At Hatchways, it’s been our goal from the start to make it easier for software engineers to get their first job in the tech industry. More specifically, we want to help talented engineers who may not shine in traditional recruitment processes (resume + multiple interviews) get opportunities to prove themselves on the job. We do this through simulated employment that evaluates their skills as a proxy for pre-screens (resume + phone screens), and then matches them to startups for paid internships as a way to reduce full-time interview processes.

As a new grad without relevant work experience, or as a career shifter without a relevant degree, getting a first job is a very painful process. You spend months preparing for interviews that don’t reflect the job, send out hundreds of resumes that go unanswered, and when you actually get an interview, passing through five rounds successfully is like winning the lottery.

Mainstream hiring processes are biased towards those who went to great schools, graduates with high GPAs, native English-speakers, those with work experience at brand name companies, extroverts, great networkers, and etc. But there are so many talented people who don't fit that profile. We're excited to work on processes of hiring to give them a better chance.

Our practical skill-based evaluations simulate tasks that are actually used on the job (e.g. project-based work). Engineers on our end review the job seeker’s code to pick up signals that are important for on the job use such as: ability to follow a spec, comfort with ambiguity, code quality, and how quickly each task is completed. Two things that make us special are 1.) We are very clear and up-front about what we’re looking for before candidates begin an assessment and 2.) We give tailored feedback to everyone who completes an assessment so they know how they can improve. Candidates who do well are referred to our employment partners, and we vouch for their skills.

Employers who follow our hiring practices by trialing candidates on the job instead of using long-winded interview processes have seen great success. We've found that it works best to give people the opportunity to prove themselves on the job, and in fact, over 85% of our internships have resulted in full-time employment.

So far, we have helped talented engineers get software jobs who would have otherwise been overlooked: baristas and Uber drivers turned engineers, candidates with no local experience (from Turkey, India, Russia, Ethiopia, Brazil etc.), and those with non-CS degrees (linguistics, philosophy, economics, MBA’s, dentistry, mechanical engineering etc.) We’ve also helped people from underrepresented and minority groups who get left out in traditional hiring processes, like those affected by asperger's, ADHD, tourette's, and those with hearing impairments. By giving these candidates a chance to prove their skills, rather than having a bias set against them by what they seem like on paper or on a phone screen, employers will inevitably hire the best talent.

We are continuing to work on providing the opportunity for anyone to shine no matter what background they come from. We believe the Hatchways way of evaluating talent will become the fairest, most accurate and most inclusive way to hire entry-level software talent.

Do you want to test out the Hatchways assessment experience as a candidate? If so, check out the experience here.

Have ideas or feedback? I’d love to hear. E-mail me directly at jaclyn@hatchways.io