The talent market’s competitive, and growing more so. As other companies gear up their efforts, it becomes incumbent on a business wishing to succeed to use all the techniques at their disposal to make sure they’re attracting and recruiting the best available technical talent. Talent that doesn’t just know how to code, for instance. Talent that loves to code. Talent that can transform your business.
One excellent tool is technical screening. We’ll set a definition so that we all know what we’re talking about. Then we’ll go through some key benefits before describing how you can implement it with minimal delay.
What is technical screening?
Say you know you have a vacancy coming up in programming. You can do what companies used to do and post a vacancy ad and see who applies, then select and interview… you know the drill.
Or you can start with a quick trawl of networking sites and check out some candidate backgrounds. Their portfolios will tell you immediately who’s cutting it and who isn’t. You can then invite the best candidates to complete a technical knowledge test to make sure that they’re the real deal. You might also ask them if they’d like to have a swift tech chat with you.
Using such techniques, you can rapidly count out those candidates who aren’t going to deliver what you need for that role. Those who do get through to the next stage will tend to be significantly more suitable for the position than a candidate applying out of the blue.
So, technical screening is a means of applying a filter to the pile of candidates you may have to wade through. It can be used strictly on any incoming applications, or it can be used on candidates who didn’t even know they were candidates—those individuals you’ve gone out and identified on various sites. Or it can be used on a mixture of the two.
Benefits of technical screening
Now we’ll look at why you might want to use technical screening. There are a great many advantages to it, of which we’ll highlight three.
1. Improves the level of talent in the candidate pool
We’ve seen how the use of technical screening filters out those who aren’t what you want for that position. Those who do get through will have surpassed the technical expertise level that you need for an individual to succeed in the job in the spotlight.
So, you can be sure that whoever you pick, they’ll know what they’re doing. This takes the pressure off. You now get to do the interesting bit—selecting somebody from this group who really shines.
2. Reduces unconscious bias
The best recruiters can fall prey to elements of bias from time to time. There are many unwanted effects and phenomena that can interfere with the selection process, for example the tendency for a recruiter to score more highly someone they perceive a similarity with. The application of any objectivity and empiricism to the process can only assist in this regard.
Technical screening is just such a help, as it asks a simple question: does the candidate have the expertise or not? The answer required is equally simple and hopefully relatively immune from bias: yes or no.
3. Shrinks HR task time
Technical screening is a boon for HR professionals, as it takes less time to complete a screening session and arrive at a decent field of technical candidates than traditional techniques, requiring an extensive set of steps to be taken, often by a number of different people.
All this can take a great deal of time. With technical screening, you can reduce all this workload, by taking a quick tour of talent and networking sites and seeing who out there meets the standards you need.
Let’s say you often need people in sales, with technical knowledge of how to use prospecting tools at a high level. You (or HR, if appropriate in your organization) can do regular sweeps on professional networking sites to see who you can find with extensive expertise in Target, Leadfeeder or whatever solution you’re using. This will deliver a skilled cohort for your further analysis.
4. Improves candidate experience
Very few people enjoy the traditional job application process. It’s inordinately time-consuming and even pretty stressful at times, and there are occasions when a candidate will put themselves through the wringer for no good reason—they were never going to get that particular job, in all likelihood.
Using technical screening eliminates this possibility—an individual will only be admitted through the filter to the next stage of the process if they’re a realistic candidate. This cuts down on time wasted by the person concerned. Sometimes, you can also give candidates a degree of flexibility over when they complete any tests or chats you want them to undertake. You can also give them objective feedback based solely on their tech ability.
Technical screening steps and techniques
There are several indispensable elements that you need to incorporate into any successful technical screening model.
- Know your vacancy
It’s not simply a matter of knowing the job title of the vacancy you want to fill, or to have only a rough idea of your ideal candidate. There has to be certainty over the precise nature of the technical skills required for that role.
So, if the job’s about coding, make sure you’re thinking about the programming skills you want to see in a candidate. Or it could be a composite role with technical and less technical aspects. For example, the role could involve an understanding of omnichannel systems, as well as the soft skills needed to conduct outbound calling with proficiency. Whatever the post, think about the technical ingredients and the level of expertise required.
In addition, make sure that even if you’ve completed this step in the past for certain technical roles, you assess it again when one becomes available once more. Jobs change over time as business practices and procedures change. And don’t forget that technology has a habit of changing too, increasingly rapidly. So you need to update your understanding of the technical abilities a position needs, every time you go to fill it.
The good news is that, if you revisit your method in this way, you’ll future-proof the process. You’ll not be caught out by developments as things change.
