Whether we like it or not, remote work isn’t going anywhere any time soon. With work-from-home becoming the new standard, it inevitably means that there will be more home-based positions available in 2021 (and beyond) than ever before.
Ads mentioning fully-remote opportunities are skyrocketing. We’re looking at a sharp increase in Western Europe, with France registering a rise of 150% and a whooping boom (251%) in Italy, according to Adecco Group.
As companies get ready for recovery, employers are scouting the market for the best strategies to implement and tools to use to streamline the remote hiring process. One of the toughest and most competitive industries battling out a talent war is the tech industry.
How do you accurately and reliably interview tech candidates in less time? How can you remain unbiased and select the right people to fill the right positions? This is where coding interview tools come in to play.
Why do you need an online coding interview tool?
- To provide for a better, more relevant candidate experience
- To save previous time & valuable resources
- To access international talent
How to choose an online coding interview tool
- Research, research, research!
- Look for optimal, speedy core user experience
- Assess features and functionality
- Make sure it’s easy to integrate into your own company process
Let’s take a closer look at the top 10 best assessment tools out there.
1. CoderPad
What’s CoderPad?
CoderPad is the market’s leading technical interview solution. Developer candidates are able to write, execute and debug code as part of a live, pair-programming interview.
CoderPad’s live collaborative coding interviews make it simple and convenient to assess candidates’ technical skills. Hiring managers get a better idea of candidates’ thought process and problem-solving reflexes – making it easier to hire the right candidate – fast.
CoderPad’s main features
- 99+ supported programming languages with optimal runtimes
- Custom files and database environments can be uploaded to use alongside questions and interviews
- Video, audio and drawing mode options for real-time collaboration
- Interview playback and note-taking options for post-interview review
How much does CoderPad cost?
CoderPad has a free trial available. Pricing starts at $50/month and can reach up to $750/month.
2. CoderByte
What’s CoderByte?
CoderByte is a comprehensive code assessment platform. Its coding interview tool allows you to conduct interviews remotely and in real-time.
After selecting promising candidates, you can use CoderByte to create easy-to-use interview templates, and kickstart various whiteboard sessions. Furthermore, code-pairing with your chosen candidates happens in a live environment.
Following a live interview, you can replay a session to better assess whether or not a candidate matches your company culture and suits a job position.
CoderByte’s main features
- 400+ coding challenges to be used for interviews
- An extensive list of ATS integrations
- Integrated video, audio and chat
- Custom, reusable interview templates
How much does CoderByte cost?
CoderByte costs $199/month and if you choose to pay annually, the fee drops to $1,188/year ($99/mo).
3. HackerRank
What’s HackerRank?
HackerRank is a coding interview tool that operates on a single, fully-functioning integrated development environment (IDE). It enables candidates to showcase their coding skills in a pair programming environment.
For HR leaders, HackerRank comes with numerous coding challenges for candidates, starting from the simplest all the way to the most complex in the full-stack engineering environment.
To save time and make the feedback process as productive as possible, the tool has skill-based scorecards and integrated interview prompts to keep you aligned with your company’s needs, developer-wise.
Furthermore, to make the virtual experience more “human”, HackerRank recently released Virtual Onsite Experience; a feature that eliminates complications associated with multiple interview sessions done remotely. Its aim is to streamline processes by elevating user experience for all parties involved. In simple terms, Virtual Onsite Experience introduces a virtual lobby where candidates can “arrive” earlier, relax, and prepare for the interview.
HackerRank’s main features
- Import and discuss code submissions from technical tests
- 40+ supported programming languages
- Customizable, developer-friendly editor (dark/light theme, autocomplete, REPL support, etc.)
- Interviewer scorecard for easy interview decisions
How much does HackerRank cost?
HackerRank’s pricing system starts at $25/month (billed annually) and can reach $599/month. There’s also a free trial available.
To screen your candidates easily, you can try CodinGame Assessment. 96.98% of developers who start a test on CodinGame finish it. Why? Because our exercises give techies a real sense of challenge, the fun way.
4. CodeSignal
What’s CodeSignal?
CodeSignal is a comprehensive cloud-based interview solution that enables you to launch and scale remote technical interviews on a superior level.
The tool provides a coding environment that resembles Visual Studio Code, at the same time offering capabilities like debugging mistakes and running unit tests. CodeSignal makes the collaboration between a recruiter and a candidate more personal and intuitive.
The tool can help you measure candidate skills that genuinely matter via proper task types and various algorithmic questions. With CodeSignal, remote technical interviews can be launched in days, thus making sure your entire hiring team is engaged and in sync.
CodeSignal’s main features
- 70+ languages, frameworks and libraries
- Monaco-powered IDE with autocomplete, syntax highlighting, inline documentation, hotkeys, etc.
- Virtual whiteboard feature
- Project-style questions with multiple files and unit tests
How much does CodeSignal cost?
CodeSignal does not publicly specify a cost applied for using the tool. The only option available is a demo, after which you receive a customized offer.
5. Codility
What’s Codility?
Codility’s coding interview tool is called CodeLive. It can be used to conduct remote interviews via Codility’s virtual whiteboard feature. CodeLive uses a live shared environment with real-life tasks for developers. This means that your teams can easily conduct remote interviews without impacting the quality of a tech-oriented interaction between recruiters and candidates.
To create a natural, human-like interview experience, you can easily set up rooms and run code with your candidates. This way, you can have a clear overview of their abilities, at the same time creating meaningful connections.
