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The A-Zs Of Tech Recruiting: A Guide

The A-Zs Of Tech Recruiting: A Guide

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Ruehie Jaiya Karri
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January 13, 2022
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5 min read
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Developers today require a lot more from their jobs than just decent compensation and bonuses. In 2025, flexibility and work-from-home options take on a lot more priority than ever. In times of The Great Resignation, companies need to rework their tech recruiting policies and practices to attract top talent.

Conventional recruitment strategies don’t hold much water in the current tech hiring landscape. Recruiters and hiring managers who recognize this and start looking at newer recruiting methods will come out on top this year — create a workforce that is engaged, loyal, and future-ready.

With our collection of tech recruiting resources, change the way you build your tech teams for the better.

Engage

The smart recruiter does not wait for a talented employee to resign to jump into action. They would have engaged and started a dialogue with the developer community long before any job role opens up.

If developers recognize your brand they are quick to respond to you and your company’s updates. This way you have a warmed-up, talented developer pool at your fingertips.

What are the best ways for engaging and hiring tech talent?

In our recent survey of recruiters, we asked them to tell us their top methods of pre-hiring engagement. Here’s what they said:

  • Hackathons (32.1%)
  • Coding contests (27.4%)
  • Workshops (22.3%)
  • Webinars (16.2%)

The power of hackathons for tapping into the power of the developer community is something HackerEarth has been harnessing for eight years now.

  • What are the things you need to know going into a hackathon?

Read our Hackathon Survival Guide

  • What were the lessons we learned from running over 200 hackathons?

5 lessons we want to share with you

Attract and Source

Sourcing for a freshly opened job role is a tough ask. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to find great candidates, the deadlines to close a job role are unrealistic, and your talent pool is saturated. And this is where we got you covered!

Developer Hiring Statistics
  • How to write job postings that actually work where applications pour in by the thousands?

Download your copy today!

  • To write even better job postings and understand what you are looking for, design candidate personas. There is also a free template attached.

Guide to creating candidate personas

  • How do you make sure that your job postings are not gender-biased?

Write gender-fluid job descriptions

  • Hiring tech talent from social media is a skill in itself. Tailor your recruitment strategies to each platform with this cheat sheet.

Get the social recruiting cheat sheet

Assess and Screen

Why do traditional recruitment strategies fail, especially when assessing candidates?

  • In most campus hiring scenarios, developers are expected to solve coding problems with pen and paper. This is not how the real world works, and is akin to asking somebody to bake a cake without an oven — only leads to subpar performance. Showcasing their coding skills is the one thing developers need to be able to do and that can’t happen on a word processor tool.
  • If we put aside issues with manual testing methods, there’s the bigger problem of proctoring. With recruiters being worked to the bone during hiring season, human error is inevitable. Robust proctoring measures are the only way to ensure your candidates are not using unfair means to ace the test.

Given that coding assessments play a huge role in screening potential candidates, you ought to employ recruitment strategies that are the most intelligent, objective, and skill-based.

How can you take your recruitment strategies to the next level?

At HackerEarth, our motto has always been to match developers with the right opportunities. We designed our Assessment platform to make it easier for recruiters to create role-based tests.

Features of an online automated assessment tool

Let me show you 4 simple ways to create tests on our platform.

Create coding assessments on HackerEarth

It also comes with a built-in proctoring feature, making it easy for both developers and interviewers.

Explore our built-in proctoring features

Coding Interview

The last step in any tech recruiting process is the ‘Interview’. It is probably the most hated step, with developers over the years complaining about clunky and long-drawn-out interviews.

Why are coding interviews broken?

While this is not an exhaustive list, here are the most common reasons:

  • The interview looks nothing like the job. Developers are asked questions that do not showcase the technical skills required for the job. Solving questions using binary trees cannot be the most efficient way to test a developer’s coding knowledge.
  • Coding interviews are extremely hard, which has made developers wonder who they are designed for. Also, they happen to be conducted in unrealistic environments where developers have no access to code editors or IDEs.
  • Recruiters ghost candidates during the long interview process. They are left in the dark with no feedback, no idea what comes next, and no inkling of how they performed.

