Geektastic launches to help companies find developers

60% of UK companies face a skills gap within their tech departments and cannot fill positions quickly enough to meet demand. To solve this major challenge, London startup Geektastic has launched a new technology platform supported by a global community of skilled software engineers, who are offering unique peer-reviewed coding challenges to evaluate developers, to support and accelerate the recruitment process for UK companies.

Geektastic has launched to help companies find developers more quickly and cost effectively than traditional methods. Skyscanner, Accenture, Go Compare and Just Giving have used Geektastic to evaluate their developers pre-recruitment. Unlike traditional coding challenges, Geektastic offers unique peer-reviewed coding challenges that test a candidate’s technical skills and their approach to problem solving.

The tests are designed and reviewed by the community’s ‘UberGeeks’ - experienced tech developers who have been handpicked from around the world. Candidates receive constructive feedback on their assignments enabling them to improve their skills and knowledge and, if they excel, they too are invited to become an UberGeek reviewer. As a platform and community run by developers for developers, Geektastic more efficiently matches software skills with employers and the challenges are more engaging and robust for candidates.

Geektastic Co-founder Rick Brownlow says, “Coding challenges are a vital part of the recruitment process, but the current model is failing developers and employers. Most software developers dislike traditional coding challenges as they are restrictive and time consuming and taking an automated challenge and being marked by a machine is equally unsatisfactory.”

“Geektastic allows candidates to demonstrate both their creativity, problem solving capabilities and technical skills, making the selection process far more personal, realistic and rigorous. Candidates enjoy the challenges and the high standards and benchmarks we set are respected by employers.”

How Geektastic works

Developers don’t pay anything to join the community and can take a Geektastic coding challenge for free.

UberGeeks are handpicked by Geektastic according to the quality of their submissions and reviewing skills. They can earn $32.99 (£25) for every coding challenge they review.

Recruiters can either use Geektastic’s own challenges or administer their client’s challenges via the platform. Prices are based on a pay per use model and start from $76.98/month (£50/month).