tries to recruit a developer, apart from seeing the experience, the first thing that recruiter sees is their skills. There are many ways that can be done to find out, one of which of course is through a take home coding test.
The method is quite simple, participants will be given several questions that need to be done within a time period determined by the company. This method allows candidates to work individually without having to be supervised by you. The most important thing is that the candidate can complete and collect test results according to the given schedule. After everything is done you can objectively assess their test results.
Take-home coding tests help you to find the best developer candidates, that’s why you should consider this method to be applied to the tech-hiring process in your company.
Why should implement a take-home coding test?
Finding the right developer candidate is certainly not easy. You need a good strategy to make it happen. Besides being difficult, recruiting developers also costs a lot of money, and you definitely don’t want to destroy all the effort that goes into recruiting the best candidates and end up badly.
Bad hiring will cause a lot of losses that arise in the future. This will even cost 30% of the employee’s salary. In fact, according to a survey conducted by CareerBulider, bad hiring can cost a company $14,900. This figure is, of course, a fairly large nominal.
Another reason why you need to implement a take-home coding test is because this method is in high demand for candidates. According to research, compared to other assessment methods, the take-home coding test can make candidates more comfortable, confident, and can give the best results. This helps you to find real potential candidates.
Effective take-home coding test strategy
To run an effective take-home test, you must carefully design the process. There are several ways to do this:
1. Define a clear scope of coding test
The first way you have to do is determine in advance the goals you want to achieve from the take-home coding test that will be carried out by your company’s recruitment team. To find out, you can discuss with the team the following questions:
- What level of experience do you want to target?
- What kind of candidate’s technical skills would you like to assess?
- What tests can use automated scoring tools? and when to do the assessment manually?
- How long does it take for the take-home coding test that the candidate has to take?
After you know the purpose of the assessment you want to achieve, then make a clear description of the test that will be given to the candidate. You can do the following ways:
- Explain about the test in general for introduction.
- Provide test starting instructions to help facilitate the candidate, such as explaining how to start the test, how to run the test, and so on.
- Explain what the candidate should focus on when taking the test.
- Provide directions on what candidates should do if they get stuck in taking the test.
- Inform candidates about the length of time needed to make it easier for them to estimate the time needed for the test to be carried out optimally.
The method above is of course still very dynamic, you can add other methods that are deemed necessary and will help carry out the take home test more effectively.
2. Choose the test that fits the job requirements and responsibilities
You can give a test that matches the job requirements or responsibilities of the job position. This is done to see how far the candidates’ technical skills and problem-solving skills are in solving any challenges they will face later.
3. Make a standard of assessment
You must make a definite judgment to avoid bias. Here are some assessments that can be applied:
- No issues/errors (5/5)
- There was a minor error but the coding was successful (4/5)
- There is a fairly serious error that affects coding quality (3/5)
- There is a major error that makes coding unsuccessful (2/3)
- Unable to finish coding (1/5)
3. Use effective and efficient assessment tools
You should consider which assessment tool to use. The right tools will certainly make the take-home test run effectively and efficiently.
You can use the Algobash coding assessment tool. Through this tool, you can make an assessment automatically. This will certainly make it easier for you as a recruiter, especially if you have never had experience in the IT field.
Algobash is designed by prioritizing a user experience that is friendly and can be used by all groups. This will help the candidate to finish the test well and the recruiter can create a test easily.
***
Well, now you know why the take-home coding test should be considered as a technical assessment that can screen out the best developers. You also already know how to do a strategic take-home coding test. How, are you interested in implementing this method in your company’s tech-hiring?
If you are interested in other interesting information about recruitment and technology, you can visit Algobash Insight to find other articles.