In the last decade, tech hiring was all about traditional methods of assessing candidates (Sadly, even today). More often they have proven to be ineffective and resulted in bad hires in the long run. There are top brains out there willing to create exciting stuff but miss out due to mediocre hiring practices from the companies. The onus is always on the companies to assess better and hire the best. When I talk about the new-age hiring solution for tech talent, it isn’t something unheard of, but hardly considered in the recruiting process. Companies are reluctant to go that extra mile in employing new ways of hiring.
How often have you not come across a similar story of developers struggling to cope up with the project at hand? For companies, who want developers to get on with projects right away and finish it, training new hires may not be an option. Therefore, hiring developers who are best suited to accomplish a project becomes paramount.
Isn’t the idea of accurately assessing candidates on projects similar to actual projects sound appealing? It is possible. However, not much popular but slowly gaining traction. Project-based assessments have proven to be the game-changer
What is Project-based assessments?
In simple terms, these are the assessments that determine the job-suitability of candidates by evaluating them on tasks that they would face when on an actual job. One can assess candidates on role-specific projects to make a hiring decision. Most suited way of assessment for senior positions than entry-level.
It consists of a variety of project-based problem statements in Web services, web pages, and Unit Test case applications. Making sure the candidates are well equipped to accomplish actual that’s thrown at them after selection.
Companies like Automatic, Basecamp, and others have been using project-based interviews in their hiring process. Because these assessments are accurate and help in determining the ability to work as a team apart from technical expertise.
Need for Project-based Assessments
With the increasing demand for top talent in the technology industry, companies want to have the best employee in their arsenal. Moreover, the pertinent issues of a bad hire have always been haunting companies financially as well as on the productivity front. Thus, there is a strong need for effective ways of candidate assessment methods. Hence, the need for project-based assessments.
The hiring decisions here are not influenced by the gut feeling or preference based by any individual, rather the output achieved on a task that closely resembles the actual project on the job.
As the companies look to embark upon building better products and grow their business, it becomes mandatory to have a top team. Therefore, hiring the right way becomes prominent
Advantages and Disadvantages
Advantages
- Offers a two-way benefit
Project-based assessments not only help employers to study candidates working closely with the existing team but also gives candidates a glimpse into his work after selection & tech culture.
- Addressing the Skill gaps
The business requirements keep changing constantly and approximately 34 percent of the employees in global organizations don’t cope up with these changing environments. Project-based interviews fetch you candidates who can adapt and mitigate the existing skill gaps in the workplace.
- Better understanding of Concepts
Project-based assessments shall decipher the overall understanding of concepts and their realistic applications and find the most appropriate fit for the role.
- Core and Intense problem solving
Project-based assessments will test a candidate’s core problem-solving skills and arrive at a score. And that decides the selection than just the positive outlook. Every developer has to endure and enjoy new challenges and ideas to arrive at solutions. Thus, assuring only the ruthless ones stand a chance
Disadvantage
- Time-intensive
For candidates, the project-based interviews turn out to be very time-consuming. All that with no surety of landing on a job after submitting. This has many candidates hesitant to take up these assessments.
To summarize,
Project-based assessments aren’t new to the tech recruitment industry. But, are less popular. Many companies are still happy with old methods of hiring developers although they have proven to be ineffective. It is high time that companies start embracing project-based interviews and be assured of best hires. Next time you want to hire a topnotch developer, you know what method of hiring to opt for
Want help in conducting project-based assessments?
We at Talscale Specialize in creating such assessments and embed in our assessment platform
Write to us at team@talscale.com
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