Hiring The Very Best Engineers for your Product

At 10Clouds, we pride ourselves on hiring the very top software engineers – and this is genuinely top of our agenda. We are driven by two main motivations: the opportunity to work with individuals who challenge us to grow, and our commitment to delivering on our customer promises.

While the past 24 months have seen the world rapidly embrace AI, it’s clear that people remain crucial in leveraging this technology effectively.

The bar has been set even higher with AI's widespread adoption, and we are witnessing a changing job market where many candidates struggle to find top positions.

But how do you ensure that you hire the right engineers? A lot of it comes down to a very thorough verification of their technical skills.

We speak to our Senior JS developer, Radosław Litman, who has more than 20 years of engineering experience, and has taken part in more than 220 recruitment processes, and to Sev Mertol, and Marta Glajcar, who are both seasoned recruitment specialists.

Welcome all. Could you tell us how the engineer recruitment process works at 10Clouds?

Sev: Sure, it's a four-step process that we've refined over the years to perfectly meet our needs and ensure the highest quality hires. The process includes:

1. A thorough CV Screen and initial interview conducted by me, to do a first check of whether the role is the right fit, and to assess the level of English. We place a strong focus on the “belonging aspect," meaning how a person will complement our team, whether we will get along, share the same values, and are committed to continuous and swift development.

2. Depending on the role, candidates may be required to complete technical tasks, personality assessments, or skills evaluations with me before they move onto the technical screenings. All of this is aimed at increasing the likelihood that in the subsequent stages, we meet individuals who enhance the chances of being hired.

3. The technical screening which lasts around 1.5 hours and involves:

• A discussion of a recent project that the candidate has worked on.
• A live code review
• Questions for us

4. Final check from senior management or team members to ensure alignment with our clients’ values and team dynamics.

Marta: Each recruitment is a big challenge for us; we believe it’s one of the most important processes in the company because it affects our ultimate outcomes and how quickly we’re able to adapt to the market.

It’s also a detailed process, and we always take the time to give thorough feedback at the end of it, regardless of whether or not we decide to hire the candidate.

How do we test the technical prowess of engineers?

Radosław: OK, let me tell you a little more about the three main elements of the tech screening. 

We start with a project discussion which lasts about 15 minutes. Candidates are asked to describe a recent project they have worked on. This helps gauge how fluently they can discuss their work, the level of detail they provide, and how well they can answer specific questions about the tools and processes used. This part is usually conducted in English, and it provides a good sense of the candidate’s engagement with the project and also tests their language at the same time.

We then move onto technical problem solving which lasts around an hour. In this main section, candidates might be asked how they would solve a problem using a particular tool or how they would assist a junior colleague with an issue. The aim is to understand their efficiency – could they have solved it quicker with different tools? If a candidate gives an incorrect answer, we clarify the question to avoid any communication errors and give the candidate a chance to adjust their response. Often, once given a starting point, candidates can develop the answer and run with it.

This section also includes a live code review, where candidates work with a snippet of code that functions but isn’t optimized. Using a shared editor, they can edit the code live or discuss what changes they would make and why.

Sometimes, candidates come up with solutions outside of the expected norms, which can be a positive outcome.

If a candidate is struggling, hints and tips are provided to help them along.

We finish up with an open discussion where candidates can ask any questions they have about the role, the team, or 10Clouds as a whole. This gives us a chance to check their motivation once more.

Tell us about some recruitment ‘bloopers’. What went wrong?

Sev: Oh, I definitely have a couple of gems that stand out! One candidate lit up a cigarette right in the middle of the interview, as if we were old friends chatting in a café. And then there was the guy who decided our interview was the perfect time to chow down on his lunch. Nothing says "hire me" like a mouthful of sandwich. We are very understanding and laid-back people here at 10clouds; however, lighting up a cigarette or eating lunch during an interview crosses the line of professionalism and respect that we expect in such settings. 

Radosław: In one recruitment conversation I had a distinct impression that there was another person listening to the call and serving the right answer to the candidate, as there was a 10-15 second delay to his answers. The trust was gone in an instant – and trust is paramount for us when it comes to recruitment. 

Why are you confident in telling our clients that we’ve hired the very best people?

Radosław: Our recruitment process is extremely thorough, honed over many years to achieve highly successful outcomes.

Previously, we used Codility, an automated test lasting about an hour. However, we switched to live code checks to eliminate the possibility of cheating – to add that extra level of security.

Marta: The data from our recent hiring cycles paints a clear picture of the selectiveness of our process. On average, we receive 952 applications for each position. Despite the large number of applications, we hire only 0.34% of those who apply.

For every 1,000 applicants, just about 3 make the cut.

Sev: We’re confident in telling our clients that we’ve hired the very best people because, in addition to having established pipelines of trusted developers and agencies we've collaborated with over the years, our extensive experience allows us to discern genuine talent.

Our team excels at judging character, and we are exceptionally skilled at distinguishing the right candidates from the unsuitable ones, ensuring we bring on board only those who truly excel both technically and personally.

In addition, our time-to-hire averages well below industry standards, ensuring our clients can kickstart projects within a remarkably short timeframe, typically within 7 to 10 days at most.

Thank you Radosław, Sev and Marta.

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