In today's fast-paced and highly competitive market, the importance of recruiting top software developers cannot be overstated. 

With the increasing demand for skilled professionals in the field of software development, companies are facing significant challenges in finding and hiring the best talent. In order to stay ahead of the competition and continue to innovate, it is essential for businesses to invest in a solid and capable team of software developers.

In 2023, the need for experienced software developers will be even more important (just look at the AI job market). Businesses will continue to require talented professionals who can develop solutions that meet their needs. 

To stay ahead of the competition, it is crucial for businesses to understand the best practices for recruiting and retaining top software developers.  

To help you out, in this article, we'll share with you the best practices for recruiting top software developers in 2023, so you can ensure that you have the best team in place to drive your business forward.

Let's jump right in.

## Start with the core competencies

To ensure that you are recruiting the right software developers, it is necessary first to define what skills and experiences you need for the job.

This will make it easier to find professionals who have the necessary skills and qualifications needed to handle the job successfully.

Ask yourself questions like, what programming languages are required? What platforms do you need them to be familiar with? And what kind of experience does an ideal candidate need to bring to your organization?

These questions will help you create a clear profile of the [ideal candidate](https://vervoe.com/ideal-candidate-profile/), making it easier for you to find the right software developers.

When defining competencies, be sure to think beyond the basics of coding knowledge and technical skills – consider other areas such as problem-solving abilities, creativity, leadership potential, and [communication skills](https://novoresume.com/career-blog/communication-skills).

Software development requires more than just technical proficiency and experience. It also requires specific ‘soft skills that are essential for working in a team or managing projects effectively.

A good idea of what you are looking for will make the recruitment process much easier and quicker.

## Develop a comprehensive job description

Once you have a clear idea of the skills and competencies that you need in your software development team, it is important to [create an effective job description](https://www.cio.com/article/230924/how-to-craft-highly-effective-job-descriptions.html) that accurately reflects the requirements of the role.

A detailed job description should include information about the job responsibilities, the required qualifications and experience needed for the role, any additional requirements such as programming languages or platforms, salary expectations, and any desired qualities or characteristics for the position.

You also want to include details about the company, team, and culture. 

This is a great opportunity to showcase the benefits and perks of working at your company and give potential candidates an idea of what it would be like to join your team. By providing this information, you can ensure that candidates understand exactly what they are getting into before they even apply for the role.

Having a comprehensive job description will make it easier to attract the right candidates and will help you narrow down your list of potential hires quickly and efficiently.

## Use a variety of recruitment channels to reach potential candidates

Recruiting top software developers can be challenging, especially if you don't have access to the right channels. To ensure that you are reaching a broad range of talented candidates, it is important to use [multiple recruitment channels](https://www.talentvine.com.au/2022/07/06/why-are-multi-channel-sourcing-approaches-so-successful/) in your search.

Using a variety of recruitment channels will increase your chances of finding the perfect candidate for the job.

### Job boards and online platforms

Job boards and online platforms are great ways to find potential software developers. [Indeed](https://www.indeed.com/), [Authentic Jobs](https://authenticjobs.com/) and [GitHub](https://github.com/) are some of the most popular platforms for recruiting software developers. 

These sites allow you to post job openings and search for candidates who meet your criteria, making it easy to find qualified applicants for the role quickly.

### Social media

Social media is a great tool for connecting with potential software developers. Platforms such as LinkedIn and Twitter are ideal for finding talented professionals who may not be actively looking for a job, but would still be interested in your position. 

By connecting with potential candidates and sharing information about your company, you can reach a wider range of talent and increase the chances of finding the perfect hire for your team.

### Professional networking events and industry conferences

Professional networking events and industry conferences are amazing for connecting with potential software developers. Not only do they provide a great opportunity to meet and interact with potential candidates, but they also give you a chance to find out more about their skills and experience in person.

These events are also a great way to build relationships with potential hires before they even apply for the job – which can help you to stand out from other companies when recruiting top talent.

### Employee referral programs

[Employee referral programs](https://recruitee.com/articles/employee-referrals) are another great tool for recruiting software developers. By incentivizing current employees to refer candidates, you can tap into their existing networks and find talented professionals who may not be actively looking for a job.

By incentivizing referrals, you can increase the chances of finding qualified applicants and make sure that you're getting access to top-tier talent.

## Offer competitive compensation and benefits packages

Competitive compensation and benefits packages are essential to attracting top software developers. By offering competitive salaries and attractive benefits, you can stand out from other companies and ensure that you're attracting the best talent for the job.

### Research market rates and industry standards

Before you start recruiting, it's important to research the market rates and industry standards for software developers. This will help you determine the best salary and benefits packages for your company and ensure that you're offering competitive compensation to attract top talent.

Keep in mind that salaries can vary depending on experience level, so make sure you take this into account.

### Consider offering flexible work arrangements

Flexible work arrangements, such as remote work or part-time options, can be a great way to attract more qualified candidates. Not only do they offer potential hires the opportunity to balance their professional and personal lives, but they can also provide your company with access to a wider range of talent who may not have applied otherwise.

By offering flexible work arrangements, you can increase your chances of finding the perfect software developer for your team.

### Provide a comprehensive benefits package, including health insurance, retirement plans, and professional development opportunities

When it comes to attracting top software developers, a comprehensive benefits package can make all the difference. Not only should you offer health insurance and retirement plans but also professional development opportunities such as training courses or mentorship programs.

These benefits can help potential hires feel more valued and appreciated – which is essential for attracting qualified candidates and retaining top talent.

## Create a welcoming and inclusive workplace culture

[Creating a welcoming and inclusive workplace culture](https://builtin.com/company-culture/positive-work-culture) is essential for recruiting top software developers in 2023. You should focus on creating a space where all employees feel comfortable expressing themselves and their ideas, as this can help to foster innovation and increase morale.

You should also make sure that you're fostering open communication between colleagues and providing training and resources to help employees grow and develop.

### Implement diversity hiring goals and strategies

Diversity hiring goals and strategies should be part of your recruitment process for software developers in 2023. By setting specific goals and implementing strategies to reach them, you can ensure that your recruitment process is more inclusive and encourages diversity within the workplace.

These goals should include things like actively seeking out underrepresented groups in tech, creating pipelines for diverse talent, and [working with recruiters who specialize in diversity hiring](https://business.linkedin.com/talent-solutions/diversity-inclusion-belonging/diverse-hiring-practices).

### Ensure equal opportunities for all candidates during the recruitment and hiring process

It's essential to ensure that all candidates have an equal opportunity during the recruitment and hiring process. This means having a fair and unbiased approach to reviewing applications, conducting interviews, and making hiring decisions. 

To do this, you should review job descriptions with an eye for potential bias and ensure that the recruitment process is consistent for all candidates. You should also use diverse interview panels to ensure that everyone gets the same opportunity regardless of their background or identity. 

By following these best practices, you can ensure that your recruitment process is both fair and effective when it comes to finding the right software developers for your team in 2023.  

With a diverse and inclusive approach to recruitment, you can have greater success in attracting skilled talent who can contribute to the growth of your company.

## Conduct thorough interviews and assessments

In order to make sure you are hiring the best software developers who are at the same time the best fit for your team, you should conduct thorough interviews and assessments. 

This may include coding tests or problem-solving exercises to evaluate a candidate's technical skills, as well as one-on-one meetings to get a better understanding of their personality and working style.

This will help you make sure that each potential hire is a good fit for your team, as well as identify any areas where they may need additional training or support.

### Use a combination of technical and behavioral interviews

When interviewing potential software developers for your team in 2023, it is vital to use a combination of technical and behavioral interviews. 

This will help you get a more complete picture of the candidate's skills and experience and their attitudes, communication styles, and other behaviors that may be important for working on your team. 

By combining both types of interviews, you can ensure that each candidate is evaluated on their merits and potential rather than just their technical abilities.

### Implement technical assessments or coding challenges to evaluate candidates' abilities

In addition to conducting interviews and assessments, you should also consider implementing technical assessments or coding challenges to evaluate candidates' abilities. By doing this, you can get a clearer understanding of their technical skills and knowledge and identify potential areas for improvement.

These challenges or assessments should be tailored specifically to the role that the candidate is applying for, as they will give you a better understanding of how the candidate will perform in that particular role.

### Evaluate candidates' fit with the team and company culture

When selecting software developers for your team, it is important to evaluate not only their technical abilities but also their fit with the team and company culture. Understanding how a candidate will interact with their coworkers and contribute to the overall atmosphere of the workplace can be just as important as their coding skills.

