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On asking job candidates to code

philcalcado.com

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Re: On asking job candidates to code

#411

Post by nikanj »

cpeterso wrote: post #274
dominotw wrote: post #215

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I had nightmare of a interview experience with AirBnb in 2012. They asked me take 2 days off from work and fly all the way to SFO after I wasted couple of hours doing their coding homework. The first interviewer started with "your degree is not from a good school" like the very first sentence right to my face. He then asked me a string matching question, and insisted that I code up his brute force solution (with terr…

> This experience has dissuaded many of my friends from applying there. This should be the lesson for employers: an interview candidate who feels good about their interviewing experience, even if they aren't hired, can refer their qualified friends to your company. The alternative is that they might discourage good candidates from interviewing with your company by warning people on Hacker News about its hiring practi…

But they only want the super extreme mutant killer rockstars who would destroy galaxies to work there, so it's ok

Re: On asking job candidates to code

#412

Post by ClayFerguson »

I think the reason so many companies resort to asking candidates to do a programming project for the interview is because they are lazy and don't want to take time to interview someone, or they suck at interviewing, or both. Bottom line, if you can't judge someone's ability by talking to them it's YOUR fault. You suck at interviewing. Last time I was looking for a job a company I was interested in gave me this massive assignment and I just told them to take a hike. I'm not spending all day writing some code for you for free sorry. Sure there are lots of horrible programmers out there, and you'll end up hiring them if you suck at determining what their skill level is via a conversation. But I hope other GREAT developers follow suit with me. Refuse these stupid programming challenges.

Re: On asking job candidates to code

#413

Post by ClayFerguson »

neoCrimeLabs wrote: post #376

I just want to create a well documented simple resful API for applicants to use. If an applicant wants to apply for a job they have to write code in the language of their choice to apply using the API. Upon successful application, request their SSH public key and supply a git repository they can check their code into. A hook script will email me upon successful commit. A moderately experienced dev will not spend much…

And the GREAT devs like me will not waste their time on your antics and will look elsewhere for a job at a company that is less of a hassle to deal with.

Re: On asking job candidates to code

#414

Post by hibikir »

rcurry wrote: post #313
dominotw wrote: post #215

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I had nightmare of a interview experience with AirBnb in 2012. They asked me take 2 days off from work and fly all the way to SFO after I wasted couple of hours doing their coding homework. The first interviewer started with "your degree is not from a good school" like the very first sentence right to my face. He then asked me a string matching question, and insisted that I code up his brute force solution (with terr…

"The first interviewer started with "your degree is not from a good school" like the very first sentence right to my face." That's just nuts, what a horrible experience.

One thing you might not realize is that many companies ask a lot of employees to interview people, and therefore they are not well vetted. If an interviewer is terrible, chances are they don't know! Please, let their recruiting department of things like that. If they are not a terrible company, they'll probably do something about it.

Re: On asking job candidates to code

#415

Post by ClayFerguson »

hnrodey wrote: post #41

I'm going through the interview process this week at two different companies. One of the companies I found through an ad on Stack Overflow whereby they publish two programming "exercises/puzzles" with the opportunity to earn $100 for a correct answer to each puzzle ($200 total for two correct answers). While I spent more than eight hours on both puzzles, I found them to be thought provoking and I learned stuff in the…

What these companies have successfully done is weed out all the great devs who value their time very much. Those who are desperate for a job will spend the 8hrs it takes on these silly tests and make it thru the process. Good developers who can take their choice of jobs will just ignore these companies who think they are being clever to require a test, and just move to some other company what is not showing signs that they will be a pain in the ass to work for. IMO, the more difficult the interview process, the more of a pain in the ass the company is going to be once you're hired. If an interviewer is not capable of determining my knowledge level by a normal interview that tells me right away something up, and I probably don't want to work with them because they aren't too smart themselves.

Re: On asking job candidates to code

#416

Post by msy »

ClayFerguson wrote: post #412

I think the reason so many companies resort to asking candidates to do a programming project for the interview is because they are lazy and don't want to take time to interview someone, or they suck at interviewing, or both. Bottom line, if you can't judge someone's ability by talking to them it's YOUR fault. You suck at interviewing. Last time I was looking for a job a company I was interested in gave me this massiv…

Have you considered that part of the purpose of the challenge might be to filter out particularly arrogant applicants who might be problematic in a team setting?

Re: On asking job candidates to code

#417

Post by ClayFerguson »

jcadam wrote: post #89

A couple of months ago I did a 'homework' assignment for an interview (it involved writing a simple REST service in go, even though I have at least one personal project demonstrating exactly this skill -- to an even greater degree -- in my github profile). During the phone-discussion after turning in the project, the mid 20-something lead developer couldn't find anything to nitpick (I could have) and even told me he…

I wish everybody would start just refusing to do these homework assignments. I always do. I think they know they lost a great developer when I just walk away. In a way it's just sort of them getting what they deserve (loss of a great worker), but if developers would just simply refuse these homework assignments, everybody would be better of. Homework is a stupid waste of time for young children, and it is as stupid silly waste of time for job candidates also.

Re: On asking job candidates to code

#418

Post by neoCrimeLabs »

ClayFerguson wrote: post #413
neoCrimeLabs wrote: post #376

I just want to create a well documented simple resful API for applicants to use. If an applicant wants to apply for a job they have to write code in the language of their choice to apply using the API. Upon successful application, request their SSH public key and supply a git repository they can check their code into. A hook script will email me upon successful commit. A moderately experienced dev will not spend much…

And the GREAT devs like me will not waste their time on your antics and will look elsewhere for a job at a company that is less of a hassle to deal with.

Looks like it would be an effective filter then. Success! :-)

Re: On asking job candidates to code

#419

Post by neoCrimeLabs »

lukasm wrote: post #405
neoCrimeLabs wrote: post #376

I just want to create a well documented simple resful API for applicants to use. If an applicant wants to apply for a job they have to write code in the language of their choice to apply using the API. Upon successful application, request their SSH public key and supply a git repository they can check their code into. A hook script will email me upon successful commit. A moderately experienced dev will not spend much…

Check this out https://github.com/lukasz-madon/hackers-job-apply

Now that's simple and effective. Thank you!

Re: On asking job candidates to code

#420

Post by lfmunoz4 »

Good for initial screening, but should not take more than 30 minutes. Else IMHO laziness or incompetence asking a programmer to do an assignment. Any good manager/developer/interviewer can sit with a candidate for 1-4 hours and determine if his skill level and personality match the job requirements.
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