Small nitpick: it's typical to have your logo link to the homepage.
Will fix. thanks.
Show HN: Recruit web developers by having them build a web app
31–40 of 94 posts
Re: Show HN: Recruit web developers by having them build a web app
#32"Print the tweet given _its_ Id"
:). Will fix. Thanks
http://www.cull.io/images/home/answersannot.png - Has the text "Resume and other intersting stuff", there's a typo on interesting.
Nice idea by the way!
Re: Show HN: Recruit web developers by having them build a web app
#33Hi HNers, OP here. Cull.io is similar to top coder or interviewstreet but focussing just on recruiting web developers. It works by asking candidates to develop a web app on localhost instead of presenting a textarea where candidates types the code. Advantages: 1) Candidates can virtually choose any language, framework, libraries or IDEs to solve the challenge. (Since they are developing on localhost with their own se…
At the risk of playing devil's advocate, I would argue that giving candidates the ability to use virtually any language or framework and develop on localhost is not necessarily an advantage.
When I'm looking to hire a Rails dev then I want to know as soon as possible in the interview process that they actually know some of the basics of Rails and MVC - not just if they can build a web app. Furthermore, by hiding the candidate's choice of language/framework (and code quality) behind localhost the benefits of assigning an arbitrary coding challenge are lost. I fear that the only solution would be for the candidate to submit the full source code.
However, as a very quick "can this candidate actually write code" filter, I think you're well on track.
Re: Show HN: Recruit web developers by having them build a web app
#34Want to work here? Do work for us for free! Then maybe we'll hire you afterwards. Great idea if you want to hire suckers.
OP here. Agree with this sentiment. Even I would not use cull.io to have candidates build a complex web app that would take days or even hours to build. I would use it as a tool to "Filter" candidates, not "Select" them. (It's amazing how the simplest of a coding challenge would filter all non-coding coders) thanks for the review.
But you would filter the good ones too.
Re: Show HN: Recruit web developers by having them build a web app
#35What stops me from asking a friend to help me? Or worse still, if this is used as a campus recruitment tool, someone might mail working code to the entire college!
Re: Show HN: Recruit web developers by having them build a web app
#36Earlier quoted context omitted.
I don't think that's the idea. I've had multiple interviews where I've been asked to code something to show that I know how to do it (even something simple as modifying a website or showing a counter). This just eases that process.
10-15 minute code exercise and "build a webapp" are not the same.
The examples given take way less than 10-15mins, though. OF course, they're not really "webapps", just very basic HTTP APIs.
Re: Show HN: Recruit web developers by having them build a web app
#37Oh, now programmers are graphic designers too? Don't want to play the submit three logo comps and maybe we'll hire you game?
Geez, even a hired gun has to shoot someone for free once in a while just to show potential employers he's still got it! No one really knows what you did before (unless you have code groupies). Employers certainly do not give a shit in today's job market, they want to know you will fit in with the team and that you work as advertised. No one in their right mind believes advertising or resumes these days. So what's the alternative? You want to slip them source someone else paid you to make! I sure as shit would not hire you if you share like that. Competitions surely suck for losers who do not learn from their loss(es).
Suck on this - if you are bored then YOU are boring. If you won't build a small (not going to make anyone else money) solution to show a potential employer you can, you probably can't.
Re: Show HN: Recruit web developers by having them build a web app
#38A lot of people are commenting that they don't want to have to solve this type of problem before applying, but I don't see an issue. I could whip up a simple program that listens for HTTP requests and e.g. reverses a string in minutes, using any high-level language. I spend more time than that writing a nice cover letter.
Given the number of "non-coding coders," I think this is a decent service.
Re: Show HN: Recruit web developers by having them build a web app
#39What stops me from asking a friend to help me? Or worse still, if this is used as a campus recruitment tool, someone might mail working code to the entire college!
Well yes, but thats applicable any remote interviews. Or even telephonic interviews.
As a solution you could have the candidate solve a challenge on premise. or having him explain the code or make small modification on premise(what i do, if I have a doubt)
Re: Show HN: Recruit web developers by having them build a web app
#40Earlier quoted context omitted.
I don't think that's the idea. I've had multiple interviews where I've been asked to code something to show that I know how to do it (even something simple as modifying a website or showing a counter). This just eases that process.
10-15 minute code exercise and "build a webapp" are not the same.
It could be an exercise to build a very simple webapp in 15 minutes. I mean, there are so many 'build a blog in 15 minutes' tutorials out there. It would test if you have enough rails/django/x-framework experience to build a simple crud app.
Besides, this is just a platform, it's up to the interviewer to set an appropriate task. The interviewer can provide an existing web app and ask the user to do something with it, instead of writing something completely from scratch.