Breaking Down HackerRank's Survey of 40,000 Developers

HackerRank aims to match developers with jobs based on demonstrated skills rather than resumes. Ravisankar traces the idea back to Interviewstreet, a paid mock interview service in India, and a later service helping students apply to graduate programs. Both struggled to grow, leading the founders to focus on selling to companies and building coding challenges for hiring.

HackerRank surveyed a million members of its community and received nearly 40,000 completed responses to a 40-question survey. Respondents came from several regions, with more than 40% in Asia-Pacific. Findings included that one in four developers learned to code before learning to drive, and that developers valued work-life balance and opportunities for continuous learning.

Hiring managers had mixed views of boot camps, which Ravisankar said may depend on their quality. The survey pointed to problem-solving as a priority across company sizes, while startups also valued experience with their specific technology stack and project contributions. Ravisankar said many developers learn through YouTube and practice sites, so employers should assess skills rather than rely on degrees, schools, or past employers as proxies.

Ravisankar said candidates evaluate employers too, including their interview process, peers, and the relevance of technical questions. He encouraged companies to discuss product and business strategy with developers and said brain teasers can be replaced by more relevant ways to assess problem-solving. For HackerRank’s first engineering hires, he emphasized motivation, learning ability, connection to the company’s mission, and looking beyond traditional credentials.