Can we fix them? Yes, it’s not too late!

First things first. What to look for when hiring a software developer? Will simply evaluating technical skills suffice? The answer is no.

If you want to hire the crème de la crème of the developer talent out there, you have to look for a well-rounded candidate.

#1 After speaking with several hiring managers, we’ve come up with a list of questions that showcase a developer’s technical skills.

Technical interview questions list

#2 Soft skills are like the cherry on top. They set the best of the candidates apart from the rest.

Behavioral interview questions list

#3 Our product whizkids have added new features to our intelligent remote interviewing tool, FaceCode to make the remote interview experience even better.

New updates for FaceCode

#4 Candidate experience in a tech interview is underrated. It is not given the attention it deserves, which leads to driving away talented candidates. Design a delightful candidate experience with FaceCode.

Get your copy of the ebook today!

What do the developer hiring trends look like in 2025?

It is always a good idea to stay abreast with the latest developer hiring trends that will inform the upcoming year.

  • Our 2021 Developer Survey report is packed with responses from 25,431 developers across 171 countries. Let’s find out what makes a developer tick, shall we?

Get your copy of the report now!

  • The brand new edition of our Developer Recruitment survey captured responses from 2500 HR and Engineering personnel. Let’s see how we can build great tech teams, going forward.

Download your copy of the report

Recruiting top tech talent the right way with our bonus recruiting resources

“How to recruit top tech talent in 2025?” is the main priority of recruiters across the globe. Coupled with everything we spoke about till now, here are some additional resources from HackerEarth’s archives that will set you up for success!

  • What does the developer hiring process include? Read more in this playbook on Better Tech Hiring.
  • Recruitment strategies in 2025 need to be highly data-driven. This is where a recruitment dashboard comes in handy. There’s a free template attached too.
  • Here is a 6-step guide to creating the most detailed and optimized recruiting budget sheet in 2025. Also, attached is a sample sheet for your reference.
  • Diversity and inclusion matter in 2025. With this handbook, ensure you stay on top of your D&I strategies.
  • What would be the best platform for hiring developers? What tools would you require for each stage of the tech recruiting process? Here is a comprehensive list of everything you’ll need.

Subscribe to The HackerEarth Blog

Get expert tips, hacks, and how-tos from the world of tech recruiting to stay on top of your hiring!

Author
Ruehie Jaiya Karri
Calendar Icon
January 13, 2022
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5 min read
Share

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Revolutionizing Mobile Talent Hiring: The HackerEarth Advantage

The demand for mobile applications is exploding, but finding and verifying developers with proven, real-world skills is more difficult than ever. Traditional assessment methods often fall short, failing to replicate the complexities of modern mobile development.

Introducing a New Era in Mobile Assessment

At HackerEarth, we're closing this critical gap with two groundbreaking features, seamlessly integrated into our Full Stack IDE:

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Now, assess mobile developers in their true native environment. Our enhanced Full Stack questions now offer full support for both Java and Kotlin, the core languages powering the Android ecosystem. This allows you to evaluate candidates on authentic, real-world app development skills, moving beyond theoretical knowledge to practical application.

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Say goodbye to setup drama and tool-switching. Candidates can now build, test, and debug Android and React Native applications directly within the browser-based IDE. This seamless, in-browser experience provides a true-to-life evaluation, saving valuable time for both candidates and your hiring team.

Assess the Skills That Truly Matter

With native Android support, your assessments can now delve into a candidate's ability to write clean, efficient, and functional code in the languages professional developers use daily. Kotlin's rapid adoption makes proficiency in it a key indicator of a forward-thinking candidate ready for modern mobile development.

Breakup of Mobile development skills ~95% of mobile app dev happens through Java and Kotlin
This chart illustrates the importance of assessing proficiency in both modern (Kotlin) and established (Java) codebases.

Streamlining Your Assessment Workflow

The integrated mobile emulator fundamentally transforms the assessment process. By eliminating the friction of fragmented toolchains and complex local setups, we enable a faster, more effective evaluation and a superior candidate experience.

