How to Make Your Online Code Interviews More Successful

The time has come for your company to hire some new programming talent. For whatever reason, the task of recruitment just landed in your lap. If you're a developer, coding may be so second nature that you'll neglect to ask important questions that seem too obvious. If you're not a tech type with deep knowledge of coding practices, this development may be causing some anxiety.

Either way, you can relax.

Recruiters now have access to a wide array of tools designed to test the qualifications of programming applicants via code interviews. You can implement and oversee a process that respects your applicants while politely filtering out the unqualified. When this process is handled well, even applicants who don't make the cut will leave with a positive impression of your brand.

Businessman and author Steven Covey's memorable advice "to keep the main thing the main thing" can guide you through the process. While the specifics will vary, a couple of your "main things" might be:

• We want to recruit top-notch coders who have a proven track record.

• We want all interviewees to have a pleasant experience with our company.

It's easy to fall down a rabbit hole and lose sight of your main things once you enter this highly technical realm. Avoid that pitfall by keeping your written objectives close at hand. Your process will work best when objective, measurable data is coupled with a focus on people skills. Here are 10 suggestions for implementing a successful coding interview process:

1. Pick the right tool for the job.

If your own people don't thoroughly understand the coding interview tool you have selected, how will you explain its use to applicants? Worse, you risk the applicant picking up on your lack of confidence and taking control of the interview process. Your company could well end up with someone who is willing to obfuscate and bluster their way into a job. If none of your internal team members has mastered the tool, hit the pause button ... hard.

2. Use the coding interview as your second line of filtering.

The interview process is expensive because it soaks up valuable staff time. Minimize your team's investment by holding off on scheduling any face-to-face or Zoom meetings for now. Once you've identified the most promising applicants, add the coding interview as a next step. 

Chances are that if any unqualified candidates somehow slipped past your discerning eye, they will bail out at this point. Making this the next hurdle also filters out applicants who sincerely believe they can cut the mustard but may have overestimated their skill level.

3. Head off technical problems.

To ensure fairness, you will want to thoroughly test software, hardware, and connectivity before every code interview. If interviews are held over the course of multiple days, allow time before each one to double-check your setup. 

The last thing you want is to begin a new session only to find that the cleaning staff accidentally unplugged a component. Tech issues on your end could throw applicants for a loop and unfairly affect performance. They also make your company look bad.

4. Simulate real-world working conditions.

Give your interviewees a test environment that closely mirrors that of current employees. If you are remote testing, you might even consider setting up your camera to allow applicants to see your office. Make your end of the test environment visually appealing and less like applicants are getting an update from Big Brother.

5. Communicate expectations clearly, in writing.

When ready to begin testing - and not before - provide written instructions. Take time to review them verbally, pausing every so often to ask if the applicant has questions. Everyone on your interview team should also have a copy.

6. Provide access to frequently used resources.

If your programmers routinely access vast libraries of code, you might need to offer a secure level of access to applicants. This one can be tricky, so proceed with caution. 

You'll want to balance simulating the actual programming environment with not opening up your store of proprietary code to the world. Only grant permissions that are necessary. If this seems too risky, create a closed system that closely mimics your development environment. Make sure your IT security folks sign off on the setup.

7. Assign tasks that evaluate different skills.

Some coders are skilled at developing algorithms while others lean toward systems integration. It might be appropriate to have an applicant perform a variety of tasks to get a more holistic view of their skill set. Don't go overboard, though - you shouldn't be asking them to run the gauntlet. Rather, select a reasonable sample of tasks that will enable you to evaluate their suitability for different teams.

8. For now, evaluate coding skill only.

Separate your coding interviews from getting-to-know-you sessions. For the time being, focus entirely on coding performance. Do not allow questions or small talk to drift into other aspects of the interview. Once the applicant has aced the coding interview, they will have a chance to impress you with their charm.

9. Decide whether or not you want to utilize competitive coding.

Any decision to use competitive coding processes during an interview process comes bundled with increased anxiety for the interviewee. Not everyone works well under pressure, but your environment may be such that you need to gauge how well programmers stay cool. Keep mutual respect and brand perception in mind as you decide whether to force applicants to break a sweat.

10. If your company decides to implement competitive coding:

First, do no harm. 

Ask the applicant if competitive coding was anticipated. If, for any reason, the applicant demurs, politely accept this response. Your applicant may have some hidden medical condition that is aggravated by stress.

Keep the playing field level. 

Every applicant should have the same chance to prove their worth. This is why it's vital to carefully control any initial small talk or chit-chat. One applicant might inadvertently pick up inside knowledge about your company that can be used to their advantage during testing. Or your bonding over the latest Marvel movie may make you inclined to overlook their minor coding errors. 

Take steps to eliminate unconscious bias. 

We all have our biases. Wise managers assume bias in interview team members and themselves. Scripting your coding interviews might seem like overkill, but consider it a means for reducing exposure to legal issues later on.

Hiring the right programmer shouldn't require nontechnical staff to become coders, nor should it be a grueling exercise leading to an emotional meltdown. Your company can take steps to make the interview process pleasant without sacrificing rigor. Your commitment to a fair, effective interview process is some of the best branding you could ever hope to crank out.