One of the specialties of the CodeSignal platform is its ability to provide targeted assessment. Isolating the specific skills required for the job provides the most well-informed data for finding the best match.
In the refactoring task we looked at in this episode, the code was mostly already written, and the candidate’s responsibility is to make some changes and adjustments in order to meet the given specifications. One of the biggest benefits of an interview task like this is that it can very closely reflect the reality of many developers’ daily activities, unlike many other common interview challenges involving obscure or irrelevant algorithms and data structures.
Another major advantage is that the candidate saves time by not having to write all the necessary but less relevant boilerplate code provided. This in turn has benefits for recruiters, as it provides a clearer signal in a shorter time.
It’s also possible to design the tests around particular elements, in order to further zoom in on the specific abilities relevant to the job, thus providing a more detailed picture of the candidate’s particular strengths.