Why can not you hire a programmer with a strange question or a unusual test?

ByIron Man Records

"Why do not we hire programmers with difficult questions, API quizzes, inexplicable calculations, and other interview tricks?In the title of "Ruby on Rails"Basecamp"People who actively develop on the web are small companies that have heard about once"37signals"Has entered an entry on his blog and its contents are made to be very thoughtful.

Why we do not hire programmers based on puzzles, API quizzes, math riddles, or other parlor tricks - (37signals)
http://37signals.com/svn/posts/3071-why-we-dont-hire-programmers-based-on-puzzles-api-quizzes-math-riddles-or-other-parlor-tricks


Author David wrote as follows.

"I remember a lot when I was interviewed for the front-end programming position, asked me how to do something about JavaScript on the whiteboard, the details are ambiguous but clearly understood What I did was make me feel how foolish it was, and that I had little connection with the actual work.

Since that time, I have never heard a kind words in the meeting room where I hire a programmer, and instead heard many contempt words. But there are certainly problems that tickle the imagination that people who want to solve a few challenges prefer, but I am not one of those people, but the programmer I'm seeing It was the same as mine.

I know that when a wonderful programmer is trapped in the test basket it stops and seems terribly frightening. If you are not thinking of hiring someone else to design the next-generation sorting algorithm, letting the whiteboard write something is a very poor measure against the future success.

The only trustworthy thing I have found to find programmers who will succeed in the future is to see the real code they wrote or talk about how to handle huge images, "Getting Real by 37signalsI mentioned in "First of all, we need a test on siteIt is the principle itself "

"Getting Real" at the end of the above entry is one of the books issued by this 37signals and the price is$ 24.99(About 1900 yen), but the whole sentence has been translated into Japanese and it is possible to read it on the internet for free from below.

Getting Real by 37signals
http://gettingreal.37signals.com/GR_jpn.php


"Getting Real" itself describes the approach of 37signals, ie "approach to making smaller and faster software", 37signals itself actually combines some of its extreme, yet simple and distinct methods By doing so, they are sending out a number of easy-to-use Web applications to the world, and although they are charged, they are supported and used by many users and businesses.

The last conclusion in the above entry, "Testing in the field first" is written as follows.

First of all, we need a test on site

Portfolio and resume written when hiring a person, code examples that he / she previously worked on, previous job etc are actually quite different from being actually worked on site (temporarily). Whenever possible, let's test-drive someone who might be a new companion.

Even before hiring anyone, I will give a small project first. How to work on the project, how to communicate, how to work ... It is a valuable experience to know from the process of designing some screens with someone and making code. Whether there is a good atmosphere there, you surely understand immediately.

There are times when it can not be said that it is schedule to say a long time, even if only 20 hours and 40 hours, it is better than nothing. Whether it matches your organization or not, it should be clear. Even if the results are bad, you can prevent many problems with each other by first testing it on site.

The start is small

First of all, try from a small task. Suddenly, you should not let everything work. Give one or two test projects to a new 'virtual assistant' and see what kind of compatibility it is with themselves. At first, it is too easy to see the problem of potential with a color glasses. On the premise that this is a test run.
- Suzan Falter · Burns, Author, Creativity Expert
("How To Find And Keep The Perfect VA"Than)

Furthermore, the next "action from words" is also an indication that makes me think very.

Employment of staff of the future to contribute to their open source

The typical way of hiring a technical professional is based on specialized fields and resume, but there are many flaws in various ways. What can we learn from the school's specialized fields and grades? Can you believe in your resume or nomination form?

Open source is very helpful in hiring technical staff. With open source, you can check work results and outcomes for a long time, good results and bad results.

That means that you can choose people by action, not words. You can make decisions based on truly important things:

Quality of work
Many programmers talk about it as a dish, but they say that they actually do it. With open source, you can learn the skill level and skill level of that person's program from the actual work.

Cultural perspective
All programs are decisions. There are so many ... such decisions are determined by cultural advantages, values, ideals, and so on. In making certain decisions, we check the candidate's code, tests, discussions within the community, etc. to see if they match our organization culture. If it did not match well, the decision of work would not be complete.

Degree of passion
In general, open source participants have a certain passion. Otherwise, you do not have to bother sitting in front of the screen using your own time. Participation in open source finds a true attitude towards applicant's program.

Perfection
No matter how much brain, how well it blends into the workplace and has passion, it is not worth the software unless the project is over. Unfortunately, many programmers can not complete the project. Therefore, I want to emphasize that point. There is no better way to hire talented people to complete the project with a realistic plan.

Social match
Working with someone for a long time, it is a matter of stress relaxation and elements of high and low intertwining, real humanity appears. People who do not have social manners, consideration for others, etc. should not be hired.

Regarding programmers, we only adopt what we know about identity with open source involvement. I think that adoption other than that is irresponsible. Even when I adopted Jamisu, I was looking at his activities and participation in the Ruby community. The achievement in his project (in all of the above) was outstanding. We did not need to investigate other incidental factors. Because we knew what was really important. That, of course, the quality of his work.

We are focused on the work of open source and do not worry about getting enthusiastic about regular work. There is such an old proverb: "If you want something, ask the busiest person." Jamis and David are the most central members of the Rail project and also support the technology of 37signals. A man who loves the program and performs his job is definitely the most wanted person on the team.

The above is a part about the programmer and may not be applied to other occupations, but the next three "experienced people", "enthusiasm can not fool", "sentencer" are people It should be quite helpful for people who are lost in hiring or those who have experienced failures.

An experienced person

Generalist who learns earlier than specialist

We are not going to hire a specialist. Their attention to details is not an odd one. For small teams like us, specialized skin people who demonstrate tremendous abilities in such parts do not fit.

For small teams, we need people who can wear plenty of grass. A designer who can write things, a programmer who understands design ... All members should have ideas to assemble information (whatever information). We need a spirit for everyone, and everyone needs to be able to communicate with customers.

And we all need the feeling to be able to get out of the way for all members. Small teams often change their direction and quickly orbit correct. In accordance with such trajectory correction, people who can learn are necessary. A man who sticks to one thing and can not find a change does not fit our team.

Enthusiasm can not be cheated

Happy and ordinary than happy honors

enthusiasm. It is something that can not be cheated. When hiring a person, people who are rumored in the world or famous people known by high technology would be good ... do not think about anything. After all it is because they are often Primadonna. It is normal, but a happy employee is better than an expert who makes dissatisfaction.

Let's find people with enthusiasm. A person who can leave work alone even by one person. People who are troubled by companies that are not changing significantly and are trying to throw themselves into new environments. A person who can keep on focusing on what they make. Someone who dislikes things you dislike as well. A person who is getting excited about your train.

A writer

Hire a good grammar

When adopting, we will emphasize individual sentence abilities. It is both a designer and a programmer who is a marketing person, a sales person. I highly appreciate the skill of writing composition. The power of effective and simple writing and editing can be applied to various stages such as code, design and communication.

Because the essence of a good writer is not only the word part. They have good communication methods. It is good to make people understand, think about your opponent's position, distinguish unnecessary things, think simplely ... they are necessary for you too.

There are many other more specific ways and examples written about it, and it is more than a level written in a similar book (more practical and derived from actual experience, feet are on the ground) Because it has become the content), this "Getting RealI recommend reading one.