Are you an Effective Interviewer? (September 2022 Newsletter)

Are you an Effective Interviewer? Let’s find out.

September 01, 2022

TECLA: connecting the best talent in Latin America with the best tech companies in the world. We just hit 47,000 developers in our network!

The Global Recruiter

- September 2022 Issue

In this issue: Interviewing IT talent remotely, The offshore hiring scene in Latin America, Motivating Hybrid Teams, and a Spotlight on Costa Rica as an Expert Talent Acquisition Pool.

Unscripted conversations are not interviewing

That's called speed dating. At least according to Isaac Lyman in his article "The science of interviewing developers." What Isaac covers are doubts we also have when it comes to this avalanche of LinkedIn CEOs claiming that they hired the right person for the role after an unscripted five-minute coffee-break-style interview. Is this really possible?Well, not really. We can agree that shorter interviews are a goal we should all work toward. But in order to be effective, they need a structure, especially when you are hiring remotely and especially when you are hiring someone from a different culture. You should focus on:

  • Covering the job description, salary, and benefits. Don't waste your time if, in the end, the position and compensation aren't what the candidate has in mind.

  • Programming is a task that produces self-evident results. Instead of theory quizzes or extensive tests, ask the candidates to code for an hour and solve work-related daily tasks. This will provide you with insights on problem-solving, error handling, and other soft skills needed for the role.

  • Nuance. Overcommunicate, always. Last week he held an AMA with IT tech professionals from Latin America, and they shared their experiences interviewing with international companies. One very common cultural miscommunication was a lack of feedback, scarce information about the hiring process, and shyness (on the candidate's end) about their English skills. When it's your time to be the interviewer, ask yourself the following questions: Am I explaining the hiring process? Am I sharing the upcoming steps? Am I focusing on the logic behind their programming skills instead of theory-based questions? Is the message getting across? Am I reassuring them that effective communication is better than perfect pronunciation? Will I provide feedback if the candidate is not chosen? 

If you are looking to understand more about the hiring scene in Latin America, we will be more than happy to provide those insights.

Key Industry Insights

Tech’s offshore hiring has gone into overdrive. Despite the fact that companies are approaching the possible recession with caution, there continues to be strong demand for tech talent, especially in Latin America. One reason is that there’s still an imbalance between supply and demand for technical roles. “The demand for tech talent has gone up, not just in the tech industry, but across the board.” Read more about the current state of offshore hiring here. These days, proximity is harder to come by than ever. Managers are in the best position to tackle this problem because of the personal relationships they have with each member of their team. But managers themselves need more support. Company leaders and HR teams must support managers with specialized onboarding, training, metrics, and ready-to-use FAQs and playbooks. Read more about keeping hybrid workers engaged here.

Spotlight

Costa Rica is a software development paradise. The “Tico” teams are highly skilled and affordable – but that’s just the start. For long-term partnerships, Costa Rica is well-equipped to succeed, as it has a strong IT ecosystem, world-class pool of top software developers, and great cultural compatibility. This country has succeeded in becoming:

  • #1 exporter of IT services per capita in LATAM.

  • #1 valued-added IT services in LATAM.

  • Hosts 119 IT companies in-country.

  • Hosts 16 of the top 100 companies in IT globally.

Costa Rica's Concentrated Talent Pool

This country has a small yet mighty tech talent pool. Many STEM candidates are graduating from top institutions such as TEC (Costa Rica Institute of Technology), ULACIT (Latin American University of Science and Technology), and the INCAE Business School.

Skilled Tech Talent

According to Coursera's skill test, their software developers have excellent tech abilities compared to their peers worldwide.

Excellent English Proficiency‍

The typical Costa Rican developer is multilingual with a high level of English. In fact, Costa Rica scored #1 on TOEIC and TOEFL tests in Latin America, as well as #4 on the EF EPI exams.

Though there are countless software outsourcing destinations worldwide, Costa Rica strikes the perfect balance of top developer talent at affordable rates and within U.S. time zones. Read our full country report for more valuable insights.

Future of Work Gems

Tools for your remote team, new trends on remote hiring, and curated insights.

Cool Tools

  •  Poised. AI-powered communication coach that helps you speak with confidence and clarity.

  • Role-play sales conversations for your team with PitchMonster.

  •  People box. Enterprise OKR platform to align teams and execute fast.

What we are loving

Technicality

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