The field of hiring in the tech industry is in the process of transition, and at the vanguard of this change are live coding interviews. These interviews have changed the approach used by the companies to evaluate technical personnel and are a more accurate and flexible method than the conventional ones. In the process of competition for the best talent, corporations need better and more effective methods of coding assessments.
Many of the old technical assessments focused on code samples and were usually individual efforts done at a bench with results checked afterward. Although these methods were reasonably helpful, they were unable to assess a candidate’s on-the-job solving abilities and flexibility. That brings us to live coding interviews – a more engaging approach that allows interviewers to evaluate a candidate’s coding skills as he or she solves a problem on the spot.
This transition is vital in organizations, particularly in today’s technical world that requires quick reasoning in addition to being well-informed. This has been done with coding assessment tools that offer real-time coding sessions, immediate feedback on the code, and opportunity for the candidate to work in tandem with the interviewer.
Advantages of live coding interviews
1. Real Time Evaluation of Problem-Solving Skills
Live coding interviews give an almost real-time view of how a candidate solves quite challenging tasks. As a result, the interviewers can see how the candidate codes, their speed, and their problem-solving skills among other aspects. It is especially relevant for positions where, for one reason or another, thinking has to occur relatively rapidly in a constantly shifting environment.
2. Improved Candidate Engagement
When one is in a competitive world in search of jobs, it is imperative to make sure that the candidates go through a positive candidate experience. Real time coding assessments are more interactive than typical tests that can make candidates present in front of the interviewers and display their prowess in a teaming environment. Besides, this interaction contributes to the candidates’ stress-free experience, and they also get a chance to showcase their interpersonal and performance under pressure.
3. Immediate and Constructive Feedback
Among the pros of live coding interviews, one can mention the possibility of giving feedback immediately. Candidates are accompanied during the session by interviewers who can suggest oracular ideas, or ask a candidate to look at the problem from another angle. It is this immediate feedback loop that aids a candidate to gain feedback concerning their performance and learn from it; it also enables an interviewer to get a rich understanding of the candidate’s approach to questions. Candidates who received feedback were 52% more likely to maintain a connection with the company.
4. Reducing Hiring Bias
This broad approach results in a less biased method of interviews by only judging a candidate’s suitability based on this performance in a live-coded interview as opposed to a paper-filled resume and previous job experience. This helps ensure that outcomes related to candidates are as fair as possible because they reflect on the real capabilities of the candidate and his or her problem-solving skills whenever faced with certain difficulties.
Also read: Coding Assessment Platform: Improving Developer Screening
How to Select the Right Coding Assessment Platform
As we have seen the more the companies adopt live coding interviews, the more they require reliable and capable coding assessment platforms. When selecting a platform, consider the following aspects:
1. Full Support of Language and Framework
Subsequently, the platform should be OS-compatible with different programming languages and frameworks for different technical positions. This is practical in a way that the assessment given is in line with the attributes needed for the job.
2. User-Friendly Interface
Accessibility is important for both the candidates as well as the interviewers and therefore a simple and designed interface is needed. The design of interfaces has to be very appealing because the complicatedness or stiffness of interaction with the chosen platform may overshadow the assessment itself.
3. Real-Time Collaboration Features
When selecting the social learning platforms, look for the following features: screen sharing, collaborative editing, and coding as well as integrated video conferencing. These features can help the interviewers to spend more time with the candidates and make the process of live coding seem more like a problem-solving activity.
4. Detailed Reporting and Analytics
It should be noted that the results of the interviews and subsequent analytics are extremely helpful in making the correct staffing decisions. The best platforms have breakdowns that cover specific aspects of the candidate’s performance and their level of coding on different levels.
Top 5 Coding assessment tools available in 2024
1. InCruiter
As a powerful multitasking coding assessment tool, InCruiter specializes in live coding interviews. It provides a set of live coding environments, video interviews, and technical assessments. The simplicity of the interface, combined with the comprehensive analysis capabilities offered by InCruiter, makes it an ideal tool for improving the company’s HR management.
2. HackerRank
Originally from India, it is one of the most widely used platforms related to coding since it supports a lot of languages and has the possibility of setting up the type of questions that shall be used. Employers of all types use it to conduct live coding interviews as well as technical assessments. Because of its collaboration features and auto-grading, HackerRank has become one of the most effective platforms for assessing the contenders’ technical skills.
3. Codility
Codility is meant to assist in the process of recruitment by limiting subjectivity and incorporating fairness into it. As such, it delivers the coding environments in real-time and reports performance in detail, thus helping companies make the right hiring decisions. Strong adherence to fairness and accuracy has given Codility wide acceptance among firms with a strong anti-discrimination policy.
4. CodeSignal
At CodeSignal, real programming problems and actual exercises are combined, which allows us to examine all sides of a candidate. due to its highly developed tools in analytics and compatibility with most of the standard ATS solutions, it is one of the best tools to use to evaluate technical and coding skills while recruiting.
5. Coderbyte
Coderbyte is one of the cheaper platforms for coding assessment with many coding problems and collaboration options. It is used mostly with startups and small companies that require an efficient, inexpensive way to provide technical assessments.
Also read: Live Coding Interview for Assessing Developers
Conclusion
With technological advancement as a factor, the procedures used to evaluate and select technical professionals are always likely to change. Real-time coding interviews enhanced by automation tools are all poised to become even more critical in the hiring process. Employers that use these tools stand a better chance of matching the right candidates for their positions, hence staffing the company with the right people for the job. InCruiter, among other market participants, is pushing the industry towards the future of technical assessments—a world that will focus on real-time skills, problem-solving potential, and objective evaluations.