Old Fragmented Way vs. The New, Integrated Way
Visualize the stark difference: Our streamlined workflow removes technical hurdles, allowing candidates to focus purely on demonstrating their coding and problem-solving abilities.

Quantifiable Impact on Hiring Success

A seamless and authentic assessment environment isn't just a convenience, it's a powerful catalyst for efficiency and better hiring outcomes. By removing technical barriers, candidates can focus entirely on demonstrating their skills, leading to faster submissions and higher-quality signals for your recruiters and hiring managers.

A Better Experience for Everyone

Our new features are meticulously designed to benefit the entire hiring ecosystem:

For Recruiters & Hiring Managers:

  • Accurately assess real-world development skills.
  • Gain deeper insights into candidate proficiency.
  • Hire with greater confidence and speed.
  • Reduce candidate drop-off from technical friction.

For Candidates:

  • Enjoy a seamless, efficient assessment experience.
  • No need to switch between different tools or manage complex setups.
  • Focus purely on showcasing skills, not environment configurations.
  • Work in a powerful, professional-grade IDE.

Unlock a New Era of Mobile Talent Assessment

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Vibe Coding: Shaping the Future of Software

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A New Era of Code

Vibe coding is a new method of using natural language prompts and AI tools to generate code. I have seen firsthand that this change makes software more accessible to everyone. In the past, being able to produce functional code was a strong advantage for developers. Today, when code is produced quickly through AI, the true value lies in designing, refining, and optimizing systems. Our role now goes beyond writing code; we must also ensure that our systems remain efficient and reliable.

From Machine Language to Natural Language

I recall the early days when every line of code was written manually. We progressed from machine language to high-level programming, and now we are beginning to interact with our tools using natural language. This development does not only increase speed but also changes how we approach problem solving. Product managers can now create working demos in hours instead of weeks, and founders have a clearer way of pitching their ideas with functional prototypes. It is important for us to rethink our role as developers and focus on architecture and system design rather than simply on typing c

The Promise and the Pitfalls

I have experienced both sides of vibe coding. In cases where the goal was to build a quick prototype or a simple internal tool, AI-generated code provided impressive results. Teams have been able to test new ideas and validate concepts much faster. However, when it comes to more complex systems that require careful planning and attention to detail, the output from AI can be problematic. I have seen situations where AI produces large volumes of code that become difficult to manage without significant human intervention.

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The Economic Impact

The democratization of code generation is altering the economic landscape of software development. As AI tools become more prevalent, the value of average coding skills may diminish, potentially affecting salaries for entry-level positions. Conversely, developers who excel in system design, architecture, and optimization are likely to see increased demand and compensation.​
Seizing the Opportunity

Vibe coding is most beneficial in areas such as rapid prototyping and building simple applications or internal tools. It frees up valuable time that we can then invest in higher-level tasks such as system architecture, security, and user experience. When used in the right context, AI becomes a helpful partner that accelerates the development process without replacing the need for skilled engineers.

This is revolutionizing our craft, much like the shift from machine language to assembly to high-level languages did in the past. AI can churn out code at lightning speed, but remember, “Any fool can write code that a computer can understand. Good programmers write code that humans can understand.” Use AI for rapid prototyping, but it’s your expertise that transforms raw output into robust, scalable software. By honing our skills in design and architecture, we ensure our work remains impactful and enduring. Let’s continue to learn, adapt, and build software that stands the test of time.​

Ready to streamline your recruitment process? Get a free demo to explore cutting-edge solutions and resources for your hiring needs.

Guide to Conducting Successful System Design Interviews in 2025

What is Systems Design?Systems Design is an all encompassing term which encapsulates both frontend and backend components harmonized to define the overall architecture of a product.Designing robust and scalable systems requires a deep understanding of application, architecture and their underlying components like networks, data, interfaces and modules.Systems Design, in its...

What is Systems Design?

Systems Design is an all encompassing term which encapsulates both frontend and backend components harmonized to define the overall architecture of a product.

Designing robust and scalable systems requires a deep understanding of application, architecture and their underlying components like networks, data, interfaces and modules.

