What We Learned About 2019 Developer Hiring Trends from Analyzing 112,654 Coding Tests

The war for programming talent is raging. In a world where software is eating everything from transportation to banking to entertainment, skilled developers have become the infantry of innovation. But with demand for coders far outpacing supply, companies are struggling to fill their ranks. This makes effective technical recruiting more critical than ever.

But hiring developers is no easy feat. It‘s a battle fought on multiple fronts – from identifying the right skills to assessing candidates to persuading top talent to come aboard. Luckily, we have data to help chart the path to victory.

At Devskiller, we arm companies with coding tests to screen developers. In 2019, candidates from around the world completed a staggering 112,654 of our tests. This gave us an unprecedented window into the state of technical hiring – from the most sought-after programming skills to the countries producing the highest-scoring developers.

So what did we learn from this treasure trove of data? Let‘s dive in.

The Global Talent Wars Heat Up

Once upon a time, if you wanted to hire a developer, you‘d post a local job listing and hope for the best. No more. Today‘s hunt for programming talent knows no borders.

Leading the charge are US employers, who sourced 30% of all international developers tested on our platform. It‘s no wonder – with Silicon Valley and other tech hubs driving innovation, American companies have an insatiable appetite for skilled coders.

But the traffic isn‘t one-way. Interestingly, the US is also the second-largest supplier of developers taking tests for foreign companies, behind only India. This two-way tech talent exchange underscores the globalizing nature of technical recruiting.

India, long known for its programming prowess, produces over a quarter (26.4%) of the developer candidates we see. The US is a distant second at 9.3%, followed by Poland (5.3%) and Brazil (5%).

But while these established players lead the pack, a new generation of contenders is making waves. New Zealand, for instance, boasts the highest average coding test score of any country, with the Netherlands nipping at its heels. For employers casting a global net, these up-and-coming nations could be fertile hunting grounds.

Of course, hiring abroad is easier said than done. Navigating visas, relocation, and cultural differences can be daunting. But for many companies, the payoff – a wider pool of top-tier talent – is well worth the effort.

As Jed Kolko, Chief Economist at Indeed, puts it: "In today‘s tight labor market, employers are increasingly willing to hire remote workers and even relocate new hires from other cities or countries. This is especially true in tech, where the demand for specialized skills often outstrips the local supply."

Stacking Up the Skills Companies Crave

Any seasoned developer knows the debate – which programming languages and frameworks are on the rise, and which are destined for the scrap heap? Our testing data gives a rare glimpse into the skills employers are actually seeking.

To no one‘s surprise, JavaScript lords over the coding landscape, with a whopping 70% of companies testing candidates on the omnipresent web language. But it‘s not just plain vanilla JS they‘re after. Employers increasingly demand expertise in specific libraries and frameworks like React (tested by 40.5% of companies), Angular (32.3%), and Node.js (31.8%).

Java, that trusty workhorse of the enterprise, is another perennial favorite, tested by 57.1% of employers. Close on its heels is SQL, showcasing the enduring importance of database chops.

Indeed, our data reveals that backend and database skills often go hand-in-hand in modern development. Over a quarter of our multi-tech tests pair Java with SQL, while Python and SQL are bundled 12.5% of the time.

The popularities of Python and C#, tested by 40.3% and 38.6% of companies respectively, point to the rise of data science and game development. Meanwhile, PHP (36.1%) and C++ (30.4%) hold steady as workhorses of the web and system programming worlds.

What‘s the common thread? Mastery of a language alone is no longer sufficient. Employers want developers fluent in the entire ecosystem around a tech – the frameworks, libraries, and tools that power modern software development.

Full-stack skills are especially prized, with companies eager for coders who can tackle both frontend and backend challenges. As Mark Molsen, CTO of TrackTik, explains: "We look for developers who can wear multiple hats and work across the stack. Specialization has its place, but versatility is incredibly valuable in a fast-moving software shop."

A Smarter Approach to Hiring

Any developer who‘s endured a clumsy technical interview knows the frustration – contrived whiteboard puzzles and arbitrary brain teasers that bear little resemblance to real-world coding. Mercifully, our data shows the tide is turning.

