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Ask HN: How do you assess Junior Developers before hiring them?

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Re: Ask HN: How do you assess Junior Developers before hiring them?

#11

Post by redhale »

hackermailman wrote: post #10

The work-sample tests method or internship (paid hopefully) https://sockpuppet.org/blog/2015/03/06/the-hiring-post/#work... is almost exactly what we do where I work now to judge new hires

I like this idea, but this specific aspect seems somewhat troubling:

> "We let candidates do this work on their own time, from their own home, whenever they wanted to"

I'm curious -- how do you control for someone who successfully accomplishes the coding talk, but needed 40 hours to do the work which you expected to take 4 hours?

Re: Ask HN: How do you assess Junior Developers before hiring them?

#12

Post by nootScadoot »

redhale wrote: post #11
hackermailman wrote: post #10

The work-sample tests method or internship (paid hopefully) https://sockpuppet.org/blog/2015/03/06/the-hiring-post/#work... is almost exactly what we do where I work now to judge new hires

I like this idea, but this specific aspect seems somewhat troubling: > "We let candidates do this work on their own time, from their own home, whenever they wanted to" I'm curious -- how do you control for someone who successfully accomplishes the coding talk, but needed 40 hours to do the work which you expected to take 4 hours?

I think this system is built on equal parts reliability and time management.

It becomes less of "Get this thing done by today" and more of "Get these 5 things done by the end of the week".

One developer might just leave it to the last minute or perhaps fail to deliver if they underestimate the scope of work, failing to deliver makes him more unreliable and shows he has a poor grasp on time management and needs day to day focus.

Another Developer may be more conservative with how much time they have available, but may still be working on a different wavelength in terms of day to day expectations, however at the end of the week, they deliver on time. This makes him more reliable and show that he has a good grasp on time management so far, so it shows that less day to day focus is needed on him.

Re: Ask HN: How do you assess Junior Developers before hiring them?

#14

Post by FatDrunknStupid »

I have someone asking daft HR questions then I just expound and talk to them. If everyone in the room likes them then go. I'm still of the school that thinks programming is an artistic talent. Oh yeah, that reminds me, they must be a piss artist. NEVER trust a programmer who doesn't drink - you don't know how he thinks.
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