How to Effectively Test Remote Candidates' Technical Skills Before Hiring
Without the luxury of working side-by-side in an office, how do you truly know if a candidate has what it takes to do the job well?
The last thing you want is to bring someone on board who doesn’t have the skills you need, especially when they’re working remotely.
So, how can you test technical skills effectively without making the process too rigid or overwhelming for candidates? To stay adaptable, 40% of organizations have streamlined their recruitment processes to make them faster.
As remote staffing experts, we’re familiar with the nuances of hiring virtual assistants and other positions in the Philippines. In this blog, we’ll walk you through how to test potential candidates for their technical skills and ensure they’re an excellent fit for the role.
The First & Most Crucial Step: Understanding the Skills Needed for the Role
Before you even think about testing a candidate’s technical skills, you must step back and understand the skills required for the role. This might sound obvious, but it’s easy to get caught up in buzzwords or assume that specific skills are needed just because they’re trendy or in demand.
The key here is to dig deep into the actual tasks the role will involve and the technical know-how needed to succeed. This is the foundation for creating a fair and effective technical assessment and an accurate job description that clearly outlines expectations for potential candidates.
Identifying the specific technical skills required
When it comes to remote roles, knowing precisely what technical skills are necessary is critical.
For example, if hiring a developer, you'll need to know what coding languages are essential for the role. If it’s a design role, proficiency in specific software could be necessary.
By clearly identifying these core technical skills, you can ensure that your test doesn’t just assess general knowledge but is focused on the specific tools, languages, and capabilities that will make or break a candidate's performance in the role.
Aligning technical tests with the job's requirements
Once you have a clear picture of the skills required, it’s essential to align your technical tests with these needs.
A big mistake many employers make is testing candidates on general technical skills that may not even be relevant to the role. If you're hiring for a more technical position, your tests must dive deep into the appropriate skills.
The goal is to make your assessment process as role-specific as possible. This allows you to evaluate candidates in a way that truly reflects the work they’ll be doing.
Types of Technical Assessments
To help you get the most out of your evaluation process, here are some popular technical assessments to consider:
Online coding challenges
For technical roles like development or engineering, online coding challenges are a go-to for evaluating a candidate’s problem-solving ability.
These challenges are typically time-bound, which helps you gauge how well candidates perform under pressure and how efficiently they can solve problems using the right coding languages or algorithms.
Coding challenges range from simple logic puzzles to more complex, job-specific coding tasks.
Simulations or practical exercises
Simulations or practical exercises take it a step further by recreating real-world tasks the candidate might encounter on the job. These assessments allow you to see how the candidate would perform in a typical work scenario, whether troubleshooting an issue, managing a project, or using specific software.
Technical interviews
Technical interviews provide an excellent opportunity to dive deeper into a candidate’s thought process. Rather than focusing purely on their ability to code or solve problems in a structured test, technical interviews are more conversational. You’ll present candidates with real-world issues and ask them to walk you through how they would solve them.
The benefit of this is two-fold: you get to assess their problem-solving skills in real-time and get a sense of how they think critically and reason through challenges.
Portfolio review
A portfolio review is a great way to assess a candidate's abilities for certain technical roles, such as design, development, or data analysis.
Asking candidates to submit examples of past projects or their portfolios allows you to evaluate their work's quality, complexity, and scope.
8 Red Flags to Look Out for During the Testing Process
While no candidate is perfect, certain red flags during the testing process can indicate underlying issues that could affect their performance in the long run.
Struggling with problem-solving
One of the biggest red flags during a technical test is when a candidate’s problem-solving approach seems inconsistent or shallow. If they struggle to break down problems into smaller, manageable parts or provide surface-level answers without diving into deeper analysis, they could lack the depth of understanding needed for the role.
Solid problem-solving skills are crucial, especially in remote work, where you might not be there to guide them through the process. Look for candidates who demonstrate a structured and thoughtful approach to tackling challenges.
Difficulty explaining technical concepts
Being technically proficient is one thing, but being able to clearly communicate complex ideas is a whole other skill.
In a remote work environment, clear communication is essential for collaboration. If a candidate struggles to explain their thought process or simplify complex technical concepts, it could be a sign that they’ll have trouble working with teams, especially when technical discussions or troubleshooting arise.
Look for candidates who can effectively articulate their ideas clearly and concisely without resorting to jargon that others might not understand.
Having trouble adjusting
Remote roles often require employees to be flexible and adapt quickly to new tools, systems, or unexpected difficulties.
If a candidate seems rigid or unable to adjust when presented with new information during a test, it could indicate a lack of adaptability. A strong candidate should demonstrate the ability to pivot, think on their feet, and remain solution-oriented, especially when the test throws them a curveball.
Relying too much on outside help
It's natural for candidates to turn to external resources or tools during a test.
But it can be a major red flag if they lean heavily on external help—asking others for assistance, using forums without disclosure, or relying on code snippets they can’t explain.
While it's fine to reference external sources occasionally, candidates should be transparent about it and clearly understand the solutions they’ve used.
Missing the small but important details
Attention to detail is critical in many technical roles, especially in remote work, where you may not be able to catch mistakes as quickly.
If a candidate misses important details during a test—such as failing to follow specific instructions or overlooking small but critical elements—it may indicate a larger problem with focus or thoroughness.
Overconfidence when solving problems
While confidence is important, overconfidence can be a red flag.
If a candidate breezes through a test without considering all angles or rushing through problems without fully thinking them through, it could signal that they’re either not as skilled as they appear or they might miss important details under pressure.
A healthy balance of confidence and humility is ideal—look for candidates who approach problems thoughtfully and are open to feedback and alternative solutions.
Inability to work under pressure
During a test, if a candidate struggles to complete tasks within the allotted time frame or seems overly stressed by time constraints, it could suggest that they cannot perform under pressure in a remote setting.
Look for candidates who manage their time effectively, prioritize tasks, and stay calm under pressure. Their ability to deliver quality work within a given timeframe is critical for remote roles.
Lack of interest in continuous learning
The tech world is constantly evolving, and candidates who aren’t actively learning new tools, languages, or techniques may struggle to keep up with industry demands.
During a technical test, if a candidate seems uninterested in exploring new ideas, tools, or technologies—or is unwilling to improve their skills—this could be a major red flag.
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