To do this, you should pay attention to how candidates interact with the panel during interviews and consider any qualities that stand out. This could include strong communication skills, an ability to work well in a team, or even a sense of humor. All of this can help you ensure that the candidate will be a good fit for your team and company culture.

## Conclusion

As the need for skilled software developers continues to rise, it is essential for companies to implement effective recruitment strategies in order to attract and retain top talent. 

Following the best practices discussed in this article, companies can position themselves as attractive employers and successfully compete for top software developers in 2023 and beyond.

With the right strategies in place, you can find the perfect candidates for your team who will help to drive success and growth in your company. 

We hope you found this blog post helpful, and we wish you the best of luck in your recruitment efforts!

To stay ahead of the competition, it is crucial for businesses to understand the best practices for recruiting and retaining top software developers.

The Best Practices To Recruit Top Software Developers In 2023

In 2023, hiring the right developers for your startup will be more critical than ever.

With the digital landscape constantly changing and evolving, having a team of talented developers is essential for a successful business venture so it's important to make sure you hire the best developers who have the skills and experience to help drive your business forward.

However, finding and hiring the right developers for your startup can seem daunting, especially if you've never done it before.

Luckily, we are here to help!

In this article, we'll cover everything you need to know about hiring developers for your startup in 2023, including the best places to look, tips and tricks for finding great candidates, and the qualifications needed to be successful.

So, let's get started!

## How to Hire Developers for Your Startup in 2023

In order for you to fully understand and learn how to hire developers for your startup, there are 3 things we are going to focus on in this article:

*   What to look for in a developer
*   Where to look for developers
*   How to hire developers

Let's first start off with what to look for in a developer.

## What to Look for in a Developer

Before starting the hiring process, it’s important to have a clear understanding of what you’re looking for in a developer.

How can you expect to find the right developer if you don't even know what you're looking for?

This includes not only technical skills and experience but also personal qualities such as problem-solving abilities, collaboration skills, and a growth mindset.

Having a clear job description and list of requirements will help you attract the right candidates and ensure that they align with your company’s values and culture. It will also make it easier to screen and evaluate potential hires.

Some [qualities you may want to look out for when hiring](https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/qualities-employers-want) include:

Some key skills and experience to consider for developer roles include:

*   In-depth knowledge of programming languages, frameworks, and tools
*   Experience with agile development methodologies
*   The ability to work independently
*   Strong problem-solving skills
*   Good communication and collaboration skills
*   The ability to learn new things quickly
*   A growth mindset
*   Knowledge of algorithms and data structures
*   Experience with big data, machine learning, or artificial intelligence
*   A proven track record of delivering high-quality code

Now, while technical skills and experience are important, don't forget to also take into account the personal qualities mentioned above. After all, the best developers have both technical and personal skills!

And don't forget that one of the most important qualities you should look for in a developer is their enthusiasm for the project and its goals. A great development team will be passionate about the work they do, and their enthusiasm will go a long way in driving the success of your project.

## Where to Look for Developers

Now that you know what to look for in a developer, it's time to start looking for them.

You can't expect best-in-class developers to come knocking at your door, so you'll need to be proactive in searching for them.

Here are a few ways to go about this:

### Tap Into Your Network 

One of the best ways to find a great developer is by tapping into your network.

Reach out to people in your field or industry and ask if they know any good developers who might be available for hire.

You'd be surprised at how quickly word gets around when you're looking for someone with particular skills or experience.

Plus, if someone in your network recommends a developer, chances are they already know what kind of work they’re capable of doing and can vouch for their skills and reliability. 

### Freelance Platforms 

if you don't have much luck tapping into your existing network, you can always take your search online.

One of the easiest ways to find developers is through freelance platforms such as [Upwork](https://www.upwork.com/) and [Fiverr](https://www.fiverr.com/).

These platforms connect professionals with employers looking for their services. You can easily browse through portfolios and reviews to get an idea of what each developer is capable of doing.

Furthermore, you can also check out any ratings they may have from previous projects they’ve worked on and even get an estimate on how much it would cost to hire them. All of this makes it easier to find qualified candidates who fit within your budget. 

### Social Networks 

Social networks such as [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/) are also great places to look for developers and other tech professionals. On LinkedIn, you can search for people based on their skills, experience, and location. 

You can also join groups related to your field or industry and meet potential candidates that way. Plus, since many tech professionals use LinkedIn as their main platform for networking and finding jobs, it’s easy to reach out directly with messages or job postings if needed.   

### Look Locally 

If you’re looking to hire developers for your startup, don’t forget to look locally. There may be talented developers who live close to you who could be interested in working for your company.

Check out local tech meetups, hackathons, and coding challenges to see if anyone stands out. You can also reach out to local tech schools and universities as they often have talented students who could be a great fit for your project.

### Use a Recruiting Agency 

Lastly, you can always consider [using a recruiting agency](https://www.morganmckinley.com/article/best-recruitment-agency) to find the right developer for your project.

Recruiting agencies specialize in sourcing tech talent and will be able to quickly connect you with qualified developers who match your criteria.

Plus, they’ll already have a pool of pre-screened candidates to choose from, so you won’t have to worry about having to do all the legwork yourself.

The only downside is that they tend to be more expensive than other [methods of sourcing developers](https://www.lever.co/recruiting-resources/articles/candidate-sourcing-strategies/), but if you have the budget for it and need to find someone quickly that is perfect for what you need, it could be worth the extra cost.

Now that you know where to look for developers, let’s move on to how you can best go about actually hiring one.

## How to Hire Developers for Your Startup 

When it comes time to actually hire a developer, it can be a daunting task. You want to make sure you’re hiring the right person for the job, but you also don’t want to waste time and money on someone who isn’t a good fit.

What can help tremendously is having processes and procedures in place to make sure you’re selecting the right person for the job.

Here are some essential steps that should be part of your hiring process: 

### Set up a hiring team

Start by setting up a hiring team that is responsible for the recruitment process.

If have the small team, it's great idea to involve all of them in the process, as it can help to get different perspectives on which candidate would make the best fit for your team.

We all have certain biases when it comes to judging people, and having multiple opinions can help to reduce this, so, to ensure objectivity, it’s best to involve several people in the decision-making process. Make everyone in your company review resumes and interviews, and then come to a consensus on who should be hired.

If you have a larger team, then decide who will be on the hiring team. Usually that would be the 

CTO, hiring manager and other tech-team members.

### Define selection criteria

The next step is to set some selection criteria. This is one of the most important steps in the hiring process.

The selection criteria is standard that you use to measure each candidate against, so it’s important to have them in place before any interviews or resumes are reviewed.

The criteria should include the minimum qualifications necessary to be hired, such as education level, programming language skills, experience, and any other relevant technical or personal qualities.

You should also include any other criteria that you feel is important for the position, such as problem-solving skills, communication abilities and so on.

We covered this in the beginning so we won't go into too much detail here. But, just remember, the selection criteria should be comprehensive and clearly defined to help you make an informed decision when it comes time to make a hire.

### Conducting interviews

Once you have the selection criteria in place, it’s time to start conducting interviews.

This can be done remotely or in-person, depending on your preference, but as the [pandemic has changed the way businesses interact with candidates](https://howett-thorpe.co.uk/news/recruitment/two-years-of-pandemic-recruitment-how-has-the-industry-changed/), more and more companies are opting for remote interviews as they’re often a quicker and easier way to screen candidates.

Before conducting an interview, make sure to have a list of pre-written questions ready. This will help keep the interview on track and ensure that you cover everything you need to know about a candidate in the shortest amount of time.

When interviewing a potential developer, it’s important to not only ask them technical questions but also get a sense of their personalitiy to ensure they’ll fit in with the rest of your team.

Once you have conducted all your interviews and identified a suitable candidate, it's time for assesment.

### Assessment

Once you have narrowed down your list of potential hires, it’s time to assess their skills.

This can be done in a variety of ways: you can give them a coding test, ask them to complete a real-world project or have them work on an existing project as part of their assessment.

This will help you to see how quickly they learn and understand the project, as well as assess their technical skills.

It also helps to get an idea of how the potential hire would work as part of your team, so it’s important to include this step in the hiring process.

### Make an offer

Once you’ve identified your preferred candidate, it's time to make an offer.

When making an offer, the salary should be competitive, but it’s also important to include other benefits and incentives such as health insurance and vacation time.

These can be huge draws for prospective developers, so make sure that you’re offering a package that is competitive and attractive.

Once you have agreed on the terms of employment, make sure to get everything in writing and send out a contract. This will ensure that both parties are fully aware of their obligations and will also protect you if any legal issues arise.

