Here is the 4-step process my team and I follow to design a live coding task we would give to candidates during their technical interviews with us.
- We select a small task, something simple yet one which shows mastery of a vital skill.
- We time-box it. The task should not take longer than 45 minutes to solve - 30 minutes preferably.
- We try to make it engaging.
- how you ask? If we need to use data, we choose data from a well-know TV show the candidate might have loved watching. Rick and Morty, for example ;)
- We think of the moments during which candidates might need help. We design hints which will unblocked them while still allowing them to shine.
Things to keep in mind
- design the challenge so it can be completed in 20 minutes
- offer the candidate 30-45 minutes to solve the challenge
- prepare a list of 3-4 hints to be at the ready to provide to the candidate
- prepare at least one special use case (input) which would make the challenge interesting
This is it.
Our 4-step process to designing a technical task to give to your candidates during their tech assessments.
This can also work for open positions in devOPS (ask the candidate to set up some infrastructure on the cloud for you), Product and QA.
If you'd like extra help on designing the tech challenges for your candidates, reach out to us here.