- Pick your screening method
We’ve mentioned some of the technical screening tools available already. It’s down to you now to decide on which are most suited to your task. Here’s a rundown of some that might be of use.
- Checking portfolios
If tech recruiters want to get through a large number of prospective candidates and slim them down quickly, a short trip around relevant professional websites can work wonders. In a very short time, you can weed out those who aren’t offering what you need, and come up with a solid list of suitably experienced people. You can then contact them for the next step.
- Online tests
Increasingly popular, online tests can be tailored to suit any selection criteria. They can include online coding tests, and are exceptionally useful because they incorporate an element of demonstrating knowledge. The candidate isn’t just asked if they know something; they have to show what they know and how they would apply it. For instance, they might need to show competence with a system, whether it be used with type qualifiers or qualifying sales leads.
- Tech chats
These are short, often informal, exchanges, often via telephone or video, or they can be entirely text-based if more appropriate. The idea is to get an overall idea of a candidate’s level of proficiency with various technical aspects of the position. Technical interviews differ in that they are more traditional and in-depth, requiring detailed answers and extended focus. Tech chats are used much earlier in the selection process so tend to be more holistic in nature.
3. Create the screening process
This is possibly the most important step. First of all, abandon any thoughts of just using another job’s technical screening process, perhaps with a few tweaks here and there. No two jobs are exactly the same, so it follows that every position has a unique perfect person for it. So, your screening process has to be customized around the role on offer.
The good news is that, among lots of tips and tricks at your disposal, you can employ some very reliable automated tools for this. There are packages out there that will turn key requisites into readily applicable technical screening tests. This can take some of the slog out of creating these things, leaving you free to devote yourself to other tasks, such as deciding who will fit the role and team best, between two equally well-qualified but very different personalities.
4. Implement the technical screening process
How you do this depends on which process you’ve decided to use. If you’re looking at candidates without their being aware—headhunting, if you will—then you can just get on with it whenever you have time and you don’t need to involve any other party.
If, however, you’re using a screening step that requires buy-in from the candidate, then you need to be clear about what the role is that’s on offer, and what the candidate needs to demonstrate to proceed to the next step.
This is true whether you’re asking the person to complete a test or whether you’re just having a tech chat. For full transparency and for the candidate to perform at their best, it’s important that you give them all the relevant facts pertaining to the position and the process.
It’s also hugely important to apply the same process across the entire group of individuals you are considering. Consistency is one way of reducing bias.
On the flip side, however, do think about how a strict rule across the board might disadvantage some candidates. If you only allow a very brief window of response when it comes to an online test, you may be putting full-time employees at a disadvantage. They may be forced to take the test in a rush during their lunch break perhaps or maybe late in the evening when not feeling their sharpest.
5. Make your choice and feedback
Two golden rules when it comes to this stage.
- Be firm
Stick to your initial requirements. You’re looking for something specific. If a candidate doesn’t have it, rule them out, regardless of how likeable or funny you think they are.
- Be timely
Nobody likes hanging around too long for a slow hiring process to make a hiring decision, so get with it. In addition, feedback’s always helpful, but it’s at its most useful when it’s delivered in good time.
Some example questions
Free to use image from Pexels
OK, so we said that every job is unique, so every technical screening process has to be unique too. However, there are some very useful questions that crop up repeatedly across a host of technical screening instances. Here are some of them. The first few are more general, while the latter ones are for more specifically technical talent.
- If the position involves elements of sales, you might ask something along the lines of what steps might you take to track leads?
- Why did you decide to become a professional in IT?
- Tell us about a project management methodology that you favor—what are the features you like most?
- How might you try to speed up a system?
- How do you respond to a coding error?
- Describe the key parts of an algorithm.
- In architectural styles, what is a RESTful API? How are they used when it comes to data sources?
- What are the main differences between (for example) asp net and PHP?
- How might you use a specific technique to achieve an aim (e.g. how would you use JavaScript to style a React component)?
You might find that one or more of these questions suits your purposes well, or you may find other interview questions and answers online that are specifically suited to your needs. Whichever you settle on, it’s best not to be reasonably brief and not overwhelm the candidate at this stage. Remember that technical screening is all about ruling out the unsuitable, not pinpointing the very best.
Technical screening helps everyone
Because technical screening gives you the best chance of securing high-level talent, it’s a highly effective tool for giving you and your business the edge. However, technical screening is also very beneficial for the candidate. Those who are suitable are propelled one step closer to their ideal position. On the other hand, those who would be better advised to look for another kind of role don’t end up spending fruitless hours looking for an unsuitable job.
The great news about technical screening is that it’s quick and relatively easy to implement. By following the steps we’ve outlined here, you should be able to have it up and running in your outfit in no time. Then, let that talent roll in!