A convincing 73% of candidates are willing to complete coding tests as part of the hiring process, but with a caveat – those tests need to reflect the actual work they‘d be doing on the job. Employers are wisely adapting, crafting assessments around the specific tech stacks a role requires rather than recycling one-size-fits-none questions.

This shift toward tailored, job-relevant evaluations is a win-win. Developers get to showcase their skills in a meaningful context, while employers glean valuable insight into how candidates perform in a realistic coding scenario.

But some nations are pickier than others in wielding this hiring tool. Singapore tops the global selectivity rankings, with its employers setting a high bar for test performance. The island nation‘s unique blend of a small but highly educated workforce, lofty economic ambitions, and reputation as an Asian Silicon Valley all contribute to its rigorous hiring standards.

As Ee Ling Lim, Asia Pacific Head of Diversity at Bloomberg, notes: "In Singapore, academic pedigree is highly prized, but so too is demonstrated technical aptitude. With a limited talent pool, companies can afford to be selective. Coding tests have become an attractive way to efficiently sift through the deluge of candidates."

Crystal Ball Gazing: The Future of Tech Hiring

So what does this all mean for the years ahead? While no one has a foolproof oracle, our data suggests a few key plot lines will dominate the unfolding story of technical recruiting.

1. The talent wars go global: As more companies wake up to the benefits of borderless hiring, the worldwide tug-of-war for top developers will only intensify. Employers who confine their search to their own backyard will find themselves outgunned by competitors casting a global net.

2. The coder‘s skill set evolves: The languages and frameworks developers need to know will keep morphing as new technologies emerge and mature. Mastering the core building blocks of code will no longer suffice – employers will demand fluency in the cutting-edge tools of the trade. Continuous learning won‘t be optional for developers, but essential.

3. Hiring gets smarter: With the price of a bad hire so steep, companies can‘t afford to leave a developer‘s skills to chance. Rigorous, job-relevant assessments like coding tests will become par for the tech hiring course. Equally, expect to see more companies leveraging data and AI to optimize their hiring funnels.

4. Regional nuances persist: While the overarching trend is toward globalization, local quirks in developer supply and hiring practices will endure. Countries like Singapore and Switzerland may remain ultra-selective thanks to small talent pools and high education standards, while others like the US and India will stay top exporters of programming ability. Navigating these regional nuances will be key to a winning talent strategy.

The writing on the wall is clear – for developers, becoming a "versatilist" is the surest path to career success. Broad programming chops must be paired with deep expertise in the specific tech stacks prized by employers. Coders who commit to continuous upskilling will have their pick of top global opportunities, while those content to rest on existing knowledge risk obsolescence.

For companies, the road to hiring triumph lies in getting strategic. Treating developers as commodities and recycling tired interview tropes are surefire recipes for defeat. Instead, leaders must cultivate a nose for emerging tech trends, a deft touch in crafting relevant assessments, and a keen eye for potential in unexpected places. The spoils will go to those who can look beyond borders, wield data shrewdly, and sell candidates on a compelling mission.

A Future Built by Code

In the end, our odyssey through 112,654 coding tests is more than a tale of frameworks and hiring tactics. It‘s a testament to the pivotal role developers play in shaping our collective future.

In an age where every company is becoming a software company, coders are the architects sketching the blueprint, the builders pouring the foundation, the craftspeople adding the finishing touches. From the apps we use to the infrastructure we rely on to the breakthroughs that propel us forward, their fingerprints are everywhere.

Grasping the forces shaping how these vital contributors are hired is no academic exercise – it‘s a window into how innovation itself happens. By arming developers and companies with the insights to navigate this ever-shifting terrain, we aim to fuel the alchemy that occurs when the right coder meets the right code.

So here‘s to the intrepid recruiters scouring the globe for unsung programming heroes, the hiring mavericks pushing the boundaries of candidate assessment, and above all, the developers themselves – the dreamers, tinkerers, and problem-solvers on whose shoulders our future rests. May the data be your guide and your code your lodestar as you build a world we can only begin to imagine.