Bringing a programmer in for an interview and a coding test can lead to some interesting experiences, both for the interviewer and the interviewee. Most end up with the hiring manager telling them that they'll "be in touch," but sometimes a candidate just nails it. That's when you consider extending a job offer before they … Continue reading 5 signs that you should hire a programmer on the spot
Category: Interviews
Web engineer looking for work? Start by rethinking your resume.
We're currently hiring web engineers to help build the next-generation of TimeTrade's online appointment scheduling system. Lots of resumes come my way, but 99% of them look exactly the same, following this format: Summary "I'm a web engineer looking for web engineering work". [No link to an online portfolio. No effort to craft the objective … Continue reading Web engineer looking for work? Start by rethinking your resume.
How to phone-screen programmers and not go insane
Technical phone screens are hard to do right. Yet, they serve an important role. They are the primary filter that ensures you only bring in appropriate candidates to spend valuable hours meeting your team. If you don’t phone-screen correctly, you’ll end up bringing in some real timewasters who don’t even come close to having the … Continue reading How to phone-screen programmers and not go insane
Hiring awesome software interns
What says "summer is here" more than the nice weather? It's the flood of eager college kids who are keen to get hired for a few months to get some real commercial development experience. The challenge for employers is in the interview process. Because the candidates are both young and inexperienced, it can be tough … Continue reading Hiring awesome software interns
The Programmer Pyramid
Newsflash: some programmers are better than others. OK, I admit that's hardly a revelation. But most companies use a grading structure that can obscure the relative strengths of each engineer on the team. There may be a 20-year veteran with the title Principal Engineer who regularly breaks tests and hacks his way through his day … Continue reading The Programmer Pyramid
More Than Coding 