60% of developers like face-to-face interviews and they prefer CVs to tech tests

WeAreDevelopers have published the results of their survey on tech recruiting. This begs the question: what precisely are developers seeking?

Fewer interviews suffice, except for senior candidates

Long interviews are not something developers are keen on – 60% of them find two interview stages optimal, 18% see value in three stages, and 15% of tech professionals find one interview stage optimal when looking for a new job.

The results also show that 21% of developers aged 26-35 show a higher tolerance for three stages, suggesting that mid-career professionals may value more in-depth interactions.

But there’s a twist: leading roles require more interviews.

Experience influences senior developers to prefer more extensive interview processes, likely because they are targeting roles that demand higher complexity and senior responsibilities.

Therefore, enhancing the interview process involves focusing on essential assessments like technical tasks, soft skills evaluations, and direct interactions. Streamlining these elements and integrating automated assessments can minimize redundancy and mitigate candidate fatigue effectively.

Developers lean towards face-to-face interview

The format of interviews is as important as the number of stages. Almost half of the developers (47.5%) prefer in-person interviews for genuine interaction, while 20.6% favor video calls, showing a significant acceptance of remote methods.

These are the preferred interview formats:

• In-person interview: 48%
• Video call: 21%
• Technical quizzes: 9%
• Take-home projects: 7%
• Coding challenges: 6%
• Phone calls: 5%
• Pair programming sessions: 4%

Younger developers (18-25 years) are less inclined towards in-person interviews (40%) compared to those 46 and older (56%).

Best way to show off technical skills? CVs!

In terms of showcasing skills, resumes/CVs are making a comeback.

Despite the belief that developers dislike creating resumes, many now prefer CVs due to their focus on impact-driven outcomes. This trend highlights the importance of effectively presenting technical skills and experience in the job market.

So, when it comes to showcasing skills, developers have clear preferences:

• 48% opt for resumes/CVs
• 20% use LinkedIn profiles
• 14% prefer personal websites or portfolios
• 11% highlight their work on GitHub
• 7% maintain technical blogs

Interestingly, technical tests have fallen out of favor. Instead, traditional resumes/CVs remain the top choice for 48.6% of developers, while digital platforms like LinkedIn and GitHub are also popular for showcasing their expertise.

However, 59% of tech professionals older than 46 years prefer traditional formats like resumes/ CVs to highlight their technical and practical skills. 19% of younger professionals (18-25 years old) are active on GitHub and personal websites, suggesting a shift towards more dynamic, project-based portfolios.

How to stand out?

Developers employ a variety of strategies to capture the attention of recruiters and hiring managers. The most common approach is tailoring CVs for each job application.

This is followed by regularly updating LinkedIn profiles and highlighting relevant certifications or ongoing education (remember, 32% of young developers maintain active GitHub profiles to stand out).

These are strategies to stand out:

• Tailored resumes/CVs: 51%
• Regular LinkedIn updates: 44%
• Highlighting certifications: 34%
• Crafting strong cover letters: 29%
• Including personal websites/portfolios: 25%
• Active participation in the tech community: 20%
• Maintaining GitHub profiles: 20%

Want to get in touch? Send a message on LinkedIn

Most developers prefer being contacted via LinkedIn (51%) and direct email (46%). 27% favor being approached by tech recruiters through online job boards and career portals.

However, 24% avoid LinkedIn due to privacy concerns and a preference for more personal interactions. This indicates that recruiters relying solely on LinkedIn might miss out on one in four developers.

Also, younger developers lean towards interactive and informal channels, while older groups prefer privacy and less impersonal interactions.

Where do developers find new job opportunities?

Developers use a variety of channels to discover job opportunities:

• Referrals: 19% hear about jobs from friends or colleagues.
• LinkedIn: 17% utilize LinkedIn for job searches.
• Job boards: 14% find jobs through major job boards.
• Other methods: 7% use community networks, while 9% find jobs internally.

Younger developers (18-25 and 26-35 years old) particularly favor LinkedIn, showing a greater reliance on digital networking platforms. The youngest group also engages more actively with community-based platforms.