McKinsey called Eastern Europe the next outsourcing hotspot back in 2006. Today, McKinsey’s prediction has come true, with countless businesses relying on the region to meet talent shortages.

Eastern Europe has emerged as a top IT hub in the world in recent years. Countries like Ukraine and Poland produce fresh IT graduates every year, who are ripe for employment. Additionally, the countries serve as the base for leading developers with unmatched expertise and skills.

As a result, software development has become one of the top sectors in the Eastern European economy. In countries like Ukraine, the IT industry grew by 30.2% to $4.17 billion in 2020. Compared to that, Ukraine recorded a growth of only 19% in 2018.

Therefore, we can see an increased interest in Eastern Europe as an outsourcing destination. It is also growing in popularity as both an offshore and onshore outsourcing destination.

However, developers in Eastern Europe generally work remotely. So, how should recruiters vet potential developers to pick the right candidates?

Let’s find out.

How to Vet Developers from Eastern Europe for Remote Work

Businesses should always screen candidates from Eastern Europe. The process help recruiters determine if the potential developer has the required skills to fulfill the responsibilities of the project.

However, vetting candidates for remote work is a bit challenging than screening developers face-to-face. Additionally, you have no idea if the references they provided are legit.

As a result, recruiters need to be extra careful while screening software engineers. The same applies to any tech job position, whether you hire a JavaScript developer or app tester.

Vetting Developers with the Help of Artificial Intelligence

Remote working creates a distance between recruiters and potential developers. However, it is still necessary to test your candidates for solid tech skills.

Recruiters can use a range of tools and take the help of artificial intelligence (AI) to vet remote developers. For example, entrepreneurs can use coding test tools where the candidate sits for a coding test remotely.

 In fact, developers prefer coding tests, and 73% of them complete tests from their employers. As a result, automated vetting tools can be a great way to screen developers.

Recruiters can use several vetting solutions like:

  • Codility
  • CodeSignal
  • HackerRank
  • CodinGame
  • ChallengeRocket

Screen Candidates with Remote Pair Programming

Many businesses use pair programming to code clean and share knowledge. Additionally, some companies always use pair programming to create reliable products.

Therefore, why not use pair programming to vet remote developers?

Now you must be thinking about how you can use pair programming to hire remote developers. It needs you to sit beside your candidate and perform the task.

However, it is also possible to pair programs remotely and review code on the spot. Recruiters can use various screen-sharing tools to code side-by-side. Apps like Skype or Google Meet can also go a long way to facilitate the screening of developers.

In addition, entrepreneurs can use dedicated pair programming tools to vet candidates. According to a senior developer of the Jira team, some of the most popular tools include:

  • Floobits
  • CodeTogether
  • Saros

Vet Developers with Online Hackathons

A hackathon or a codefest allows software engineers to gather to develop a new program or improve an existing application. Generally, hackathons are physical events, and programmers gather at a specific location to code.

Employers also use hackathons to screen potential developers. They arrange codefests at their offices and vet candidates for both soft and hard skills.

Best of all, recruiters that use innovative hiring methods like hackathons obtain a 70% onboarding rate.

Today, it is possible to conduct online hackathons to screen your developers. Several platforms like Mettl and HackerEarth let entrepreneurs arrange remote hackathons.

Therefore, you can use the same strategy to evaluate the skills of programmers you hire from Eastern Europe.

Screen Programmers via Video Conferencing

Automated tools and online events are great for vetting tech candidates. However, there are some factors that you cannot screen with remote techniques.

In such cases, recruiters will have to rely on the old-school way of telephonic interviews. However, they can use a range of video calling apps to mimic the experience of a physical interview.

Why should you vet candidates using telephonic interviews?

Automated vetting tools let recruiters determine the specific skillset of potential developers. They can create tailored coding tests based on required skillsets for effective screening.

However, a tool is not the right medium to evaluate the readability or cleanliness of a code. You need a human to review the code and provide sound analysis.

Additionally, recruiters can test problem-solving skills through telephonic interviews. They can give the candidates a situation and ask them to come up with a solution.

As a result, consider screening your candidates manually, even if you use automated screening solutions.

Hire Pre-Vetted, Expert Developers with Reintech

Recruiters can spend a lot of resources, time, and money to screen candidates. They will have to spend on the automated tools and even pay employees to conduct the screenings.

In addition, finding the right talent can also take up considerable time. There is a high demand for programmers, and most of them are employed.

In such situations, Reintech can come in handy and help recruiters access leading talents in Eastern Europe. We have a large pool of pre-screened developers with exceptional skills and exposure to working with Western clients.

Businesses can save considerable time and conserve resources by hiring with us. We have a thorough vetting process that screens developers in multiple steps.

Additionally, we ensure all developers have the required experience to work on your project. Get in touch with us today to help us shortlist candidates in just 48 hours to fill in your vacancy.

Final Thoughts

Eastern Europe is a great place to find proficient developers. However, every recruiter should screen potential developers before hiring for the required skills. Businesses can use automated vetting tools and screen candidates remotely. They can also arrange online pair programming or hackathons to select the best developers. Additionally, conduct a telephonic interview to be absolutely sure about your new hire.

Photo by Yasmina H on Unsplash