## Conclusion

Hiring developers for your startup in 2023 can be daunting, but with the right process and preparation, you can find the right developer to help you take your startup to the next level.

By following the steps outlined here, you’ll be well on your way to finding a developer who will fit in perfectly with your team and help you realize your startup’s vision. 

Good luck!

Everything you need to know about hiring developers for your startup in 2023, including the best places to look, tips and tricks for finding great candidates, and the qualifications needed to be successful.

Everything you need to know about hiring developers for your startup in 2023. 

How to Hire Developers for Your Startup in 2023

It became a cliche to say how much the pandemic has impacted everyday life, including where and how people work. But that is precisely the reason why we see dysfunctional teams and companies. During the pandemic, especially curfews, people start to reassess their priorities. And some of them decided work is not what is (the most) important. 

This impacted the relationships and communication with employees and managers. Consequently, it influenced how the work was done. Employees feel disconnected, which makes them frustrated. They also see how others are working less than usual, so they ask themselves: 

> Why should I put any additional effort into my job, when bare minumum is enough? 

And that is how every quiet quitting story is started.  

In this article, we will cover five topics to help you understand quiet quitting and prevent it. 

This article includes the following:

*   what is quite quitting
*   sign of quite quitting 
*   how to deal with it 
*   how to prevent it
*   quiet quitting tips 

## What is quiet quitting? 

It is a form of **employee disengagement** where employees decide to fulfill only the bare minimum job requirements. Their only goal is to keep the job and nothing more. They don't care whether the company will succeed, their team's future, and how to make an impact. Usually, they don't care about career advancement. 

It can be seen as an employee power move. —an effort to regain or retain their self-respect when they feel a psychological threat in the workplace from those who make the rules,"

But this became a movement that has been gaining instigation since 2021. While the trend to give everything for the job lasted for a long time, numerous people only want to do the contractually agreed minimum while generally looking for a new job.

[Reddit's antiwork community](https://www.reddit.com/r/antiwork/) has more than 2.3 million members, mainly from North America. Even though the community is not solely focused on quite quitting, most of their member are inserted in techniques, examples, and even guides on how to do it. 

### Whom should we blame?

This depends on the view - from the managerial, moral, and business culture. 

Some people see it as an employee power move—an effort to regain or retain their self-respect when they feel a psychological threat in the workplace from those who make the rules,"

Some see it as a response to hustle culture. A mentality that is goal oriented where a person is committed to doing whatever it takes to get ahead, no matter what, regardless of how insurmountable the challenges are. So some communities see Quiet quitting as an active protest to hustle culture. 

However, there are valid assumptions that [managers must be blamed](https://blog.sage.hr/the-quiet-quitting-movement/). 

![](https://depository.talentkit.io/images/IMG_wPbbk9BsV6ugL7iqGgow3rcuVxKbUi.png)

And that is what research from the [Gallup study](https://www.gallup.com/workplace/398306/quiet-quitting-real.aspx) is showing. A study finds that "Quiet quitters" make up at least 50% of the U.S. workforce and probably even more. Also concerning data is U.S. employee engagement, which is at the lowest level in almost a decade. The ratio of engaged to actively disengaged employees is now 1.8 to 1. 

## How to prevent quiet quitting? 

It's a phenomenon that no manager wants to see happen. This "quiet quitting" can be detrimental to morale and productivity, and you must do what you can to prevent it from happening in your workplace. Here are three key strategies:

1\. **Properly compensate your team.** Employees who feel undervalued or underpaid are much more likely to quietly quit than those who feel fairly compensated for their work. Ensure you're offering competitive salaries and benefits and that salary increases are tied to performance.

2\. **Listen to your team members.** Take the time to get feedback from your team regularly and act on it. Employees who feel their concerns are being heard and addressed are much less likely to quietly quit.

3\. **Maintain boundaries**. A healthy work/life balance is crucial for preventing quiet quitting. Make sure your team members have the time to recharge outside of work and don't feel like they're expected to be available 24/7. By respecting your employees' time, you'll build the trust and loyalty that will prevent them from leaving without notice.

## Conclusion 

Now that you understand what quiet quitting is, why it exists and how to prevent it, you should think about signals from your team members. Try to talk to them as soon as possible and understand their views and emotions. 

By doing so, you will understand whether there are any issues and how to manage them on time.

Everything you should know about quiet quitting in software and remote first companies.

Everything you need to know about Quiet quitting

Are your candidates leaving you in the dust once they find out you have a take-home assessment? How can you avoid getting ghosted by talent with just a few key improvements in your recruitment process? Here are effective tips to make sure you don’t drive the people you want away with your take-home evaluations. 

There are few things more frustrating in the recruitment journey than losing a candidate mid-way or because of small details like take-home assessment management or miscommunication. 

  
 

To prevent you from losing talent in an ever-increasingly competitive market, there are a few things you can do, like.

  
 

1.  Asses what are the major issues
2.  Create template explanations and responses to answer candidates' questions 
3.  Say on top of communication with organization and tracking tools 

## Why are take-home assignments necessary? 

Even if they can cause some prospects to fall out of the process, it cannot be denied that the right type of assessment can help prevent companies from hiring the wrong candidate. 

  
 

Take-home assignments are a necessary part of many hiring processes. According to a [Criteria study, nearly half of resumes contain lies (46%)](https://www.criteriacorp.com/resources/definitive_guide_benefits_of_preemployment_tests.php), and up to 74% of candidates have tampered with facts. 

  
 

So, it's safe to assume there can be gaps in candidates' skills and it's better to have proof they meet minimum skills requirements. This type of evaluation also allows junior but talented applicants to access higher positions. 

## Why are you losing candidates' interest mid-process? 

The first question you need to answer to address the problem is why you are losing candidates with your assignments. This will lead to identifying causes and coming up with solutions. 

  
 

Applicants can have some justified doubts about take-home assignments, including time and privacy concerns. All of these are justified and you can work around them to make the candidate feel more comfortable and open to continuing the process. 

## The problem with take-home assessments in recruitment

There are many issues that stem from exaggerated, invasive, or exploitative take-home assignments. These can not only make your candidate exit the recruitment early it can also affect your brand image. 

  
 

According to [research](https://www.retorio.com/retorio-candidate-experience-overview) 64% of people share their negative hiring experiences, and up to 27% actively discourage peers from applying to the same company. So, keeping your candidate journey manageable not only helps you hire people it also protects your image. 

  
 

When [building your take-home assignments](https://talentkit.io/blog/how-to-prepare-skill-assessment) you need to consider all the factors that come into play. 

  
 

1.  Time 

Is it possible for a candidate with a full-time job, family, and friends to finish this in the time given? 

  
 

1.  Accuracy 

Is this a skill or problem that they will actually work on in their day-to-day job? There is no need to make the test ten times harder than the position demands.

  
 

1.  Impact

What are the skills you truly need to test to make sure the person is compatible with the role and what can be taught in the onboarding process? 

## What are candidates' concerns when it comes to take-home assessments and how to address them? 

One of the best ways to keep candidates involved and interested in positions is to anticipate their needs. So, it helps to know the most common problems that they have with this type of assignment. 

  
 

As you can imagine with a high rate of up to [60% of candidates quitting role applications because of complex and long processes](https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/technology/pages/study-most-job-seekers-abandon-online-job-applications.aspx#:~:text=According%20to%20CareerBuilder%2C%2060%20percent,abandonment%20rate%20may%20be%20conservative), there are a lot of issues to address here, we are going to focus on the specifics of take-home assessments. 

### Why do companies need this assignment?

The first question is _“why do they need me to do this?”_ when they have access to my resume, LinkedIn profile, and more. 

  
 

You can nip this in the bud quickly by sending a detailed explanation when you send the test to the candidate. 

  
 

Tell them why you need the assignment and how it benefits them.

  
 

*   You can better assess skills and aptitudes
*   They get better placements and onboarding 
*   Junior talent can have a chance at higher positions 
*   Compatibility to workflow is achieved determined early  

  
 

These points can help answer most of the questions for the candidates, put them at ease with the test and move the process forward. 

### Sharing solutions without receiving credit 

Reassure candidates that you are not trying to take advantage of the situation but instead are hoping to make a better match for both. 

  
 

Make sure to introduce a privacy policy and answer questions regarding what the test will be used for. Try to get a technical asset to explain the aim of the test and to create your assignments from problems that are already solved. 

  
 

This way, you can send out tests without the suspicion of a conflict of interest. 

