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We’re Bad at Interviewing Developers – Interview with Kerri Miller

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Re: We’re Bad at Interviewing Developers – Interview with Kerri Miller

#31
post #16

Contract to perm is the best way by far. In the UK the contract rates are typically significantly higher, so even if the person isn't offered a job at the end they aren't bothered. Everyone wins

Isn't it probably also due to the fact that the UK offers unemployment and healthcare benefits that far surpass what is offered here in the States? So that there is a safety if at the end of the contract you are left with no offer.

Re: We’re Bad at Interviewing Developers – Interview with Kerri Miller

#34
post #25

I love the idea of asking the candidate to "teach me something, preferably something nontechnical." It sounds like a great way to test for communication skills while also learning something about the person's interests. Plus it could make the process a lot more fun for the interviewer. However I expect it would depend as much on the personality of the interviewer as on the interviewee. And at least in the US, it coul…

I'm one of those people who take a long time to warm up to others. I'm not someone's buddy just because we happen to be in the same situation, place or because we agree on something.

So this exercise would be artificial and forced. And, yes, for sure, I can put on a show, but it's not me and I'd be doing it because that the game or expectation and further, I think it's rather beside the point.

Re: We’re Bad at Interviewing Developers – Interview with Kerri Miller

#35
I know this is OT but on the off chance someone from FC sees this- these videos are painful to watch with the low frame rate.

I'm glad this one has the soundcloud link. Some of the others I've enjoyed don't and it's much easier to just listen.

Re: We’re Bad at Interviewing Developers – Interview with Kerri Miller

#36
post #16

Contract to perm is the best way by far. In the UK the contract rates are typically significantly higher, so even if the person isn't offered a job at the end they aren't bothered. Everyone wins

How does one transition from perm to those kind of gigs? Are they reserved for top-tier talent only? Is there much outside of the City?

Re: We’re Bad at Interviewing Developers – Interview with Kerri Miller

#37
post #18
post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> As a related note, the best predictor of university physics scores is high school English scores. That's pretty counter-intuitive. Can you give a source?

It's been twenty years since I saw that... google doesn't offer anything useful.

I am also skeptical. Quoting from http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/2006/02.23/05-ap.html :

> The study by researchers at Harvard University and the University of Virginia (UVA) found the best predictors of success in college science courses to be high school classes that foster mathematical fluency, value depth over breadth, and feature certain types of laboratory work.

The study appears to be https://www.cfa.harvard.edu/smg/ficss/research/articles/Scie... . Table 4, model D, page 14 shows that science grades, followed closely by math grades, are much better than the English grade at predicting "College Science Grade". (It does not specifically pull out physics.)

Re: We’re Bad at Interviewing Developers – Interview with Kerri Miller

#38

As a non-CS graduate looking for my first full-time job as a Junior Developer I can only ask one thing of prospective employers. Please give clear feedback that will help give direction to the candidate if you reject them. I have done a number of code challenges and while I don't mind doing the challenges (I look at them as training) and I can always create a working solution there is nothing worse than receiving a s…

> Please give clear feedback that will help give direction to the candidate if you reject them.

Beyond the logistics of communicating to dozens of candidates for a single position, legally speaking, telling people why you rejected them gives you ammunition in court to say the process was discriminatory, and a violation of one of the many civil rights act. Simply saying 'we decided to go with a different candidate' gives you a courteous brush off, without giving you reasonable cause to go fishing with during discovery.

The purpose of an interview is not to get better at interviewing. The place for this is mock interviews. Honest feedback is expected to be given without the risk of employment discrimination lawsuits. I figure to the extent that constructive feedback is owed, mock interviewing is the way to provide it.

Re: We’re Bad at Interviewing Developers – Interview with Kerri Miller

#39
post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you "need a developer to port the Java code to Go", you need a contractor. Once the Java code is ported to Go, they're done, and there will be no more Java code to port to Go, so... why would you hire a permanent employee on the basis of their ability to port Java code to Go? The point of a permanent software development teammember is to add to the capabilities of your engineering staff. What is it you want them t…

>If you "need a developer to port the Java code to Go", you need a contractor. Once the Java code is ported to Go, they're done, and there will be no more Java code to port to Go, so... why would you hire a permanent employee on the basis of their ability to port Java code to Go? My examples are being interpreted too literally. They are not tasks that must literally go into the job description. Instead, they are bull…

I think this still smacks of too-situational thinking. Every day my inbox fills with "exciting opportunities" that are nothing but a laundry list of requirements. Am I going to learn nothing on this job? Are you going to invest in me by letting me learn new skills? Are you going to unleash me on new problems, etc? If this is a boring maintainance mode job you don't need the 'best and the brightest' that everyone says they want, and let's be honest; anyone decent can learn that laundry list.

It's rare that I see a req that interests me, because most are extremely situational and based on very specific tasks. Again, I recognize these sorts of jobs will always exist in established companies, and I thank the writer for making that clear, but a list of 8 technologies (who am I kidding, it is usually 15 with 10 more 'nice to haves') from a start up that will probably be pivoting in 3 months anyway? Doesn't make a lot of sense to me. "Come work for us and absolutely stall your career as you grind out tasks that you mastered 3 years ago" is not an appealing sales pitch, and not one that will bring in the talent you need to respond to new challenges.

I'm not saying you meant any of that in your post (you might of, but I'm not sure), your post was just a convenient one to respond to.

Re: We’re Bad at Interviewing Developers – Interview with Kerri Miller

#40

As a non-CS graduate looking for my first full-time job as a Junior Developer I can only ask one thing of prospective employers. Please give clear feedback that will help give direction to the candidate if you reject them. I have done a number of code challenges and while I don't mind doing the challenges (I look at them as training) and I can always create a working solution there is nothing worse than receiving a s…

I do not think a company owes you anything with regards to feedback. Why do you think you or the community deserve feedback?

If you get rejected you were simply not the right fit.

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