Codility’s main features
- Live pair programming in an “online room”
- Automatic scorecards and feedback forms
- Flexible interview setups (based on custom tasks, pre-selected templates or previous submissions)
- Seamless integrations with candidate management systems
How much does Codility cost?
Pricing and licencing depends on the scale of your company’s recruitment needs. Codility does not express any flat fees for using the tool, and you have to request pricing.
6. CodeInterview
What’s CodeInterview?
CodeInterview bridges the gap between recruiter and candidate with its online code interview tool for solving challenging live coding programs. It enables hassle-free communication and collaboration in a shared environment. Users benefit from code editors and numerous compilers for widely-known programming languages.
By using CodeInterview, output can be viewed by recruiters in real time, within your chosen browser and without any additional installations. Featuring a powerful code editor, the tool comes with a user-friendly interface topped with useful ad-ons like code completions, syntax highlighting, and Vim/Emacs key bindings.
CodeInterview’s main features
- 25+ supported programming languages
- Familiar code editor interface (with syntax highlighting, auto-complete and Sublime/Vim/Emacs key bindings)
- Audio and video options
- Private notes for post-interview review
How much does CodeInterview cost?
CodeInterview’s pricing plan starts at $5/month per feature. However, there is a free version available and a free trial.
7. Type12
What’s Type12?
Type12 argues to bring your coding interviews to the next level with its realism capabilities. The tool allows you to test candidates in real-time and assess whether or not the skills they have match your technical stack.
To streamline the hiring process, Type12 aims to make interviewees feel comfortable with features already familiar to them, like code completion, syntax highlighting, and Vim/Emacs bindings.
To streamline hiring interviews, the tool introduces real-life scenarios meant to challenge skills and additional capacity to solve real-world problems. For easy setup, you can choose from 40+ frameworks, 20+ languages, and additional libraries made available in Type12 to configure a coding scenario that is closest to your team’s projects and expectations.
Type12’s main features
- 40+ frameworks, 20+ programming languages and third-party libraries supported
- Real terminal console and collaborative IDE (with the selected frameworks and languages compilers and interpreters)
- Remote Linux instance
- Integrated audio and video calls
How much does Type12 cost?
Upon request, Type12 offers a free trial. However, users must request a demo to get access to it. Pricing is divided into three packages and ranges between $19/month and $99/month, with custom pricing for personalized offers.
8. Mettl
What’s Mettl?
Mettl provides full automation for your remote coding interviews via a platform that argues to provide better talent measurements by closely assessing a candidate’s technical, behavioral, and cognitive skills.
Featuring a whole suite of simulators, Mercer Mettl enables coding skill testing in real time via pair programming and real-time evaluations. By using the Auto-Graded Simulators within Mettl, recruiters provide objective feedback and make unbiased comments to help candidates solve the coding challenges given.
Customized for multiple industries and job roles, the tailored solution maps out role recruitments across various job levels, at the same time offering a ready-to-use library of questions that recruiters might need to kickstart the interviewing process.
Mettl’s main features
- Auto-graded simulators for fast and objective evaluation
- Inbuilt whiteboard and notepad options for digital ideation
- Centralized applicant information and documentation
- Data analysis based on previous screening rounds
How much does Mettl cost?
Pricing and licencing depends on the scale of your company’s recruitment needs. Mettl does not express any flat fees for using the tool. Pricing is provided on request.
9. CodeBunk
What’s CodeBunk?
CodeBunk is an easy-to-use coding interview tool that makes hiring remote developers a breeze.
Ideal for tech recruiters, the complete solution comes with a real-time editor, question banks, compilers, a central repository, and more. The features available will allow you to conduct a fair candidate assessment during a live interview, but also connect on a more direct, personal level with your interviewees.
CodeBunk’s main features
- Collaborative editor with REPL shell
- 21 supported programming languages
- “Bunk” playback, session recording option
- Central interview repository for team collaboration
How much does CodeBunk cost?
CodeBunk offers a 1-month free trial on all of its available plans. Pricing starts at $9/month following the trial and can reach up to $126/month.
10. VidCruiter
What’s VidCruiter?
VidCruiter is a platform which allows you to do both live interviews and pre-recorded ones. To do pre-recorded interviews, recruiters decide the questions and order and all candidates respond in their own time by recording video responses to the questions, via the app. This can be ideal for a quick screening process as there is no need to try to sync up schedules and the candidate can respond when they have a moment. Candidates can record videos from any device, including their telephones, which is convenient. Recruiters can then quickly screen the videos and rate them.
The platform can be customized to show your company’s branding, including using your colours, logos, and fonts. It’s also possible to use the platform in multiple languages. To make sure that live interviews are uniform and fair, recruiters can plan the interview by adding specific questions into the app and choosing the order.
Although the platform is not specifically aimed at tech recruiting, you can access coding tests from DevSkiller directly within the VidCruiter platform. This makes it a convenient option for any existing DevSkiller clients.
VidCruiter’s main features (online coding interview module)
- Choice of pre-recorded or live interviews
- Custom branding of platform with logo, colors and fonts
- Digital structured interviews to ask same questions in same order
- 24/7 applicant support
How much does VidCruiter cost?
Vidcruiter does not provide pricing publicly, instead requiring contact for a quote. The model is based on a subscription whereby clients pay per video.
Bottom line is, there are plenty of coding interview tools out there to choose from. However, when it comes down to hiring the best programmers and developers your company needs, it’s critical to make the right choice. User-friendliness, supported programming languages, and functionalities that match your particular demands are criteria that matter the most.
We’ve provided you with a comprehensive list of tools and platforms to assess so that you can make an informed decision. Now, it’s up to you!
