Skype recently introduced their new "Interviews" feature, a solution intended to help businesses improve their technical screening process with live code execution, in-browser video calling, and inline highlighting options. The new application will allow companies to conduct technical interviews, where candidates can be tested on their knowledge of programming language with a real-time coding editor.
The "Interviews" feature is only available on the browser version of Skype so far, but you can use it to give your candidate instructions through video chat while watching them run code and perform tasks that highlight their technical skills. Although there have been solutions like this in the past, the popularity of Skype means that companies can perform interviews in an experience that feels familiar and natural for both the candidate and the HR professional.
Video and Testing in One
Rather than having to have a Skype call running on one side of the screen, and a code testing feature on the other, Skype has infused both scenarios into the same experience, allowing for a more ubiquitous interview testing feature that could streamline the interview process. The video simply appears at the top of the code editor screen while the code test is running, which allows the interviewer to provide instructions to their candidate in real time.
To help make the experience a little less daunting for candidates, Skype has even included a syntax highlighting feature, that helps them to catch mistakes in 7 different languages, including Java, Ruby, Python, C, and more. You don't even need to download a Skype app to get started. All you have to do is head to the website, click on "Start Interview", and share your link with your candidate.
The in-browser code execution feature means that candidates can test out their code and check for mistakes, while Interviewers can test on multiple languages in the same session, thanks to an option that lets them switch between different options.
