Ever since the dawn of AI in recruiting, coding assessment software has become increasingly popular in recent years to evaluate candidate’s technical skills.   

Using an assessment software now is the most straightforward approach for evaluating developers, while it has been different in the past. Let’s look at the history of coding interviews and what led to the rise of coding assessments.    

Whiteboard Interviews

Back then, candidates were required to code on the whiteboard!!. Bizarre, isn’t it?

This method was long-used and quite popular in the ’80s, ’90s and even in the early 2000s to evaluate a developer’s skills. This approach was known as the Whiteboard Interview. 

Candidates who make it to the in-person whiteboard interview have a couple of hours to show the tech team how quickly and concisely they can code. They have to stand up, turn to a whiteboard and handwrite code from scratch while a handful of senior developers scrutinize their every word and move. 

Whiteboard exercises weren’t designed to be quick, scalable, or solve real-world issues to secure top talent hiring. Most questions would last an hour, while job interviews take up to a whole day and they seldom simulate real-world problems. This strategy was effective enough back then as software developer professions were relatively new to the market.

The Microsoft Way 

The turn of the millennium marked a new era in coding interviews. Microsoft was a pioneer in the coding interview as they test not only a candidate’s technical knowledge and coding ability but also their problem-solving skills in a creative manner. Interviewers often brought questions like these to test their logical thinking abilities,  

1. There are three ants at the three corners of a regular triangle. Each ant starts moving in a straight line toward another randomly chosen corner. What is the probability that none of the ants will collide?

2. Suppose you have eight billiard balls. One of them is defective – it weighs more than the others. How do you tell, using a balance, which ball is faulty in two weightings?

As funny as it sounds, Microsoft’s technical interviews always had some brain teasers or required logical thinking to answer the questions. Bill Gates’s obsession heavily influenced this with puzzles, and it was Gate’s idea to present dilemmas in interviews.

But over the years, these became less popular in favour of technical screening software as the latter was set to change the game forever.  

As the need for software developers grew, businesses started looking for alternate methods of efficiently hiring. The assessment software was seen as a proven solution and started to gain popularity as a critical component of the screening process to evaluate a candidate’s coding efficacy.   

The coding assessment software began to dethrone Whiteboard and Microsoft’s interviewing methods. Because of the tech industry’s realisation that it will need to hire a lot more developers to support the industry’s exponential growth.   

So, what is Coding Assessment Software?

In simple terms, coding assessments are tests that are given to candidates to evaluate their technical ability. Using this Technical screening, companies can test job candidates’ coding skills by presenting them with challenges or tasks they must complete using a programming language.  

The quickening pace of advanced technologies

In the 1990s, recruiters made the best of the available resources. Now, modern recruitment started implementing more technologically advanced methods to screen and test a developer’s communication and coding abilities without a whiteboard and marker. The coding Assessment software enables remote viewing, editing, and discussion of programming challenges in a faster and more scalable way in real time.  

Greater demand for skilled developers

The rising need for qualified developers is one factor in the growth of technical screening platforms. With the proliferation of technology in every industry, there is a growing need for developers who can build and maintain software systems. As a result, businesses are ready to spend on resources that will enable them to find and hire the best individuals.  

Coding assessment software also offers convenience and flexibility for both companies and candidates. These platforms make it easy for companies to administer tests and review results, saving time and resources. For candidates, it allows them to complete the assessment at their own pace and from the comfort of their own homes, making the hiring process more convenient and accessible.  

Analyzing in-depth skills

Another factor contributing to the popularity of coding evaluation platforms is their capacity to offer a more impartial and uniform method of evaluating candidates’ abilities. Traditional techniques for assessing coding skills, such as reviewing resumes and conducting interviews, can be arbitrary and biased. Contrarily, coding assessment tools let businesses evaluate applicants for particular competencies and take a consistent performance measurement of their results.  

Conclusion

The rise of coding assessment software reflects the growing importance of technical skills in the job market and the need for companies to find reliable and efficient ways to evaluate candidates. As the demand for developers continues to rise, the technical screening will become even more widespread and sophisticated in the coming years.