A recruiter using recruiting solutions to test candidates

Remote Hiring

How to Use Coding Questions to Test Candidates Effectively

July 2, 2022

Tima Rassool

Tima Rassool

Content Writer

Keep the candidates glued with coding questions! Is it really possible?

Ha! Totally! And how is that so?

To assess a candidate’s abilities, asking coding questions may seem difficult.

But if you are using recruiting solutions like video interview software.

They are not! However, it is essential to test candidates in a way that accurately reflects their ability to do the job. 

Coding questions help you assess a candidate’s problem-solving or critical thinking skills. 

This guide is about how to use coding questions in your recruiting process. 

Want to know how exactly you can do that?

What are coding questions? Why are they helpful in assessing candidates’ skills?

help identify top talent by using recruiting solutions like video interviewing software

When it comes to assessing candidates for programming positions, many companies now rely on coding questions. But what are they, and why are they so valuable?

Coding questions are designed to test a candidate’s ability to write code. They can range from simple code snippets that need to be completed to more complicated problems that require a full solution.

The main benefit of using coding questions is that they provide a more accurate assessment of a candidate’s skills than traditional interviews or written tests. By seeing how a candidate responds to real-world coding challenges, you can better understand their abilities and how they might perform on the job.

Coding questions can also help identify candidates who may be over-or under-qualified for the position. Save time and energy by using recruiting solutions to ask coding questions without getting overwhelmed. 

Start with the basics..

recruiting solutions make your job easier as a recruiter

The tech industry is booming and shows no signs of slowing down. With this in mind, more and more businesses are turning to code to help power their websites, apps, and products. 

If you’re looking to hire a coder, it’s important to know what questions to ask candidates to find the best fit for your business. Recruiting solutions like video interviewing software can help you streamline the recruiting process so you can take their video assessment. 

Additionally, the candidate has the flexibility to take the assessment on their own time. So if you are looking for a new developer, you can ask the candidate some basic coding questions through this assessment. 

This will help you get a sense of their abilities and also see how they think. By asking about their experience with coding challenges, you can get an idea of how well they can solve problems. 

Furthermore, you can ask candidates about their favorite programming languages and what projects they have worked on in the past. By doing this, you can find the best developer for your team in a faster and more efficient manner. 

Some of the java coding interview questions

Ask Java questions by using recruiting solutions in video assessment

As a recruiter, you want to be prepared for all types of questions during a coding interview. However, there are some specific Java coding interview questions that you should ask. This will help you determine if the candidate has the skills and knowledge needed for the job. The following questions will help you get started:

1. What is your experience with Java? 

2. What are some of the most important features of Java? 

3. What are some common challenges that developers face when working with Java? 

4. How do you go about solving problems when coding in Java? 

5. What are some common design patterns that you use in your work? 

6. How would you approach creating a user interface in Java? 

However, recruiting solutions like video interviewing software makes it easier to do that without getting your brain muddled. You can ask these questions through the video assessment to gauge their skills and capabilities

How to ask questions without overwhelming the candidate

Use recruiting solutions and make the recruitment process easier

When interviewing a candidate for a coding position, you may find yourself with many questions. How do you ask these questions without overwhelming the candidate or making them feel uncomfortable? Here are a few tips:

  • Start by asking fundamental questions about their experience and skills. This will give you an idea of their level of expertise.
  • Then, move on to specific coding questions. Try to choose relevant ones for the job you are interviewing for.
  • Keep your questions concise. You want to give the candidate enough time to answer, but you don’t want to overwhelm them with too many questions at once.
  • Make sure that the questions are easy to understand. You don’t want the candidate to feel confused or lost.

Common mistakes hiring managers make while asking coding questions to test candidates

Common mistakes you can avoid if using recruiting solutions

One of the most common ways to judge a programmer’s ability to code is by giving them a coding question during an interview. However, there are a few mistakes that hiring managers often make when using these questions.

The first mistake is asking too many questions at once. This can overwhelm the candidate and makes it difficult to focus on one question. Another mistake is providing too much information or context. This can also make it difficult for the candidate to focus and get stuck on a question.

Hiring managers should also avoid asking questions that are specific to one language. Instead, they should ask questions that are language-independent. This will allow candidates to showcase their abilities without getting confused about which language they should use to answer the question.

Finally, hiring managers should avoid asking too difficult or complex questions. 

How to evaluate candidates by asking coding questions

evaluate candidates using recruiting solutions

Technical interviews are a necessary part of the software engineering recruiting process. To evaluate candidates, many companies ask coding questions through recruiting solutions like video interviewing software. By asking candidates to solve coding challenges, recruiters can measure their ability to think critically and solve problems.

To evaluate a candidate’s answers to coding questions, it is vital to understand the difficulty of the question and the level of expertise required for the position you are trying to fill. 

For example, if you are looking for a junior-level developer, you may want to ask relatively easy questions that don’t require a lot of experience. If you are looking for a senior-level developer, you may want to ask more complex questions that need more expertise.

When evaluating a candidate’s answers to coding questions, it is essential to look at how they approached the problem. Did they take an efficient approach?

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, using coding questions to test candidates is a great way to see how well they can think through a problem and how they might approach solving it. It can also help you determine whether the candidate has the necessary skills for the position. By using coding questions, you can find the best possible fit for your team and ensure that your candidates are skilled in the areas that are most important to you.

EVA-SSESS is a next-generation video interviewing software that offers recruiting solutions enabling you to pinpoint and hire top talent fast by testing and evaluating the key skills and abilities through secure and unbiased video assessment interviews.

Want to see EVA-SESS in action? Get a free walk-through demo here!

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Author

Tima Rassool

Tima Rassool

A wordsmith, storyteller, and content strategist – Tima is an MBA graduate with 6+ years of experience in the world of HR. With over 2,000 blogs under her belt, Tima's expertise and insights have helped businesses across the globe take their recruitment to the next level and stay ahead of the curve.

Turn top talent to employees fast

Hire, assess, onboard and manage top talent for every job. See how Elevatus streamlines everything; from acquire to new hire.

Request a demo