### That it goes unnoticed 

Everyone hates working for nothing, and candidates do too. One of the reasons they might reject an assignment in a recruitment process is the belief that it will be seen and evaluated by no one. 

  
 

It's part of the hiring party's responsibility to clarify how the assessments will be evaluated and by who. 

  
 

Make sure the candidates are aware of the importance of the test, give them feedback even if they don’t succeed, and make sure they know it was noticed. 

### It is a waste of time 

Some prospects may feel like the decision on the hire is already made, that it will come through referrals or internally. 

  
 

Again, making sure they know the importance given to the assignment and the benefits it could have for them in getting the job will help reduce this feeling. 

### Will it be an accurate representation of their skills 

Another issue that candidates may have with assessments in recruitment processes is whether these will be a true representation of the value they bring to the table. 

  
 

The bottom line is if you are applying for a job, you want to be given a fair chance to prove that you are a good fit and that your skills are up to par. 

  
 

To assure candidates that assessments are to be used fairly, make sure to share with them how the take-home assignments are going to be evaluated and used in the process.

### Assignments that are too difficult 

You want to challenge candidates to get a good evaluation of their skills. However, you do not want to discourage participation by sending impossible or difficult tasks as part of your hiring process. 

  
 

At any step in a recruitment process, you need to remember the talent has other responsibilities and limited time to tackle your take-home assignments. 

  
 

Unless you have a highly competitive package to incentivize, you should adjust your test to meet both the job skills and the constraints of applicants. 

### Sometimes they just forget 

We are just human and sometimes we just forget to complete or hand tasks over in time. There are so many candidates that are excited to continue with recruitment and find themselves cast out just by missing a deadline. 

  
 

The best part about this problem is how easy it is to fix it! Using [preflight check resources like TalentKit software](https://talentkit.io/), you can get your candidates aware and on track to complete tasks with just a few clicks. 

  
 

Make tools like this part of your recruitment software so you are automating solutions and getting ahead of issues like this. 

## Get talented candidates through the door and enthusiastic about your hiring process 

Yes, it is true that take-home assignments can be the cause of a lot of candidates dropping out of your process. It is also true that there are simple and effective solutions for you to prevent this from happening as often. 

  
 

Let’s recap what can help you:

  
 

*   Explain aspects of the test to candidates thoroughly, like privacy, evaluation, and reasoning 
*   Reassure candidates that take-home assignments are valued, evaluated, and their efforts will be noted 
*   Create tests that are balanced and consider candidates' other responsibilities 
*   Add preflight check tools like TalentKit to your resources

Candidates' churn rate - the worst thing that can happen to the recruiter. Use these tips to improve candidate experience and lower churn.

How to lower candidate churn rate with take-home assessments

_**"How do you develop the best take-home challenge?"**_

  
 

This is a question that many businesses face when they are looking to assess the skill of their candidates. However, it's not the easiest one to answer.

  
 

You want to make sure that the take-home challenge is comprehensive enough that it accurately assesses the skill of the candidate but, at the same time, you don't want it to be too difficult or time-consuming that it becomes a deterrent for candidates.

  
 

You also want it to be specific to the skill set that you're looking for and that is engaging enough that the candidate will actually want to complete it.

  
 

As you can see there are a lot of factors to consider and many different ways that you can approach developing a take-home challenge, so it can be difficult to know which route to take and which one is the best for your business. 

  
 

To help you out, we decided to write this article in which we'll cover different things you need to think about when developing a take-home challenge as well as some tips and advice to help you create the best one possible.

  
 

So without further ado, let's get started!

  
 

## How do most companies develop their take-home challenge?

Before we get into how you can develop the best take-home challenge, it's important to understand how most companies develop their take-home challenges.

  
 

Oftentimes, businesses will simply come up with a challenge on their own without much thought or planning involved.

  
 

Most of the hiring managers will check what was a previous challenge, they'll ask Google and maybe talk to a few people and a couple of team members. Then they sit and develop it in one shot. 

  
 

As you can guess, this is not the best way to approach developing a take-home challenge.

Not only is it more likely that the challenge won't be comprehensive or accurate enough, but it can also end up being too difficult, not specific enough, or simply unengaging for candidates.

  
 

Now, you might be wondering why most companies develop their take-home challenges in this way if it's not the best way to go about it.

  
 

Well, the answer is actually simple: _because they don't know any better._

  
 

You see, most people are not professionals in developing challenges to test skills. How many challenges have seen in your life? How many you have personally developed?

  
 

Chances are, not many.

  
 

And so, it's only natural that companies would develop their take-home challenges in a way that is less than ideal because they simply don't have the experience or expertise to do it any other way.

  
 

Fortunately, you're not like most companies.

  
 

You're reading this article, which means that you're already ahead of the curve and are looking to develop a take-home challenge the right way. Whether you are just starting to develop your take-home challenge or you already have one and you're looking to improve it, this article will definitely be of help.

  
 

It's important to note here that there's no one size fits all solution when it comes to developing a take-home challenge. Every company is different and as such, every take-home challenge should be different as well. What works for one company might not work for another, and vice versa.

  
 

Because of this, no one can tell you exactly what your take-home challenge should look like and you can’t copy someone else's take-home challenge.

  
 

You'll need to put in the work to develop your own unique take-home challenge that is tailored specifically for your company. This is the only way to ensure that you're developing the best take-home challenge possible.

  
 

However, even though there's no one size fits all solution, there are still some general principles, guidelines, tips, and things that you need to think about and consider when developing your take-home challenge to make sure that it's the best it can be.

  
 

If you can keep these things in mind, and carefully consider each one as you're developing your take-home challenge, you'll be well on your way to developing a **top-notch take-home challenge** that will serve its purpose well.

  
 

## How to develop the best take-home challenge

Now that we cleared that up, let's get into the specifics of how you can develop the best take-home challenge.

### Define your expectations

When it comes to developing a take-home challenge, the first thing you need to do is sit down and define your expectations. 

  
 

You need to ask yourself what exactly it is that you want to achieve with this challenge. 

*   What skills are you trying to assess?
*   Are you looking for candidates who can code well? 
*   Are you looking for candidates who are good at problem-solving?
*   Are you looking for candidates who are good communicators?
*   All of the above?

  
 

It's important that you have a clear understanding of what it is you're trying to assess before you start developing your take-home challenge. This will make it much easier to develop a challenge that is comprehensive and accurate enough to assess the skills that you're looking for. 

  
 

You also want to set priority levels for the skills that you're trying to assess.

  
 

For example, if you're looking for candidates who can code well, but their design skills are not as important, then you would want to set a higher priority for [coding skills](https://www.revelo.com/blog/coding-assessment-tools) than design skills.

  
 

This will help you focus on what's most important and ensure that your take-home challenge is comprehensive enough to assess all the skills that are necessary.

  
 

When defining expectations, another important thing to consider is the level of skill that you're looking for. 

  
 

Are you looking for entry-level candidates or are you looking for experienced candidates?

  
 

This will also influence the difficulty of your take-home challenge and what types of skills you'll be assessing.

  
 

For example, if you're looking for entry-level candidates, then you might want to focus on 

assessing basic coding skills.

  
 

On the other hand, if you're looking for experienced candidates, then you'll want to make sure that your take-home challenge is more difficult and comprehensive, testing a wider range of skills.

_(We wrote a great article about how to prepare candidates for the skill assessment process, which can help you manage expectations and ensure that your candidates are well-prepared for the take-home challenge. You can check it out_ [_here_](https://talentkit.io/blog/how-to-prepare-skill-assessment)_.)_

  
 

### Think about timing

Another important thing to consider when developing your take-home challenge is timing.

  
 

How long do you want candidates to have to complete the challenge? Do you want to put pressure on candidates and see how they deliver in strict time frames, e.g. 3 hours? Or you want to assess what they can deliver without pressure, e.g. 5 days. 

  
 

This is entirely up to you and will depend on the type of challenge you're looking to create.

  
 

However, it's important that you think about this in advance and set a clear timeframe for candidates to complete the challenge.

  
 

Keep in mind that not all candidates are the same, some need more time to get into the zone and do their best work while others perform better under pressure. It's important to give all candidates a fair chance and not put them at a disadvantage by setting an unrealistic timeframe.

  
 

The best option is for you to sit down and complete the take-home assessment yourself before setting a timeframe for candidates.

  
 

When you do complete the challenge yourself, what you will probably find out is that you needed 2x the time you thought you would. [All of us tend to underestimate how much time things will take](https://zapier.com/blog/how-to-estimate-time/), so doing the challenge will give you a realistic idea of how much time is actually needed to complete the assessment.

