Tips for Skills-Based Candidate Evaluation

Let's talk about #Hiring 🤝 Most people use the "gut feel" method and it's not good. It leads to biased hiring and bringing on bad-fit candidates. Instead, build a process that encourages *objective* evaluation. Here's ours at @draftdev: 1. Create a List of 3-4 Essential Job Skills Everything else stems from these. 2. Create the Job Listing and Application Form List the essential skills and the expectations as well as perks candidates get. Use your application form to help you weed out people who don't read the job listing. 3. Set Compensation We use fixed, transparent compensation and hire globally. I don't want to waste candidates' time if we're not able to meet their salary expectations and I don't think it's fair to underpay someone just because they live in another country. 4. Build a Candidate Pipeline You need 30+ candidates for every role to have a basis for comparison. If you don't get enough applicants, either: - Spend more to promote the job listing or - Raise the compensation 5. Resume/Application Screening Use your application form and work history to evaluate the potential for your job's required skills. Pick your top 10%-25% of candidates to invite to the next step. 6. Mini Assignment Assignment-based evaluations are core to our hiring process. The first is a 30-minute email-based assignment that gives the candidate an idea of what the job entails and us an idea of how the candidate communicates and responds. 7. Screening Call By this point, we're down to the top 5%-10% of candidates and we invite them to a 30-minute call. Questions are pre-planned and based on assessing the required skills. End by "selling" the opportunity and leaving 5 minutes for candidate questions. 8. Paid Trial Assignment The next assignment is longer (2-6 hours of work) and the candidate is paid for their work. The goal is to imitate a day in the life in this role, giving us and candidates a better idea of the fit and skills. 9. Reference Checks Only once have I gotten a negative reference about a candidate. I hired them anyway and regretted it. Don't skip/ignore these. 10. Offer Letter Should include: - Potential start date - Salary/other comp - Job description - Manager - Hours/week expectation - Acceptance deadline We give 3-4 days to accept so we don't lose other candidates during the wait. Hope this helps, but of course, there's much more to it! Leave your questions in the comments and I'll share more.

4 essential points handpicked by our Veronika Lawrik for filling positions in 2023. Take them and share with your colleagues. 1) When formulating requirements related to specific libraries, consider the possibility of looking at candidates with experience in similar alternatives. Many candidates with strong technical potential may not have worked on projects with a specific library but are capable of quickly learning and mastering it when introduced to a new project. The key is to evaluate the individual's critical thinking skills, ability to generate innovative solutions, strong expertise in various algorithmic approaches, and proficiency in the programming language you require. 2) Focus not only on the candidate's seniority level but also on their interest in your domain and project. For ML/AI candidates, curiosity, internal motivation, and technical creativity are extremely important. When planning to hire a highly senior candidate, we advise not to dismiss the possibility of considering candidates with less experience. Quite often, such candidates can move mountains with greater motivation and non-financial interest. 3) Consider the size of your team, communication conditions, and workplace arrangements if you have the option of working in an office. Adapting someone accustomed to working in a small team to a large team and communication flow may be a bit challenging. Among ML/AI candidates, there are many introverted individuals who prefer working in an atmosphere of tranquility, focus, and minimal communication tension within the team. This environment allows them to open up better and be more productive in their work. If you have a very small team, ensure proper planning of role functionalities. In very small teams/companies, an engineer often needs to perform a broader range of functions and possess related hard skills to cover all project needs. This should not come as a surprise to the candidate and should be clarified during the hiring process. Look for more versatile engineers who enjoy dealing with a wide range of tasks. 4) When assessing candidates, consider how monotonous the daily tasks they will need to solve are. If you require solving complex research tasks with a large number of iterations, specify this in the job description and emphasize it during the interview with the candidate. This role is suitable for very patient engineers, inclined towards prolonged monotonous work with constant experiments and model validation. #recruitment #tech #hiring #AI #ML #startups

Yesterday I had the opportunity to speak on mitigating bias in hiring (yes, it's been a busy week!). This particular topic is so important for so many reasons ⭐️ Diversity and quality candidates are not mutually exclusive; this old narrative is tired and incorrect  ⭐️ Bias makes your hiring process inefficient. Full stop. ⭐️ There are tactical actions you can take immediately that don’t cost extra money but will have outsized impact if done consistently ⭐️ We can’t say we are committed to DEIB without interrogating how our hiring- often the first touch point folks have!- creates unnecessary obstacles. But I was also speaking to practitioners in an industry that has been greatly impacted by COVID. Similar to those in K-12 education, they needed more than philosophy or big picture statements. They need tactical support they can implement. What do these include? Here is some of what I have seen work: ✅ Taking the time to articulate the skills and competencies needed in the role, in this organization at this moment. Vague qualifications mean hiring managers will privilege people who think and look like them. And let's stop using degrees, experience and certifications as the ONLY metrics ✅ Diverse interview panels including different individuals to assess the interview and candidates- Oftentimes, the people closest to the work have an important perspective on what makes someone successful. Listen to them (for mission driven organizations, this includes the people who are serving). ✅ Do a crosswalk of the competencies and skills you named to the interview process- are you assessing the right things in the right way? (Can you tell I was a teacher?) ✅ Look at your data- if you are not getting quality candidates from a variety of backgrounds, examine where the pipeline may have a leak ✅ When you don’t have a pipeline, build one- Developing apprenticeships and internships is one way but also speaking and leading workshops at universities, training facilities and bootcamps for career changers. What else am I missing? What are tactical solutions that any organization can begin to implement?