Systems Design, in its essence, is a blueprint of how software and applications should work to meet specific goals. The multi-dimensional nature of this discipline makes it open-ended – as there is no single one-size-fits-all solution to a system design problem.

What is a System Design Interview?

Conducting a System Design interview requires recruiters to take an unconventional approach and look beyond right or wrong answers. Recruiters should aim for evaluating a candidate’s ‘systemic thinking’ skills across three key aspects:

How they navigate technical complexity and navigate uncertainty
How they meet expectations of scale, security and speed
How they focus on the bigger picture without losing sight of details

This assessment of the end-to-end thought process and a holistic approach to problem-solving is what the interview should focus on.

What are some common topics for a System Design Interview

System design interview questions are free-form and exploratory in nature where there is no right or best answer to a specific problem statement. Here are some common questions:

How would you approach the design of a social media app or video app?

What are some ways to design a search engine or a ticketing system?

How would you design an API for a payment gateway?

What are some trade-offs and constraints you will consider while designing systems?

What is your rationale for taking a particular approach to problem solving?

Usually, interviewers base the questions depending on the organization, its goals, key competitors and a candidate’s experience level.

For senior roles, the questions tend to focus on assessing the computational thinking, decision making and reasoning ability of a candidate. For entry level job interviews, the questions are designed to test the hard skills required for building a system architecture.

The Difference between a System Design Interview and a Coding Interview

If a coding interview is like a map that takes you from point A to Z – a systems design interview is like a compass which gives you a sense of the right direction.

Here are three key difference between the two:

Coding challenges follow a linear interviewing experience i.e. candidates are given a problem and interaction with recruiters is limited. System design interviews are more lateral and conversational, requiring active participation from interviewers.

Coding interviews or challenges focus on evaluating the technical acumen of a candidate whereas systems design interviews are oriented to assess problem solving and interpersonal skills.

Coding interviews are based on a right/wrong approach with ideal answers to problem statements while a systems design interview focuses on assessing the thought process and the ability to reason from first principles.

How to Conduct an Effective System Design Interview

One common mistake recruiters make is that they approach a system design interview with the expectations and preparation of a typical coding interview.
Here is a four step framework technical recruiters can follow to ensure a seamless and productive interview experience:

Step 1: Understand the subject at hand

  • Develop an understanding of basics of system design and architecture
  • Familiarize yourself with commonly asked systems design interview questions
  • Read about system design case studies for popular applications
  • Structure the questions and problems by increasing magnitude of difficulty

Step 2: Prepare for the interview

  • Plan the extent of the topics and scope of discussion in advance
  • Clearly define the evaluation criteria and communicate expectations
  • Quantify constraints, inputs, boundaries and assumptions
  • Establish the broader context and a detailed scope of the exercise

Step 3: Stay actively involved

  • Ask follow-up questions to challenge a solution
  • Probe candidates to gauge real-time logical reasoning skills
  • Make it a conversation and take notes of important pointers and outcomes
  • Guide candidates with hints and suggestions to steer them in the right direction

Step 4: Be a collaborator

  • Encourage candidates to explore and consider alternative solutions
  • Work with the candidate to drill the problem into smaller tasks
  • Provide context and supporting details to help candidates stay on track
  • Ask follow-up questions to learn about the candidate’s experience

Technical recruiters and hiring managers should aim for providing an environment of positive reinforcement, actionable feedback and encouragement to candidates.

Evaluation Rubric for Candidates

Facilitate Successful System Design Interview Experiences with FaceCode

FaceCode, HackerEarth’s intuitive and secure platform, empowers recruiters to conduct system design interviews in a live coding environment with HD video chat.

FaceCode comes with an interactive diagram board which makes it easier for interviewers to assess the design thinking skills and conduct communication assessments using a built-in library of diagram based questions.

With FaceCode, you can combine your feedback points with AI-powered insights to generate accurate, data-driven assessment reports in a breeze. Plus, you can access interview recordings and transcripts anytime to recall and trace back the interview experience.

Learn how FaceCode can help you conduct system design interviews and boost your hiring efficiency.

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