  
 

However, don't forget that:

*   You are not under pressure 
*   You know exactly what needs to be done 
*   Your skill is 100% in line with the job description. If you are a senior developer, you cannot expect a junior will complete the challenge in the same time frame.

  
 

You should also keep in mind that the candidate is under pressure. They are maybe working on the challenge late at night or during the weekend when their children are playing next to them.

  
 

So, cut them some slack and give them a reasonable timeframe to complete the skill assessment. Adding 20% more time to what you thought is a reasonable timeframe should do the trick.

  
 

### Put yourself in the candidates' shoes

As you're developing your take-home challenge, it's important to put yourself in the candidates' shoes.

  
 

This means thinking about what it's like to be a candidate and taking into consideration all the challenges and obstacles that they might face and questions they might have.

*   Is everything clear and concise?
*   Are the instructions easy to follow?
*   Is the challenge too difficult or too easy?
*   Are the expectations realistic?
*   Is your challenge fair?

  
 

These are all important questions to ask yourself when creating your take-home challenge.

  
 

If you can answer all of these questions with a resounding "Yes!", then you're on the right track.

  
 

If not, then it's time to go back to the drawing board and make some changes.

  
 

The goal is to make the take-home skill assessment as easy and fair as possible for candidates while still being able to assess their skills properly. The last thing you want is for candidates to get frustrated with your take-home challenge and give up before they even start.

  
 

Doing the challenge yourself will not only help you with timing but will also help you to see the challenge from the candidates' perspective and what are the things that need to be improved.

  
 

What is extremely important to mention here is that you shouldn't avoid removing or changing parts of the challenge that you think is unfair or too difficult.

  
 

It's better to have a fair and easy challenge that assesses the skills you're looking for than a difficult and unfair challenge that doesn't do anything good for you everyone included.

  
 

### Ask team members for feedback

Once you have a take-home challenge that you're happy with, it's time to start testing it out.

  
 

If you have team members with similar skill sets to the role you're hiring for, ask them to take a look at it and give you their honest feedback. Do they understand it? Is it clear enough? Do they know what needs to be delivered?

  
 

Once they answer these questions, ask them to do the challenge themselves. 

  
 

Did they find it too difficult or too easy? How much time did it take them to complete? What was the hardest part? What would make it easier for them? Do they think this take-home skill assessment is good for measuring the skill set required for this role? What would they change?

  
 

Their answers will give you a good idea of how candidates will react to your take-home challenge and what, if any, changes need to be made.

  
 

All of this feedback is extremely valuable and will help you to make your take-home challenge even better.

  
 

If you don't have anyone on your team who can do the challenge, consider reaching out to your network.

  
 

You can also post the challenge on forums and online communities (just make sure not to give away too much information about your company) and see what feedback you get there.

  
 

The important thing is to get as much feedback as possible before sending it out to candidates. 

  
 

### Ask candidates for feedback

You thought that was it when it comes to feedback, didn't you?

  
 

Well, there's one more important group of people you need to get feedback from: _the candidates themselves_.

  
 

Once they've completed the challenge, [ask candidates for their feedback](https://www.greatrecruiters.com/candidate-experience/5-ways-to-ask-for-candidate-feedback/).

  
 

Did they understand the instructions? Was everything clear? Was the challenge too difficult or too easy? How much time did it take them to complete it? What was the hardest part? What would have made it easier for them? What would they change?

  
 

Basically, the same questions that you asked your team members and friends.

  
 

Their answers will give you an even better idea of how to improve your take-home challenge and make it even better for future candidates.

  
 

You can even step it up a notch and ask candidates additional questions.

  
 

Think about it: What if the candidate didn’t understand the challenge and only after half of the time did they realize they made a mistake in the beginning? Or what if the candidate understood the challenge but didn’t have enough time to complete it? 

  
 

You can ask them about these things in a post-challenge interview and get even more insight into their thought process, how they work under pressure, and what they would do if they were in a similar situation again. 

  
 

This is extremely valuable information that you can use to make your take-home challenge even better.

  
 

Make sure to keep all of this feedback in mind and use it to improve your take-home challenge.

  
 

### Prepare a review form

A review form is something you should definitely prepare before sending the challenge to candidates.

  
 

It will navigate you and other reviewers through all the deliverables, help you keep track of the results, and make it easier to compare different candidates.

  
 

It will also aid in preparing the feedback for the candidates that didn't pass and interviewing those who did pass to the next stage.

  
 

If you're not sure how to prepare a review form, here's a quick rundown:

*   Include all the deliverables that candidates need to submit
*   For each deliverable, add a space where you can leave your feedback
*   Indicate what the review criteria are for each deliverable
*   Include a spot for general comments about the candidate
*   Add a section for interview questions

  
 

This is just a basic [review form template](https://www.jotform.com/form-templates/category/evaluation-forms).

  
 

You can, of course, adjust it to better fit your needs or the specific take-home challenge. You can also find a lot of different templates online.

  
 

The important thing is to have a review form that will help you keep track of all the candidates and their results.

  
 

## Conclusion

As you can see, there's a lot that goes into making a great take-home challenge, but…

  
 

It's definitely worth the effort.

  
 

A well-made take-home challenge will help you better assess candidates' skills, weed out those who are not a good fit for your company, and make sure that only the best of the best get through to the next stage of your hiring process.

  
 

Plus, It will also leave a good impression on the candidates and show them that you're a company that cares about its candidates and its hiring process and puts the effort into making it great.

  
 

So don't be afraid to put in the work and make your take-home challenge the best it can be.

  
 

You won't regret it.

  
 

Do you have any questions about take-home challenges or anything else related to the hiring process? Feel free to reach out. We're always happy to help!

Playbook for anyone trying to develop a home assignment to assess hard skills during the hiring process.

How To Develop The Best Take-Home Challenge 

Do you feel like you don’t have enough information to properly assess a candidate's skills during the hiring process? Do you feel like candidates are falling short in expressing their true potential? 

If you answered yes to either of these questions, don't worry - you're not alone.

In fact, these are two of the most common challenges faced by recruiters and hiring managers today. The good news is, there are ways to overcome them.

One way to empower hiring managers and help candidates better express their skills is by supporting hiring managers to ask additional questions that will be used as a signal of the candidate’s skills and understanding. 

This not only allows for a more accurate assessment of the candidate but also provides an opportunity for the candidate to demonstrate their skills and understanding in a more holistic way.

Which questions should you be asking?

Well, that's exactly what we're going to talk about in this blog post. We'll go over 7 questions that will help you get a better understanding of a candidate's skills and experience and we'll also cover why it's important to ask these questions.

So, without further ado, let's get started!

## Question 1: How do you feel about your solution?

This is a great question to ask candidates early on in the assessment process. It allows you to gauge the candidate's understanding of the problem, and how they feel about their proposed solution.

Questioning a candidate's understanding of the problem is important because it allows you to see how well they comprehend the challenge at hand. If they don't have a good understanding of the problem, it's likely that their solution will be less effective. 

This question also allows you to see if a candidate can think critically about their work. 

Do they feel confident in their solution? Are they able to articulate why they believe their solution is the best option? Do they identify areas where their solution could be improved? 

If a candidate can't think critically about their work, it's likely that they'll have difficulty making improvements and adapting to changes down the road, which means they would have trouble improving and growing.

Another thing that this allows you to do is get a sense of what are [candidates' expectations](https://www.lever.co/blog/the-great-rehire-and-candidate-expectations-in-2022/) of themselves and their work. Are they looking to just get the job done, or are they looking to push themselves and create something great?

![](https://depository.talentkit.io/images/IMG_ve6mExQvfzLniDii9u9qAPFqA2twiW.png)

For example, If the solution is pretty good and the candidate puts 3, that means they have a high expectation of themselves and they want to deliver something great. 

But if the solution is just fine or unsatisfactory and the candidate puts 5, that means they're just looking to get the job done and aren't expecting much from themselves or they don't know any better.

This question allows you to assess a candidate's skills, understanding, and attitude all at once, which makes it a powerful tool in the hiring process and one that you should definitely be using.

## Question 2: If you have an opportunity to start from the beginning would you change anything?

![](https://depository.talentkit.io/images/IMG_nYrNeXimBB2S81gGK9c3dsfskoGPsZ.png)

Continuing on from the previous question, this one allows you to see if a candidate is someone who is always looking to learn and grow, or if they're someone who is content with where they're at and doesn't see the need to improve.

If a candidate says they wouldn't change anything, it could mean a few different things. 

