The Challenge
The client had a requirement of 10 Java developers. The challenge was to source high-quality candidates and successfully onboard 10 within the course of a month.;
Even though the total number of Java developers in the market is around 10 million, finding skilled developers on time is still a challenge. For this particular client, the following were the major challenges in sourcing 10 Java developers.
- Difficulty in sourcing skilled Java developers due to tech talent shortage
- High time to hire was impacting their project deadlines
- High talent costs were a challenge since the client had limited budgets
- The client had already tried hiring via a couple of staffing agencies and IT recruiters with poor results
The Solution
A Recruit-a-thon was proposed to the client to meet their requirement on time and within budget without compromising on the skills.
A Recruit-a-thon is a virtual hiring event where several candidates from the same tech stack are evaluated on the same standards to shortlist the best performers. The evaluation is in the form of a competition with cash rewards apart from the prospect of a job opportunity. This virtual job fair format attracts a high number of eligible candidates and also helps in faster evaluation.
For the Java Recruit-a-thon, the following evaluation framework was deployed.
- Initial screening and verification
- MCQ-based aptitude tests designed by industry experts to assess reasoning, critical thinking, and problem-solving abilities
- MCQ-based tests to assess technical skills in Java and software engineering in general and the project skills in particular, designed by tech experts from MAANG companies
- Coding simulation test to assess the coding skills as required for the job profile
- Soft-skills assessment to test communication skills and cultural fit
- Technical interviews by the client’s tech team
- Final interview with the client’s HR team
The Groundwork
The goal was to get at least 150 registrations for the recruit-a-thon for which the team at TaAp Exchange carried out social media campaigns and used existing exclusive talent networks to spread the word and contact eligible candidates, informing them about the virtual hiring event.
A dedicated team of 5 tech recruiters from TaAp Exchange worked for over 2 weeks through LinkedIn, Slack, Reddit, Facebook, and Java community forums on various platforms. We also posted the job on job portals such as Naukri, Monster, and Indeed and went over the databases of these portals to look for matching talent. Through a thorough talent sourcing activity, we succeeded in getting 173 registrations.
All 173 profiles were verified as genuine registrations, and we validated their resume skills and qualifications to ensure they were a good match for the client’s requirements.
The Event
The Recruit-a-thon was conducted over 2 days.
Day 1 Agenda
| Time | Activity |
| 9:00 – 9:30 | Welcome note and agenda |
| 9:30 – 10:00 | MCQ-based aptitude tests administered to all 173 candidates simultaneously |
| 10:00 – 10:15 | Break |
| 10:15 – 12:15 | MCQ-based test for Java skills |
| 12:15 – 13:15 | Break |
| 13:15 – 14:45 | MCQ-based assessments for soft skills |
| 14:45 – 15:30 | Client presentation to give the company brief and talk about work culture |
| 15:30 – 16:00 | Q&A and interaction with client |
All candidates took the tests simultaneously on the platform that was specially developed for the recruit-a-thon. It made evaluation convenient and very fast. At the end of the day, the results from the tests were collated, and a list of candidates was prepared with ranks assigned based on their scores. Shortlisted candidates were intimated.
Day 2 Agenda
The coding test was conducted simultaneously for all eligible candidates. All candidates were given scores based on their performance and were shortlisted for technical interviews with the client’s team.
| Time | Activity |
| 9:00 – 9:30 | Welcome note and announcement of the top 3 performers for Day 1 |
| 9:30 – 13:30 | Simulated coding assessment |
| 13:30 – 14:30 | Break |
| 14:30 – 16:30 | Fun Quiz and announcement of Day 2 top 3 performers |
Post-event support
We collated the results of the recruit-a-thon and shortlisted the candidates into 4 groups as below.
Group A: 99 to 100 percentile (Top 1%)
Group B: 95 to 99 percentile (Top 5%)
Group C: 90 to 95 percentile (Top 10%)
Group D: Above 90 percentile
SPOC from TaAp Exchange helped with scheduling interviews and provided support till the time onboarding was completed.
Highlights of the event
- 173 registrations were received
- 98 candidates were shortlisted on Day 1
- 34 candidates were shortlisted on Day 2 for client interview
- Total cash rewards worth $3500 were distributed
Pricing model offered to the client
The client was offered a simple pricing model where they paid a fee of $7,000 for the event. No fees were taken as hiring charges per candidate. The commitment from TaAp Exchange was to provide 10 Java developers. In the event that TaAp Exchange was unable to fulfill this requirement, the agreement was to issue a refund in proportion to the number of positions left unfilled, something not guaranteed by traditional recruiting agencies.
The Results
The client was provided with high-quality talent
Due to the multi-layer evaluation, the client got access to top talent with demonstrable skills. An offer letter was issued to the top 10 candidates selected by the client. The SPOC from TaAp Exchange provided support till onboarding.
Post-offer support was provided by TaAp Exchange
Out of the 10 offer letters issued, 1 candidate refused to join. TaAp Exchange helped the client choose a different candidate from the pool that was interviewed. This candidate accepted the offer letter ensuring that the client’s initial requirement of 10 Java developers was duly fulfilled.
Cost to hire was reduced by 82.5%
The average cost to hire a developer through a staffing agency is 10% of the developer’s annual salary. Considering an average salary of $40,000 for offshore Java developers, this would have been $4000 per developer hired or $40,000 for a batch of 10 Java developers.
For the recruit-a-thon, the client paid a fee of $7,000, which saved them over $33,000, resulting in 82.5% savings.
Hiring time was reduced by 45%
The average time to hire 10 Java developers would have been about 60 days. The recruit-a-thon, reduced the time to just 23 days (14 days for groundwork, 2 days for the event, and 7 days to interview and issue offer letters). Thus, the hiring time was reduced by 45%.
The fast process ensured that the client could onboard in time to meet their project deadlines.
Client satisfaction score of 9.1
The client was very satisfied with the talent quality, the hassle-free process, the support provided, and the adherence to timelines. They rated the experience at 9.1 on a scale of 1 to 10.
Client satisfaction score of 9.1
The candidates were satisfied with the fast-paced event. They rated the experience at 8.5 on a scale of 1 to 10.
Why Recruit-a-thon?
Taking into account the challenges in the tech recruitment market today, TaAp Exchange recommended a Recruit-a-thon for hiring developers in remote positions through virtual hiring event.
Through solid groundwork by our recruitment team and technology advisors, we established an experienced candidate pool.
The format of the technology recruiting event was pitched as a competition. Thus, the candidates were more interested and invested in the process.
With the help of our dedicated team members and SPOCs, the entire virtual hiring event was conducted without any hassles.