The Unequal Opportunity in Tech Hiring: How Coding Tests Limit Diversity

by Shani Foshee

A few months ago, I applied to a web developer job for a large company. I wasn’t surprised when they sent me over a coding test. Honestly, I was excited because that meant they were interested in my skills! When I sat down to take the test, I was given 3 hours to complete 3 problems. As I started on the first problem, I think I am making good progress but when I ran the program, only 3 out of the 6 tests passed. Again and again I tried to write the program using all the ways I could think of! But in the end, I had the same outcome. The test forbade me from using Google but If I had used it, I might have been able to come up with a better function to make the code more efficient. In the end, I missed out on an opportunity because I wasn’t able to access resources and show my best work.

If you are a programmer, you have almost certainly encountered coding tests at some point in your career. They can quickly take an already intimidating job application process from reasonable to demoralizing. Since the coding test seems here to stay in the job application process for programmers, how can these tests be made more accessible to today’s applicants?

Now, I completely understand that employers want to know if the applicant knows how to program, but in the age of coding bootcamps and YouTube, most applicants have studied skills relevant to their desired career, not general Computer Science curriculum. If the job doesn’t require Big O Notation, asking test questions on these subjects ensures that only those with a traditional Computer Science background succeed. It is larger companies who are most guilty of this.

Once, in a test for a local startup, I was given a file with some code and asked to recreate the web page, and add some functionality. This test did not require me to have anything completed 100% and I was showing the company that I can do exactly what a person in this position is expected to do. Tests like this may require longer for an employer to evaluate than if I completed a multiple choice; however, it allows applicants of all backgrounds to show their skills.

At top tech companies there is a clear disparity between who is applying for the jobs and who can pass the tests.

In my experience applying to companies like Google and Amazon, these technical interview tests also don’t take into account that not everyone is great at taking tests. Colleges around the United States are beginning to understand that exams like the SAT and ACT are unfair to people from low income communities where tutoring is unaffordable and test prep is hard to come by. We are starting to see how the SAT timed format can be too strenuous for many with disabilities who deserve every opportunity to go to college. So why do tech companies insist on tests which evaluate an applicant’s test-taking skills rather than their technical abilities?

Many tests at these popular tech companies do not allow you to use Google or any other site for help. However, most of the mid and senior level developers I spoke with use Google and other resources when they are programming. So why is it wrong for us? Expecting an applicant to know every aspect of a programming language from memory takes opportunities away from talented programmers.

Honestly, sometimes when I can’t come up with an answer, I feel like I am a bad programmer. But I have to keep telling myself these tests don’t determine whether or not I am good at programming. But a lot of larger companies do not have time to have someone sit down and review an interviewees code. They want what they think defines the best at programming. They are missing out on the ones who have proven they can learn at an accelerated pace or the ones who can learn on their own. These types of people are motivated and dedicated to learning and they deserve the chance to prove it.

Shani is a dedicated engineer with over three years of experience working in tech. She has a Bachelor’s of Science in Interactive Media and her love of working with computers led her to complete a certificate in Web Development at Saint Joseph’s College of Maine. Shani is constantly learning and growing as a developer by looking for creative solutions.To learn more about Shani, visit her LinkedIn page.