It could mean that they're satisfied with their work and don't see any room for improvement. 

Or, it could mean that they're not very self-aware and don't realize that there are areas where they could improve. And in most cases, it's likely a combination of both.

Either way, this isn't the type of answer you're looking for.

You want to see candidates who are constantly looking to improve and grow. You want candidates who are aware of their own strengths and weaknesses and are always looking for ways to improve.

On the other hand, if a candidate is able to identify areas where they could have done better, that's a good sign. It shows that they're self-aware and are always looking to learn and grow. 

This is the type of answer you're looking for and these are the type of people you want on your team.

It's important to note that you're not looking for candidates who are perfect because there is no such thing. You're looking for candidates who are always looking to learn and grow, and who are open to feedback.

Another thing you can learn from this is if they made a mistake in thinking/approach, didn’t manage time well, spend too much time on elements that are not important, or didn’t quite understand the problem.

This is very valuable information because it will give you an insight into how they think, how they work, and what are their strengths and weaknesses.

You can also learn about their problem-solving skills, their ability to think critically, and their attitude.

This question is a great way to assess all of these things, which is why it's a [must-use question in the hiring process.](https://www.themuse.com/advice/interview-questions-and-answers)

## Question 3: If you had 3 more days/hours what would you do next? 

Asking candidates what they would do if they had more time is a great way to see how a candidate thinks, what they would improve, and what is missing in their solution.

It also allows you to see what a candidate's priorities are. 

For example, if a candidate says they would spend more time on research, that shows that they understand that a key part of the job is to be well-informed and to have a good understanding of the problem and topic.

On the other hand, if a candidate says they would spend more time on the presentation or making it look nicer, that shows that they understand the importance of presentation and delivering a well-rounded solution.

Also, this is a great way to see how a candidate works under pressure and how they handle deadlines.

It's important to note that there is no right or wrong answer to this question. It's all about seeing [how a candidate thinks and what their priorities are.](https://www.icims.com/blog/3-key-priorities-to-identify-the-right-candidate/)

## Question 4: Were setup instructions for the task clear? If not, what instructions would you have needed?

This question is a great way to assess a candidate's attention to detail and ability to follow instructions. It also allows you to see how a candidate handles unclear instructions.

If a candidate says that the instructions were clear, that's a good sign. It shows that they were able to understand and follow the instructions.

Also, if a candidate says that the instructions were unclear, but still offers a well-thought-out solution, that's also a good sign. It shows that they're able to work through unclear instructions and still come up with a good solution.

Being able to work through unclear instructions is a valuable skill and one that you want on your team.

This one is especially important for coding challenges, as it's often the case that instructions are not very clear.

Whatever the case may be, this question is very valuable and should definitely be used.

## Question 5: What is the best part of your solution, and what is weak? 

This question is similar to the first one, but it's a lot better because it allows you to get a more in-depth look at a candidate's level of knowledge and what they consider to be good and bad.

If candidates say that they consider the best part of their solution, a part that isn't even good, that's a pretty bad sign. It shows that they don't really understand what they're doing.

But, if candidates are able to identify the best and worst parts of their solution, and explain why they think those parts are good or bad, that's an amazing sign.It shows that they know what they're doing and that they can assess their own work critically. 

This is an incredibly valuable skill and one that you definitely want on your team.

## Question 6: Did you have any problems with the challenge? If so, what were they? 

![](https://depository.talentkit.io/images/IMG_XT8TRXMWGeupgzJ8cNq8D5LkcmY4rK.png)

This question is more for you to learn how to improve the challenge rather than to assess the candidate.

If a candidate says they had no problems with the challenge, that's great! It means you've created a well-rounded and effective challenge. 

But, you will not hear this often.

Different candidates will have different problems with the challenge. Some might find it too difficult, while others might find it too easy. Some might not understand the instructions, while others might not be able to complete all the tasks in the allotted time.

It's important to take note of all the different problems that candidates have with the challenge so that you can improve it for future candidates.

Remember, asking for feedback is key to creating an effective challenge. Without feedback, you will not be able to improve the challenge and make it more effective.

So, make sure to ask all candidates for their feedback on the challenge, and use that feedback to improve it.

## Question 7: How would you rate your candidate's experience?

This question is for you to get a general idea of how the candidate felt about their overall experience.

You want to hear from the candidate what they thought of the process, what could be improved, what they liked, what they didn't like, and anything else that they feel is important to mention and that stood out to them.

This is valuable feedback that you can use to improve your process, and it's also a great way to get a sense of how the candidate felt about their experience.

It's important to note that candidates will not always be honest in their answers to this question.

Candidates who had a bad experience will likely not tell you, as they do not want to risk being rejected. However, you can still get a general idea of how the candidate felt by the way they answer this question.

For example, if a candidate is very hesitant in their answer or seems unsure, it's likely that they did not have a good experience.

On the other hand, if a candidate is enthusiastic and gives a detailed answer, it's likely that they had a good experience.

Either way, this question is a great way to get feedback on your process and to improve it for future candidates.

## Final Thoughts

Questioning candidates is one of the most important parts of the hiring process and by empowering hiring managers to ask the right question, not only will you help candidates better express their skills, but also help hiring managers make more informed decisions.

This will make the hiring process easier for everyone involved, and more importantly, it will ensure that only the best candidates are hired.

Another very important thing I must mention here is that if you want to improve your hiring process, not only you should collect answers and compare them, but also act upon them.

You should use the feedback you gathered to improve your process and make it more effective.

Remember: Only by constantly improving your process will you be able to hire the best candidates for your company.

I hope this was helpful and that you can use these questions to empower your hiring managers and help candidates better express their skills.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to reach out. We are always happy to help!

Do you feel like you don’t have enough information to properly assess a candidate's skills during the hiring process? Do you feel like candidates are falling short in expressing their true potential?

How to empower Hiring managers and help candidates better express their skills 

Many companies, in order to get a better understanding of a candidate's skills, ask for a take-home assessment and make it an integral part of the hiring process. They are a great way to see how well a candidate can think on their feet, how they work under pressure, if they have the skills needed for the job, etc. 

  
However, in today's candidate-driven market, a good number of candidates are not interested in doing take-home assessments, so the question is: _**How to increase the number of candidates interested in doing a take-home assessment?**_ 

Well, one of the best ways to do that is to communicate about it on the careers page and that's exactly what we are going to talk about today!

  
 

In this blog post, we are going to cover why the careers page matters, what most companies are doing with their careers page, how to communicate about your take-home assessment on the careers page, and how to actually make your career page more effective. So without further ado, let’s jump right in. 

  
 

## The Careers Page Matters

  
 

**The careers page is one of the most important pages on a company's website when it comes to recruiting and it's the first place candidates go to check out a company.** 

  
 

Why is that?

  
 

It's obvious, they want to know what the company is all about, what they can expect if they join the company, what the hiring process looks like (a very important one), what the culture is like, and so on.

  
 

In other words, they want to see if your company is a good fit for them.

  
 

What this means is that your careers page and the information you put on it will have a very high impact on a number of things:  

  
 

*   The candidate's decision to apply or not
*   The number of candidates that you'll attract
*   The quality of the candidates you'll attract 
*   The number of candidates that would be interested in doing a take-home assessment 

  
 

Just by looking at all these things that career pages impact, it's easy to see why they are so important and why it's essential that you get it right if you want to attract the best candidates and if you want all of these things to improve.

  
 

## What most companies are doing with their careers pages

Now that we know how important the careers page is, let's take a look at what most companies are doing with theirs.

  
 

If you take a look around you'll see that most companies are: writing about their perks (already in the job description), presenting their company and values (probably in the job description), sharing open positions and sharing employer branding content.

  
 

What's the problem with this?

  
 

Well, candidates come to the careers page with a lot of questions, like:

  
 

*   How does the hiring process work?
*   How long does it take?
*   Why does a company have a skill assignment? What type of skill assessment they have? How much time does it take? When can I start working on it? 
*   Is the process the same for everyone?
*   What is the most important to the company? What do they evaluate and how?
*   Is the process discriminatory in any way? What practises company implements to make sure it is not discriminatory? 
*   Am I going to get feedback, in which form?
*   What is the company culture like?
*   Is the company doing well? Will I be able to grow in this company?

  
 

And as you can see, most companies are not doing a great job at addressing these questions. 

In fact, they are doing a terrible job, which leads to a lot of confusion and frustration on the part of the candidates. 

  
 

Because of that many candidates decide not to apply, not to do the take-home assignment, or drop out of the process altogether. And, I don't even have to say it, but this type of careers page doesn't help you at all with attracting the best candidates.

