A candidate with three decades of experience came to us for his next role. He had excellent qualifications, a proven track record of success, references, and code readily available to review. His job expectations and compensation were commensurate with his experience. Yet, he had one additional requirement – he wouldn’t entertain any job interviews that required tech tests.
His reasoning? He’s spent the last 30 years building a wealth of real-life knowledge and practical experience. He isn’t coming out of college, needing to prove how well he learned to code in an academic setting. And, ultimately, he isn’t interested in giving away his time or solving one of the company’s challenges for free.
His ability to articulate why he wouldn’t entertain tech tests gave the team pause. At what point, if at all, do candidates have enough experience to bypass the traditional tech tests? Or, is there a better way for candidates to highlight their skills that don’t feel like sitting in a college classroom.
As we engaged with candidates with similar profiles, we asked about their experiences with technical tests as seasoned job seekers. For many, it’s a hoop they begrudgingly jump through to get to the finish line. Yet their insight provided us with information that is also paramount for our clients to know.
Ask Relevant Questions Instead
There is nothing worse than sitting through an interview where you feel as if the company doesn’t value experienced hires. Puzzles, riddles, and gotcha questions don’t give you valuable information. Most candidates are happy to answer technical questions, but loathe technical puzzles that are entirely irrelevant to the job at hand.
Nix Academic-Style Tests and Interviews
If you want to hire a junior programmer, they may have fresh material at the top of their mind. But for many experienced engineers, everything that was learned is wound up in decades of hands on experience. The goal is to do the job and do it right. In the real world, this includes being able to jog your memory via a quick Google search.
Take Tests at Face Value
Tests only measure what is on the test. They don’t take into consideration years of experience, managerial success, or the ability to oversee complicated projects.
Lay Out Reasonable Testing Expectations
Job seekers may have spent weeks or months submitting resumes and going through interviews. It’s likely that there are several companies at which they are interviewing. There is a thin line where take-home projects begin to feel like unpaid consulting time.
Flexible Tech Tests
If removing technical tests isn’t in the cards, embrace new ways to assess candidate skills and problem solving abilities. Many candidates expressed enthusiasm about pair programming. It gives them a live, team-based environment to demonstrate abilities and explain their process without the home-based projects or academic-heavy testing.
Eliminating technical testing in some form doesn’t seem likely for many organizations. But there is more than one way to approach how junior and senior level candidates are evaluated. Moreover, companies that are looking to hire quickly might attract experienced talent when a lengthy tech test if off the table.