So, you decided it's time to hire a copywriter. They promise the world, but their work is full of typos and grammatical errors. You spend more time correcting their work than if you'd just done it yourself. That new VA you hired? They're never available when you need them, and even when they are, they don't seem to have a clue about what to do with the tasks you've delegated to them. Your video editor? More like video butcher. They are hopeless when it comes to understanding your vision, and you're left with a final product that's completely unrecognizable from what you had in mind. And let's not even get started on your high turnover rate. Just when you think you've found someone decent, they're out the door, and you're back to square one Enough of the problems, let's talk solutions. Let's break it down: 1. Clear Job Descriptions: Make sure your job descriptions are clear, concise, and accurately reflect the role. This will help potential candidates understand EXACTLY what's expected of them 2. Skills Tests: Incorporate technical skills tests into your hiring process. For example, give your candidate a trial task to complete as part of the hiring process. If you're hiring a graphics designer, ask to see their portfolio of previous work, or ask them to make you a new logo or youTube thumbnail template. This will give you a better idea of a candidate's abilities before you hire them 3. Situational Awareness Tests: Use behavioral interview techniques to assess how a candidate might react in certain situations. Ask them how they would handle a problem which popped up at the last minute on a project with a tight deadline, what they would do if they were wrongfully-accused of making a mistake, how they would respond if they were given a task with a deadline they knew was unrealistic, and so on. This can give you insight into their problem-solving skills and how they handle conflict resolution, as well as time pressure. 4. Reference Checks: Always make sure to check a candidates' references. Getting in touch with someone who has firsthand experience working with the candidate can give you a much clearer picture of a their reliability and past performance. 5. Cultural Fit: Assess whether a candidate will fit into your company culture. This can include anything from timezone overlap, to relevant lifestyle or personality traits. For instance, if you have a clothing brand aimed at customers showcasing their vegan lifestyle, perhaps an email customer support agent who spends their free time hunting Deer in the forest wouldn't be an ideal match.

Navigating the employment market in the U.S. can be a daunting task. Despite our efforts in meticulously editing our CVs and tailoring cover letters for prospective jobs, success in the #recruitment process often hinges on 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭. Having recently undergone a positive recruitment process, I am eager to shine a spotlight on how Elisabeth Cohen of the Climate Action, Sustainability and Resiliency - City and County of Denver executed equitable hiring practices. 𝐒𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞: Sending interview questions in advance is a good practice as it allows candidates to prepare thoroughly, fostering more thoughtful and well-structured responses. This approach promotes #fairness, ensuring all candidates have an #EqualOpportunity, while also reducing interview-related stress. 𝐌𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧-𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 (MBI): Prioritizing MBI extends beyond evaluating technical skills, offering insights into authentic enthusiasm, passion, and commitment. In certain instances, possessing relevant skills alone may not suffice; individuals overflowing with enthusiasm and passion often contribute to work with equal or greater efficacy. 𝐒𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬-𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡: By prioritizing 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘴 over traditional markers, CASR paved the way for candidates from diverse backgrounds. 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐒𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡: From the first screening interview onwards, it became evident that the hiring manager strongly prioritized transferable skills. Recognition of the value of transferable skills speaks volumes about CASR's commitment to assessing candidates beyond traditional qualifications. It's a game-changer that not only acknowledges the wealth of experiences individuals bring from various backgrounds but also enriches the organization with diverse perspectives and capabilities. 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲: The CASR team demonstrated effective communication with candidates throughout every stage of the process. Transparency was key – from a clear timeline at each stage to ample time for tasks, the CASR Team ensured no guessing games about application status. Feeling #seen, #heard, and #valued throughout the entire journey was an empowering rarity. 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧: The recruitment process fostered a secure and inclusive atmosphere, allowing the candidates to bring their authentic selves. CASR's recruitment practices are a beacon for other organizations aiming to create inclusive and equitable hiring processes. Hats off to the CASR Team for their unwavering dedication to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (#DEI). Encourage more organizations to embrace these practices by sharing and commenting on this post, thereby raising awareness on #EquitableHiring practices.