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1. Never ever ever. Ever. Ever ever…start a process with homework. Or a project. Or a test.
👉Talk to candidates about the job and assess fit. As human beings.
Hiring managers are ideal. But come to think of it…it’s literally the recruiter’s job. And they’re great at it if they’re
(a) knowledgeable about their domain and
(b) aligned with the hiring team.
Either way: kill the pre-convo test. Enough with the gatekeeping bullsh*t.
2. Make homework mutually beneficial.
You, the hiring company, wants to get some insight into the candidate’s work product.
But assignments also needs to inform the candidate. Tell them about the exciting work they will do once they join.
👉Assignments should be another selling point.
3. Recognize the situations where past work - a portfolio - accomplishes the goal.
Asking someone to write a hypothetical product road map for something they’ve never evaluated before? Absurd.
But asking for one they’ve already created? And to explain their decisions?
Should tell you what you need to know.
(Note: if they're allowed to share it.)
4. Crazy idea: maybe a simple conversation can flush out their deeper skill level?
We in the business call these “interviews.”
Strong leaders can do this. And in the tech realm, paired projects can bridge the gap between a convo and a project.
5. Let’s say you really do need something custom. Something that shows forward-thinking capabilities or things specific to your business.
👉Pay them.
Just say no to free work.
6. Remember: you don’t need to fully vet someone in the first convo. You just need to know if they’re in the ballpark.
How? Double down on point #1 above.
👉Get a real recruiter.
Seriously. If your recruiter can’t do a decent first level vetting and sell, they’re not actually a recruiter.
If you have 7, 8, and 9…I’m all ears.
You can follow me on LinkedIn here and Twitter here. Join the discussion on this LinkedIn post (or give it a 👍) here.
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