  
 

Now, what can you do about it?

  
 

Well, as a company, you have two options.

  
 

One is to pretend you didn't read this article, do the things most companies are doing and continue to be frustrated with the results you are getting.

  
 

Or, you can decide to put some thought into your careers page, make it a place where they can find the information they are looking for, and actually get the results that you want.

  
 

The second option sounds a lot better, doesn't it?

  
 

## How to make your careers page more effective 

If you read this far, I am pretty sure you are interested in the second option, so let's take a look at how you can make your careers page more effective and that will actually help you get more people interested in working with you and more people interested in doing a take-home assessment.

  
 

### Have a special page under the career part of your website about recruiting process 

Having a special page under the career part of your website about your recruiting process is a great way to make sure that candidates can find the information they are looking for. 

  
 

Candidates want to know how the whole recruiting process works so by having a page dedicated to it you are showing that you care about your candidates and that you want them to have [the best candidate experience possible](https://recruitee.com/articles/great-candidate-experience). 

  
 

On this special page, you should include information like how the hiring process works, what the different steps are, what is involved in each step, how long it takes, what type of skill assessment you use, how they can prepare for it, when they can start working on it, what practices you have to make sure that the process is not discriminatory, and what type of feedback they can expect, etc. 

  
 

Basically, you want to be as transparent as possible so your candidates know what to expect.

  
 

### Add FAQs Section

Another great way to make your careers page more effective is to include a FAQs section.

  
 

As we already mentioned, candidates have a lot of questions when they come to your careers page, and answering them in a FAQs section is a great way to make sure that they can find the information they are looking for and that there's no confusion.

  
 

When it comes to the question you should include, we already listed some of the most common ones in the section above, but for the best results, you should come up with a list of questions that are specific to your company.

  
 

There are a couple of things you can do to come up with these questions.

  
 

You can come up with the questions, you can ask your new employees what they were looking to find out when they were applying, or you can ask candidates during the interview if they have any questions that they were not able to find answered on the website.

  
 

Once you have a list of questions, make sure that you answer them clearly and concisely, and voila, you have a great FAQs section that will help candidates feel a lot more comfortable with the process and with your company.

  
 

### Share your story and how the hiring and skill assessment process looks from the inside 

One of the best things you can do to make your careers page more effective is to share your story and how the hiring and skill assessment process looks from the inside.

  
 

We already said that you should include a special page about your recruiting process, but here we are talking about going a step further and actually sharing your story on this page.

  
 

When you share your story, you are giving candidates a chance to see the process from the inside and understand how it works.

  
 

You can talk about what made you decide to start recruiting, what type of people you are looking for, what skills they need to have, how the take-home assignment process works, [how they can prepare for it](https://talentkit.io/blog/how-to-prepare-skill-assessment), how you decide who to hire, and also you can ask your hiring managers to explain what they are looking for to understand when they are giving take-home assessments, who is making the challenges/questions, based on what, etc.

  
 

Sharing your story and all these things with your candidates is a great way to connect with them on a personal level and show them that you are real people who care about their experiences. It also helps candidates understand why the process works the way it does, and it leads to more candidates willing to do a take-home assessment.

  
 

### Do not be afraid to address concerns and to be transparent

One of the things that you should always keep in mind when it comes to your careers page is that you should not be afraid to address concerns and be transparent.

  
 

If you do not address these concerns and doubts, candidates will be left with a lot of unanswered questions and they will be less likely to apply, let alone do a take-home assessment.

  
 

What do we exactly mean by this?

  
 

Well, if you to put yourself in the candidate’s shoes for a moment and think about which 

concerns would you have about a take-home assessment, you would probably come up with the following:

  
 

*   "I will waste my time." 
*   "Hiring managers will spend 3 minutes on review" 
*   "Task will be boring or too extensive."
*   "They will use me for free consulting."

  
 

And stuff like that.

  
 

Now, if you come to a careers page and it doesn't address any of these concerns you may have, would it make you more likely to do a take-home assessment? Of course not.

  
 

In fact, it would make you less likely to do one.

  
 

But if you come to a careers page and all your concerns are addressed in a transparent way, you will feel a lot more comfortable doing one, right? Obviously.

So how can you address these concerns in a way that is transparent and helpful?

First, you need to acknowledge the candidate's perspective. He might have a negative experience or have heard a horror story about a take-home assessment. Either way, you need to address this concern head-on and explain how the process actually works.

After that, you should try to explain your position:

*   Yes, we know that some companies do not have skill assignments.
*   We believe that the take-home assignments are the best way to see how a candidate thinks and solves problems. We tried to use whiteboards and leetcode, but none worked well.
*   Take-home assignment was required for all team members, including your hiring manager. It makes sense to hire a candidate up to that standard.
*   Some candidates are not empowered during the live discussions and cannot present their knowledge. This way, all candidates get fair treatment.
*   Our hiring managers are not biased. They can see only your task, not your personal information.

And in the end, you can ask a candidate to put himself in the hiring manager's shoes and explain how a take-home assessment would help in the decision-making process.

In any case, always try to be transparent and helpful. It will go a long way in the candidate-driven market we live in today.

## Examples of great careers pages

If you are like me, when you are learning or reading about something new, you like to see good examples of how others did it successfully so here are a few examples of great careers pages that will give you some ideas on how to address the concerns of your candidates and show them that you are a company they would love to work for.

### Hubspot

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/KCABbSGnEA1TBfXxQ7FP8QO8_h6dIWS-36tJOaXcf8ILxJ3Tje1WNKYf5lX9dOl3WMZPDN-gAou67-p4B2t4-xPAMKxYRUXybrIJTEqihc5MxMRZ5m1JSr5JTuYt6AQQuahRpRVC51ljPdeYgPyYAl4exQeUNJReI8Cpqit5tE5aSwC957e-iQh6ncHp)

[The HubSpot candidate experience page](https://www.hubspot.com/careers/candidate-experience) is a great example of how to do things right.

They have covered everything, from why they do what they do, to the benefits of working at HubSpot, how it's like to work there, how the whole process looks like, how take-home assessment works, an FAQ section, and more. 

Basically, they have thought of everything and it is all explained in a very transparent way. They even added a bunch of useful videos and blogs that can help you prepare for the interview and the take-home assessment. Isn't that amazing?

### Calendly

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/Liz0JuLFUILweJW0ZU-rDsHC4u7W3ay49EJnMhsflhtZ9NPTVS_sclzRM5qumsK0r98sJ_SSc-kEYx-lvx3VROl7mKhcUHRZj5fuHNvaGsm-8LfvRrzWBo4qI5jv_reNy5GZlQtsHC-dZSwNv9h_aTigjyXMfWpzY9hih65GuHMSOFc2zkywEpzQE-vk)

[Calendly careers page](https://careers.calendly.com/how-we-hire/) is another great example. It is simple, yet effective. Everything is explained in a very transparent and easy-to-understand way and all concerns of the candidates are addressed.

  
 

### Murex

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/jQ_XxRByuxFd5vogvk2dJ9OkF6ccM8J-UsbruSr_YQd6h3DXrjkatF-Ja5hRFWKruoenxmJzjXkm6Eb5F1wnu9h_mgA2TLw9oyw4ess06-uTxfdQYmZKuq3Kzu7pNQgDVyzQEbmlNDKxtsP9BoieRUPI0QXuOsJf337heMY4uK4wv5lmi5GkEbJB3U7D)

[Murex](https://www.murex.com/careers/home/how-we-hire) did a great job with their careers page as well. They explain in detail how the whole process looks, especially the take-home assessment part in which they tell why they use it, how it looks and how it helps in the decision-making process.

  
 

### Basecamp

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/L01sNV8cJWMeOcfGnZF0W-5Moj-LwqG275_rZHRcYnRP9ULp5c8GfTeGCWV1hxbLx74uv-qBSZUyGZA4idv_1esB_3irY3lEDZ4TSPns0U6OM2ehQZhY4Ycee4MsofLRAn-sR9mjdUYiCRKYxe1Pmrf6-Cxy5yFKzAvSQ33kvx7eJaawdyb3nrovxaaE)

When it comes to communicating about take-home assessments, Basecamp took it up a notch and wrote a whole blog post about [their take-home assessment process](https://www.murex.com/careers/home/how-we-hire). Now tell me, if a company is willing to go to that length, how can you not trust them?  They explained everything in such detail that there is no doubt left in the candidate's mind about what to expect.

