In tech hiring, technical assessments are essential to gauge the real skills of a candidate. But placing the right test at the wrong time can cost you top talent, or slow down your entire recruitment process.
Hiring in IT often feels like a race against time. DevOps, Cloud, and Fullstack talent is rare, and highly sought after. Running assessments at the right moment helps increase candidate conversion, reduce time-to-hire, and improve hiring quality.
Timing can make all the difference. So when should you test: at the beginning, middle, or end of the hiring process? This guide will help you decide.
Table of Contents
1. What Is a Technical Assessment?
2. Key Stages in the Hiring Funnel
3. When Do Companies Typically Test Candidates?
4. Pros and Cons of Different Assessment Timings
5. Best Practices for Timing Your Assessment
1. What Is a Technical Assessment? (For Non-Tech Recruiters)
A technical assessment is a hands-on simulation designed to test a candidate's practical skills. Unlike theoretical questions, these tests replicate real-world tasks relevant to the job.
Examples :
- Fixing a production bug
- Creating a CI/CD pipeline
- Handling an incident on a Kubernetes cluster
- Writing documentation based on a task
These are not trivia questions. They're realistic challenges aligned with your working environment.
2. Key Stages in the Hiring Funnel
Before deciding the best moment to insert a technical assessment, it’s essential to understand the typical steps of a tech recruitment process. Each phase has its own objectives, tools… and opportunities for evaluation.
1. Prequalification / CV Screening
This is the initial sorting phase: the recruiter reviews resumes and cover letters to identify profiles that seem to match the role’s criteria (skills, experience, background).
→ At this stage, the goal is to identify who deserves a first contact.
2. First Call (HR or Technical)
A short introductory call helps confirm CV elements, validate motivation, clarify the role and expectations, and sometimes ask a few basic technical questions.
→ It’s a key step to assess mutual interest before going further.
3. In-Depth Interview / Practical Scenario
the technical or product team. The discussion evaluates logic, past experiences, problem-solving abilities, and sometimes includes a first practical scenario.
→ This is often the ideal time to assess soft skills and technical approach.
4. Final Evaluation
If not already done, a structured technical assessment is usually introduced here, either independently or live, to validate key job-related skills.
→ This step confirms the candidate’s actual level in near real-life conditions.
5. Job Offer
If everything checks out, an offer is made: contract, conditions, salary, starting date, etc. It is a strategic moment that needs to happen quickly to avoid losing a strong candidate.
3. When Do Companies Typically Test Candidates?
There is no single right time to technically assess a candidate. Each company takes a different approach depending on its needs, pace, and the profiles it targets. Here are the three most common moments when a technical test may be introduced.
At the Very Beginning (upon application)
Some companies choose to send a test as soon as they receive the CV, sometimes even before any human interaction. This approach helps quickly filter out the least relevant applications, especially when there’s a high volume of applicants.
Disadvantage: Can discourage strong profiles, especially experienced ones who won’t agree to test without understanding the role or meeting the team.
Mid-Process (after a first interview)
This is the most common choice. Once the profile has passed an initial human filter (call, video, interview), the company proposes a test. The candidate is already engaged, has a clearer view of the company, and is more motivated to showcase their skills.
Advantage: Good balance between engagement and quality of responses, high completion rate.
Disadvantage: Requires solid logistical coordination (tools, instructions, timing) to keep the candidate interested.
At the End of the Process (just before the offer)
Some teams choose to test at the very end of the hiring journey, as a final check before extending an offer. This is often a shorter, more targeted test, sometimes done live with a team member.
Advantage: Only serious candidates are tested, no effort wasted.
Disadvantage: The test may come too late. If the candidate fails, the process must start over with others.
4. Pros and Cons of Different Assessment Timings
| Timing of the Test | Candidate Engagement | Accuracy of the Test | Time/Cost Investment |
| Early | ❌ Low | ⚠️ Medium | ✅ Low |
| Midway | ✅ Good balance | ✅ High | ✅ Reasonable |
| Late | ⚠️ Variable | ✅ Reliable | ❌ High if failed |
What the data says:
✔️ 57 % of candidates prefer a test after a first human interaction.
✔️ Companies that test too early see disengagement rates of up to 40 %.
✔️ Assessments timed right reduce average time-to-hire by 20 %.
5. Best Practices for Timing Your Assessment
A good technical test is not just a file sent by email. Its timing, format, and presentation directly impact the success of the process. Here are some best practices to follow to maximize candidate engagement and the relevance of your results.
1. Send the test right after a personalized conversation
Don’t fall into the trap of over-automation. A test offered after a first human interaction (call or video) shows that you’ve genuinely taken interest in the candidate.
→ Result: the candidate feels valued and is more likely to engage seriously with the test.
2. Clearly state the estimated time, deadline, and objective
Before sending a test, clearly indicate how long it takes, its deadline, and what you’re aiming to evaluate (logic, tool proficiency, autonomy…).
→ This avoids frustration, promotes fairness, and increases completion rates.
3. Tailor the test to the position
A DevOps test should not be the same as a fullstack test. Create or adapt your assessments based on the business context, tech stack, and actual responsibilities.
→ The test then becomes more credible, more accurate… and more predictive.
4. Provide constructive feedback, even in case of rejection
Few companies do it, yet even a short personalized feedback acknowledges the candidate’s effort and leaves a positive impression of your organization.
→ This strengthens your employer brand while building lasting relationships with talents who may be a great fit later.
6. Common Mistakes to Avoid
Even with good intentions, certain practices can undermine the effectiveness of your technical evaluations. Here are three common pitfalls to avoid at all costs:
1. Waiting too long
Offering a test at the very end of the process can drive away top candidates who may have already accepted a faster offer; in a competitive market, responsiveness is key.
2. Sending a generic test
A test that reflects neither the position nor the reality of the company can damage your credibility, giving the impression of a lack of rigor or interest in the candidate.
3. Overloading candidates too early
Sending a long or complex test without prior contact creates a negative first impression, as the candidate doesn’t yet see the value in such an effort.
Conclusion
LThe technical test is a strategic lever to recruit the right DevOps profiles — provided it is used methodically. To be truly effective, it must be realistic, targeted, offered at the right moment (often after an initial conversation), and respect the candidate experience. By avoiding generic or poorly timed tests and relying on the right tools, you improve the speed, accuracy, and appeal of your tech hiring process.
Curious to see how it works in practice? Test a realistic and immersive DevOps assessment scenario for free: Book your demo.
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