The role of software developers has been fundamentally transformed in the agentic era. What was once a linear path from requirements to deployment has evolved into an active process of agent orchestration, in which AI agents handle the heavy lifting of coding, testing, and maintenance. This shift has forced a complete rethinking of how companies identify and hire talent that thrives in this new landscape. 

Vivek Ravinsankar, the co-founder and CEO of HackerRank, delivered a thought leadership spotlight on this new challenge facing organizations at From Day One’s Manhattan conference. His session, “How to Hire for the Agentic Era,” laid out a roadmap for HR and talent leaders navigating a world where AI fluency is as vital as code correctness; a world where it has become more challenging than ever to maintain integrity in the hiring process.

The Orchestrator's New Role

Ravinsankar started his presentation by acknowledging the pervasive anxiety surrounding AI. Addressing the widespread concern regarding AI, he noted that anxieties about technology replacing workers have deep roots, citing a 1928 news report that linked rising unemployment to the advent of new machinery. 

Adapting to the AI revolution requires a fundamental shift in perspective. The software developer’s profession has transcended the boundaries of the conventional development cycle. “Today, AI agents can do all of this in a much better way than humans,” he said. “The job of a developer has now become an orchestrator of agents.” 

This evolution extends beyond the field of software engineering; Ravinsankar notes that a customer support person’s role today is to “build an agent that can respond to tickets as good or better than they can.”

Rethinking the Interview

The method used to evaluate candidates must evolve if the job has changed. Ravinsankar detailed a three-dimensional shift in how HackerRank’s customers, over 3,000 companies ranging from garage startups to Fortune 500 enterprises, are adapting their hiring processes.

First, the type of questions asked has evolved. Companies are moving away from standard algorithmic puzzles toward “tasks on code repositories that mirror real-world work.” This gives candidates a tangible sense of the company’s work environment and allows employers to assess their skills.

Second, the criteria evaluated have expanded. Historically, the focus was on a candidate’s ability to write correct code. In the current landscape, that is merely the baseline expectation. Ravinsankar says evaluation has shifted from code correctness to critical thinking, judgment, and AI fluency.

Third, the candidate experience is also changing. Developers used to operate in an Integrated Development Environment (IDE), a space where programming code served as the primary focal point. That is evolving into what Ravinsankar calls an ADE, or Agentic Developer Environment, “where the agents are the spotlight.”

The technical assessment candidates go through is also undergoing a paradigm shift. Ravinsankar mapped the historical progression from the abstract brain teasers of the 1990s to the algorithmic focus of the 2000s, followed by the adoption of online testing and collaborative pair programming. Ravinsankar notes that the current environment is defined by a clear move toward AI-driven interviews supported by a human-led screening process.

The Integrity Challenge in an AI World

Ravinsankar also addressed the rising tide of integrity issues during his presentation. Trusting that a candidate is who they say they are—and that their work is their own—has become a paramount concern due to the proliferation of suspicious tools and the ease of impersonation.

He identified three primary issues that compromise the integrity of the hiring process: leaked questions, the use of cheating tools, and impersonation. To combat question leaks, HackerRank scours the web, sending DMCA notices and providing alternate questions to its customers. He notes that the most popular site for leaked questions in the last three months was a website called Study X, highlighting the ever-changing nature of the threat.

Ravinsankar spoke candidly about the use of questionable tools, asserting that integrity hinges on adherence to established guidelines rather than the simple presence or absence of AI. “Integrity is not about whether you use AI or not. Integrity is about whether you follow the rules,” he said. To support this, HackerRank’s platform provides employers with full visibility into a candidate’s session, including alerts if they navigate to third-party sites like ChatGPT.

Lastly, Ravinsankar provided several striking metrics regarding candidate impersonation. According to Ravinsankar, analytics on flagged suspicious activity reveal that approximately 77% of cases involve video streams being toggled on and off, likely indicating that a candidate is searching for answers. Furthermore, multiple individuals appear in the frame in about 20% of these instances, while the candidate's identity changes entirely during the session in roughly 2% of interviews.

“It’s like watching Benjamin Button,” he said, “the person completely changes.” Ravinsankar further observed that patterns in webcam use differ notably across various geographic regions and career levels, highlighting the necessity for a flexible, rather than uniform, strategy for maintaining hiring integrity.

HackerRank has launched a new product called Chakra to address the twin challenges of evolving skills and rising integrity concerns. The name, which means “superpower,” reflects its mission. “It’s an AI interviewer that tries to find the superpower in every candidate,” Ravinsankar said. It marries the search for next-gen skills with a high-integrity process, representing what he believes is the new form of AI-led screen.

Ravinsankar concluded on an optimistic note, reinforcing his belief that “the more capable AI becomes, the more valuable human labor will be.” 

Editor’s note: From Day One thanks our partner, HackerRank, for sponsoring this thought leadership spotlight. 

Ade Akin covers artificial intelligence, workplace wellness, HR trends, and digital health solutions.

(Photos by Josh Larson for From Day One)