  
 

## Final thoughts

Now, after going through all of the different things, from why careers pages matter, to how to make your careers page more efficient and great examples of careers pages, we want to clarify something.

  
 

We know that you, as an internal recruiter, might not be in charge of careers on your website. There are many stakeholders involved, employer branding team and the marketing department but even if you are not in charge, you can start the conversation, present improvements, and influence others to change their opinion and make things better for the candidates.

  
 

And for the end, remember, it's a candidate-driven market, and you as a recruiter are not only selling them the company but also the recruiting process. So make sure to communicate about it. It will go a long way.

A good number of candidates are not interested in doing take-home assessments, so the question is: How to increase the number of candidates interested in doing a take-home assessment?

Candidates might not be interested in doing take-home assessments, so how to make them more inserted? 

How to communicate about your take-home assessment on the careers page

Hiring creative, specialized and competent persons, such as software engineers and other IT specialists, is more often than not a mind-boggling task, for it is packed with countless variables that can turn the hiring process into a living nightmare. 

Recruiters and hiring managers occasionally battle competing goals: finding the correct quality, quantity, and variety of candidates, making fair and effective hiring decisions, and doing all of this efficiently, on time, and on budget. 

Even though hiring processes are created to cope with most of these challenges, they often prove to actually be the stumbling block if not devised and executed correctly. In this article, we will focus on take-home assessment as one of the indispensable parts of the hiring process and share with you a few insider tips on managing it with minimum hassle and maximum results.  

## Understanding assertiveness in candidates

In today’s candidate-driven market, optimization and proper specification of the hiring process is essential. Failing to be transparent and proactive about your recruitment flow might result in candidates withdrawing from the said process. There are various reasons for such an outcome: some candidates do not believe it is necessary, others have other options lined up, and they will pick a hiring procedure that is less tedious for them. 

Based on their approach towards hiring, candidates can be roughly divided into two groups – **assertive and non-assertive**. 

Each of the two broadly defined groups have similar concerns, respectively:

Assertive candidates:

*   Will the compensation be up to my expectations?
*   What will my status in the company be?
*   Do the company mission and values resonate with me?
*   Will my skills be put to good use?
*   What kind of health care plans does the company offer?
*   What are the company’s work-from-home and time-off policies?
*   Are there any additional perks (gym membership, free meals, child daycare, and similar amenities)?
*   What will the hiring process look like?

Non-assertive candidates:

*   Am I truly experienced enough for this position?
*   Are other candidates more qualified or more experienced than I am?
*   Am I a good fit for this company?
*   Will I be too nervous at the interview?
*   Will the hiring process be fair and non-biased?
*   What will the hiring process look like?

Just to be clear – we are not suggesting that you, as a recruiter, should automatically place candidates into a box A or a box B. Instead, you can use this division along with the listed questions to better understand the candidate and modify your approach accordingly.

![Candidate is seen as a puzzle and recruiter is adding one more piece](https://depository.talentkit.io/images/IMG_mcqNPckJ77XNwmFeBpqK4EkyVE4mUD.jpg)

## Demystify the take-home assessment and encourage the candidate to complete it

Take-home testing is an excellent way to evaluate your candidates’ coding, DevOps. project management, copywriting, and other skills. Through take-home assignments, your company can examine how a potential applicant reacts and performs on a specific part of the job. As a recruiter, you are already familiar with this – your next step is to explain it to the candidate.

To do so, you first have to find out if the candidate had previous experience with such form of testing and, if so, was the experience positive or negative. If the latter is the case, you should acknowledge their concerns and offer your pro arguments:  

*   They are an excellent way of obtaining necessary information to make an informed hiring choice while not taking up too much of the candidate’s time.
*   They add objectivity and consistency to what can be a highly subjective employment process.
*   Ensure the candidate that your company will not take advantage of their results.
*   Some candidates have “quiet personalities” and rarely stand out in the crowd. In this way, they are entitled to the same treatment as others.

![Two women are sitting on the table, one is talking, the other is listening](https://depository.talentkit.io/images/IMG_9jd4S35dJxtjhWGuyFVgWEXAtjgezb.jpg)

Encourage candidates to ask questions

Being open to answering candidates’ questions is a strong signal of openness and honesty. Having that in mind, don’t forget that the hiring process is a traumatic experience for many candidates. 

Answering questions is challenging enough, let alone coming up with the ones to ask after the interview is complete. In this case, the best practice is to divide the conversation into several segments and give them enough time to come up with potential questions after each part.

In this way, the candidate will feel more prepared for the task and encouraged to take the take-home assessment. At the same time, you will gather valuable information about their interests and personality traits and determine if you are a good fit even in the early stage of the hiring process. This practice is very valuable as it helps you maintain the efficiency of your hiring pipeline.

Be sure to keep track of all the questions and answers as they are going to be useful later on. Also, if you don’t know the answer to the question they might have, be straightforward about it. As a recruiter, you are not obliged to be informed about every detail or process in the company. Instead, make an effort to speak with the hiring managers and provide an answer. Alternatively, you can request that the candidate puts it in writing so you can discuss it with the best-suited team member. 

Showing the candidate that you don’t have all the answers is not a sign of ignorance – instead, it might encourage them to ask questions themselves.

![Blue question mark. representing candidate's questions to recruiter](https://depository.talentkit.io/images/IMG_xdkQCzyQD3bnZuMRPuZTGHy4JkcVEb.jpg)

## After reaching the take-home assessment stage, repeat all information to the candidate

After you have completed the interview and made sure the candidate is planning to proceed with the take-home assessment, go the extra mile - make an effort to sum up all the information vital to their task and send them via email or another appropriate channel. 

Trying to memorize all the information given in the interview is a backbreaking task, and few candidates can pull it off. 

Keep in mind that most candidates will not ask you for such a “favor” for fear of seeming unprofessional. On the other hand, they might be introverted, and making any kind of request for further clarification would be way out of their comfort zone, if not unachievable.

Another possible solution is to make an FAQ list for them, listing the most common questions candidates have had in the past and providing answers. This way, you can minimize the error margins, as well as the need for further questions.

Showing proactiveness on your part could prove to be crucial in this stage.

Here’s a short **email template** you can use for this purpose:

> Email Subject Line: \[Company Name\]: Take-home assessment recap for \[Candidate\]
> 
> Dear \[First Name\],
> 
> Thank you for taking the time to discuss our take-home assessment process.
> 
> Here is a brief recap of our conversation:
> 
> \[Conversation Recap\]
> 
> To help you finish your take-home assessment more efficiently, we have created an FAQ list that we believe you might find helpful:
> 
> \[FAQ\]
> 
> If you have any questions or need any clarification in the meantime, please feel free to contact us.
> 
> Best,
> 
> \[Your recruiter\]

## Keep the candidates informed about the evaluation process

The importance of keeping your candidates in the loop with the evaluation process is commonly overlooked and most often underestimated. By keeping them informed, you are not just showing your interest in them but are likely to _reduce the number of on-the-day dropouts._ Staying in touch with your candidates regularly helps you clarify the expectations and keep them interested.

Explain how the company’s side of the process works. 

Give them “insider’s information” on what criteria you use to assess their performance. 

Make it clear that you use the same review form for all candidates and that they are all evaluated in the same way. 

Remind them unintrusively of the deadlines. 

Explain in which format you will provide feedback. 

Provide feedback even if the candidate did not make the cut. 

Remember – **any kind of answer is better than no answer**.     

Fair and honest candidate evaluations should be a principal focus for every recruiter. This ensures that you treat every candidate with respect and has a positive impact on hiring quality, corporate reputation, and long-term retention.  

## If there are any issues on your side, don’t keep candidates in the dark

Many things can go wrong in the hiring process – issues with the email addresses from your company (usually emails ending up in spam folder), overlooked applications, hiring managers being late with their part of the process, recruitment software errors, to name a few.

For example, your hiring managers were given unreasonable timelines or took the day off, causing a clog in your hiring funnel. After discussing the problem with the hiring team, notify the candidate immediately. Apologize for the inconvenience, explain the issue and thank them for their patience. **It’s not about pointing fingers; it’s about working as a team**.

If it affects the candidate in any way, the only worse thing than having an issue is keeping quiet about it.

## Final word

The recruiter’s job is not an easy one.⭐  There are many moving parts in the hiring process that can cause issues and clog up the hiring funnel. Using take-home assessments to evaluate job candidates and following the tips from this article will make the process more stable, transparent, and beneficial to both your company and the candidates.

Skill assessment cause issues and clog up the hiring funnel. Prepare candidates for take-home assessments and deliver the best candidate experience.

TalentKit Blog