Hiring Developers: You're Doing It Wrong

Someone with a good handshake either:

* just naturally learned to shake hands in the way you like

* found out that handshakes are important to first impressions and spent time perfecting theirs (including maybe a handwarmer in the pocket...).

Does either of those things reveal any important traits?

People naturally have different levels of perspiration & circulation in their hands, particularly when nervous. Anyone going for a job interview they care about should be at least moderately nervous.

So someone might have a cold clammy handshake purely through genetics. How many strikes against them should that be? Firmness and eye contact are based on habits, generally -- again, the developer who's thinking ahead to the "important" parts of the interview will just give you the handshake they learned as a child. How many points against them should it be if it's very soft (because they were raised by an arthritic grandmother)?

Too much rambling for a small point, but I just want to say you should try to reserve judgment on exactly this kind of thing until they've had a chance to relax a bit, get talking, etc..

Personally, my handshake is probably pretty good, but I'm not going to be really at ease talking with you until we've been interacting for at least a few months. I've learned to fake it over the years (and keep calm enough in the face of strangers that I can think straight, for the most part...), but the hiring process is definitely harder on introverts.

I went through an phone interview a few months ago that included some quizzes, talking through solutions to invented problems, etc., and was glad she agreed I could hang up the phone while I thought (and took notes)... this resulted in a much better answer than I would have given if forced to think through it while on the phone with a stranger.

There is a difference between -capable- and -willing-. Years ago I hired a brilliant developer that didn’t do anything because the work was below him.

A good interview should determine culture, willingness, and competence. If your dev-group works with b-trees daily, then include it in the test. For me, hiring someone who knows the answer is less important than hiring someone who can find the answer. In a dynamic - always changing environment - I would rather hire the latter.

I think we're entering an age for software engineers where expressing yourself externally is going to be even more important than your resume. For example, a really intelligent, well-thought-out post like the one linked above can really move you forward in your career.

I'm focusing on making a startup that captures all this stuff and uses it for both display and matching candidates. I'm still in the very early stages and would love some feedback! http://proovn.com

Your points are well taken and insightful - and while they're especially true of technical hiring, they are also applicable for all start-up hiring. A smart person can learn the tech skills you need but it is impossible to impart passion and an intuitive understanding of culture where it isn't already present.

I eventually honed my interviews down to one question: "Please describe your most significant team accomplishment, where you were a key member of the team."

Then I'd follow that with numerous follow up questions until I really understood the person's role. This will uncover the candidate's passions, communications skills, leadership abilities, and their technical prowess. Then I'd ask the same question about another accomplishment.

Good luck. I'll write you a note on the side with my contact info. I'd be happy to talk over any "people stuff" if you'd like.