Fixing Tech Test drop off with Hype Calls

A while back, we had an issue with candidates for tech roles dropping out of our hiring process at the “Tech Test” stage. Our tech test is an open-ended, take-home exercise, with hours rather than days worth of work to it. We’re aware that many have done away with doing tech tests altogether, and that doing a tech test takes time and effort. We are however reluctant to part ways with it, as it’s been key in a markedly successful hiring process. The tech test has played its part in building a formidable tech team.

The premise

We realised that we have to get buy-in from candidates first. We have to give them a chance to see that TotallyMoney is a place worth spending that time and effort on. An up-front video-call, where candidates get to have all of their questions answered, fears vanished, and hopes verified, would serve that purpose. So, we started having those.

The solution

We pitch it as a sort of inverted interview. The candidate meets with two members of our tech team, and we try very hard to not ask any questions. Instead, they get to ask us any questions they may have around our tech team, how we operate, tech culture, our tech stacks, etc. We just answer as best we can, until the candidate runs out of questions to ask. When that happens, we check whether the candidate would like to proceed to the tech test stage. If they do, we spend a bit more time talking about that too. We give a high-level overview of the test, what our expectations are, and answer any further questions that flow from that.

How it went

What we got out of Hype Calls went well beyond solving our problem. Hype Calls yield benefits which we did not anticipate.

First, the obvious things:

• Filtering up-front. Any mismatch is revealed early on, avoiding time and effort wasted — on both sides.
• Candidates get to know everything they need to know in order to decide whether TotallyMoney is a good match for them. The feedback has been that candidates find this refreshing, and it bodes well for what they can expect of TotallyMoney.
• We’ve seen many pairs of shining eyes. Candidate buy-in is clear — TotallyMoney has a great tech team and engineering culture; it’s really easy to sell. Silent drop-off from candidates at tech test stage is now near zero.

How it went beyond

The less obvious things:

• Buy-in goes both ways. We get invested in our candidates! Correspondence, while remaining professional, becomes way more personal. We want them to succeed.
• Seeing what questions a candidate asks is such a good indicator of the level of candidate you’re dealing with. It evidences personal experience, and makes it clear what they care about. It puts their substance on show.

Conclusion on Hype Calls

Hype Calls are awesome. They solved the problem we had with tech test drop-offs, and earned a permanent spot on our hiring tool belt. I cannot recommend them enough.