SGBI Tech Hiring Hackathon Success: AI-Driven Evaluation for Real-World Talent Identification
Introduction
In collaboration with SGBI Inc, we conducted a hiring hackathon to evaluate candidates for the Test Engineer – Automation & AI Systems role, with a strong focus on Python and Robot Framework-based automation.
The goal was to move beyond traditional hiring methods and assess how candidates perform in practical problem-solving environments, rather than relying solely on theoretical or standard coding tests.
Hackathon Overview
The hackathon was hosted on TeamCraft, a platform designed for structured digital hackathons and technical assessments.
A total of 64 candidates participated in the 3-day challenge, where they were given a set of tasks designed to evaluate their ability to build and structure automation workflows.
Instead of focusing purely on final answers, the assessment emphasised how candidates approached the implementation process.
AI-Driven Evaluation Approach
One of the key aspects of this hackathon was the use of AI-based pull request evaluation.
Rather than judging candidates only on their final submissions, the evaluation examined:
- Code structure and organisation
- Logical implementation patterns
- Pull request quality
- Commit behaviour and iteration patterns
This allowed reviewers to observe how candidates built their solutions over time, rather than only looking at the final output.
Understanding Candidate Workflows
By analysing candidate activity throughout the hackathon, we gained valuable insight into how each participant approached their work.
The evaluation helped identify:
- Problem-solving approaches
- Consistency in implementation
- Code clarity and maintainability
- Ability to iterate and refine solutions
This provided a clearer picture of each candidate’s working style and technical discipline.
Results
From the entire candidate pool, we were able to identify the top 5% of participants who consistently demonstrated:
- Strong automation logic
- Structured coding practices
- Clear and maintainable implementations
These candidates stood out not only because of their final solutions, but because of the quality and consistency of their development process.
Final Thoughts
The SGBI hiring hackathon demonstrated how digital hackathons supported by AI-driven evaluation can make the hiring process more practical and evidence-based.
Instead of relying only on resumes or traditional tests, hiring teams can evaluate candidates through actual implementation and real development workflows, making hiring decisions more confident and reliable.