Key Points:
- Around 89% of candidates say their interview experience affects their decision to accept a job offer.
- The top frustration for 52% of candidates is receiving little to no interview feedback from companies.
- Lengthy interview processes deter engineering candidates, with 49% dropping out after 3 or more stages and 84% dropping out after 4 or more stages.
Around 89% of candidates say their interview experience affects their decision to accept a job offer. Since engineering positions have the slowest hiring timeline, interviewing candidates is very time-consuming. It becomes costly when a top talent drops out of your pipeline or rejects your offer after all the effort you’ve invested.
A survey of more than 300 engineers was conducted to help tech hiring teams build a candidate-centered process that increases the chances of completed interviews and successful hires.
By building an engaging, engineer-focused process, you will attract more candidates to enter your initial process, reduce dropout rates, and enhance your candidate experience and hiring reputation. Here are the steps how:
- Overcoming engineering candidates’ pain points
- Providing feedback
- Condensed interview stages
- Take-home and shortened technical assessments
- Access to the right information and people
Overcoming engineering candidates’ pain points
Candidate experience is crucial to a company’s reputation, and the interview process is a major contributing factor. For engineers, the interview process can often be a time-consuming, laborious, and emotionally draining task.
The top 3 candidate frustrations in the interview process are all things within the company’s control: lack of feedback, lengthy interview process, and long technical assessments. Addressing these issues can help you outpace competitors and keep candidates engaged in the process.
Providing Feedback
Engineering roles are the slowest to fill, taking up to 30 days which is why receiving feedback is very important to candidates. However, 52% still struggle to receive it. Around 44% of candidates receive interview feedback after a few weeks of applying and only 37% receive it within a week. It is one of the top frustrations of engineering candidates during interviews.
To improve this process, here are two points that hiring managers should be providing feedback:
- During the process: Provide both positive and constructive feedback at each stage to build trust, boost confidence, guide candidates, and evaluate how they take direction.
- At the end of the process: Provide feedback on rejection or improvement tips after candidates invest time and effort in your interview process. Not only does it help the candidate, but it also protects your company’s reputation as 75% of candidates avoid companies with negative candidate experiences.
Condensed Interview Stages
A lengthy interview process is one of the main frustrations of nearly half (49%) of engineering candidates particularly for leads (59%) and seniors (51%), who often face more stages.
Engineering interviews often have multiple stages, typically four to five. Despite this being common, 49% of candidates are deterred by 3 or more interview stages, while 84% by 4 or more stages. This means that having a 4-stage process could cause you to lose up to 84% of candidates.
To improve the interview stage process, limit interviews to fewer than 4 stages to avoid discouraging most candidates, and try to condense stages where possible.
Take-home and Shortened Technical Assessments
Most engineering candidates favored take-home tests as they reflect real-life work and allow them to demonstrate their abilities in a familiar environment. However, 4% of candidates still refuse to complete technical tests, and some consider them outdated.
Lengthy assessments are a major frustration for 40% of engineering candidates. Survey reveals that longer technical tests significantly increase dropout rates with 39% of candidates dropping out after 1 hour and 61% after 2 hours.
When it comes to seniority, Junior candidates are generally more accepting of technical tests than others, with only 26% viewing them as a frustration compared to the 40% average, and they are more willing to spend extra time on them.
To improve the technical assessment process, use a take-home test ideally under 1 hour, with a maximum of 2 hours.
Access to the Right Information and People
Interviews are not just for selecting the best engineers, they also allow engineers to evaluate the employer. Candidates use this opportunity to learn about the company, interact with major representatives, and gather useful information.
Providing the right information and people enhances the candidate experience and helps them make informed decisions. Here’s what engineers specifically seek during interviews:
1. What candidates value most: Flexible work schedules, compensation and benefits, and the work culture are the top key information most engineers consider to understand a company’s background. Ensure these important factors are covered during the initial screening call to keep candidates informed and engaged.
2. Who candidates want to meet: Introduce the right people that candidates would like to meet during the process. Top picks are the direct line manager, a team member, and the CTO. Avoid involving high-ranking executives unless absolutely necessary, as it can complicate the process. Try not to overwhelm engineers by introducing too many people and maintain consistency by keeping the same interviewer throughout the process.
Building an engaging and well-structured engineering interview process helps reduce drop-off rates, increase offer acceptance, save time, and enhance your hiring reputation.
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In today’s competitive job market, an inefficient interview process can cause top talent to look elsewhere. Let the staffing experts at SoloPoint Solutions help you streamline candidate evaluations, reduce time-to-hire, and secure the best professionals before your competitors do. Connect with us to learn how we can enhance your interview strategy and boost your hiring success rate: