How to conduct an interview?
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I work for a big software services company($6 billion enterprise). I have been asked to conduct interviews for developer and senior developer positions for .net I have some experience with selecting people for my own startup(earlier). I would like to know are there any guidelines which I need to follow to conduct this interview. please let me know about any of your personal techniques you follow to find the best person. Do share any pleasant :laugh: or not so pleasant:mad: experience you had while interviewing.
'Progress isn't made by early risers. It's made by lazy men trying to find easier ways to do something.' Robert Heinlein (1907 - 1988)
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I work for a big software services company($6 billion enterprise). I have been asked to conduct interviews for developer and senior developer positions for .net I have some experience with selecting people for my own startup(earlier). I would like to know are there any guidelines which I need to follow to conduct this interview. please let me know about any of your personal techniques you follow to find the best person. Do share any pleasant :laugh: or not so pleasant:mad: experience you had while interviewing.
'Progress isn't made by early risers. It's made by lazy men trying to find easier ways to do something.' Robert Heinlein (1907 - 1988)
At what stage of the process are you interviewing them ? Is this a technical interview ? A get-to-know kind of interview ? If it's someone that will be working _with_ you (in your team), then you should feel comfortable with that person, usually, it takes about 5 minutes to feel you don't like a person, if it's the case, just end the interview as fast as possible and as polite and professional as possible. If it's not someone you will be working with, have someone that will be with you in the interview, even if that person does not actively participate in the interview. For technical interviews, the manners in which the person answer the questions is more important (up to a point) than the actual answer. If you feel you want to "destroy" candidates by being overly clever or smart, DON'T. even if the candidate passes all the steps and you want him/her, probably the candidate will not want to work for/with you anyway. And remember you represent your company. M.
Watched code never compiles.
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At what stage of the process are you interviewing them ? Is this a technical interview ? A get-to-know kind of interview ? If it's someone that will be working _with_ you (in your team), then you should feel comfortable with that person, usually, it takes about 5 minutes to feel you don't like a person, if it's the case, just end the interview as fast as possible and as polite and professional as possible. If it's not someone you will be working with, have someone that will be with you in the interview, even if that person does not actively participate in the interview. For technical interviews, the manners in which the person answer the questions is more important (up to a point) than the actual answer. If you feel you want to "destroy" candidates by being overly clever or smart, DON'T. even if the candidate passes all the steps and you want him/her, probably the candidate will not want to work for/with you anyway. And remember you represent your company. M.
Watched code never compiles.
Don't forget the possibility of getting a candidate that is a lot more skilled. Trying to destroy someone who has more experience usually ends humorously.
Maximilien wrote:
If you feel you want to "destroy" candidates by being overly clever or smart, DON'T.
Need custom software developed? I do custom programming based primarily on MS tools with an emphasis on C# development and consulting. A man said to the universe: "Sir I exist!" "However," replied the universe, "The fact has not created in me A sense of obligation." --Stephen Crane
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I work for a big software services company($6 billion enterprise). I have been asked to conduct interviews for developer and senior developer positions for .net I have some experience with selecting people for my own startup(earlier). I would like to know are there any guidelines which I need to follow to conduct this interview. please let me know about any of your personal techniques you follow to find the best person. Do share any pleasant :laugh: or not so pleasant:mad: experience you had while interviewing.
'Progress isn't made by early risers. It's made by lazy men trying to find easier ways to do something.' Robert Heinlein (1907 - 1988)
Interviewing can be useful to eliminate bad candidates, but to find good ones I think the only reliable way is to either find someone you already worked with, or get a recommendation from someone you trust. Anyway, when it comes to interviewing my list of advices would be: - Honestly explain them what their job is going to look like; if possible, show them the work area and maybe even a screenshot of your code base. If they are going to be dissapointed, it is much better for everybody for it to happen during the interview than after the person starts working. At a previous job, we hired a senior developer who assumed he would write new code, and then when we gave him bugs to fix he simply refused. - Let them ask questions and give as good answers as possible. Again, you don't want to lure them into something they will regret later. - Ask them a "controversial" question (placement of curly braces is one of my favorites) and see how they react, especially if you disagree with them. - Ask them about previous accomplishments, problems they solved and make sure you understand what was their role in the process. - Most of all: good luck! Both to you and your potental hires :)
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Don't forget the possibility of getting a candidate that is a lot more skilled. Trying to destroy someone who has more experience usually ends humorously.
Maximilien wrote:
If you feel you want to "destroy" candidates by being overly clever or smart, DON'T.
Need custom software developed? I do custom programming based primarily on MS tools with an emphasis on C# development and consulting. A man said to the universe: "Sir I exist!" "However," replied the universe, "The fact has not created in me A sense of obligation." --Stephen Crane
Ennis Ray Lynch, Jr. wrote:
Trying to destroy someone who has more experience usually ends humorously.
At least, not for the one doing the interview.
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I work for a big software services company($6 billion enterprise). I have been asked to conduct interviews for developer and senior developer positions for .net I have some experience with selecting people for my own startup(earlier). I would like to know are there any guidelines which I need to follow to conduct this interview. please let me know about any of your personal techniques you follow to find the best person. Do share any pleasant :laugh: or not so pleasant:mad: experience you had while interviewing.
'Progress isn't made by early risers. It's made by lazy men trying to find easier ways to do something.' Robert Heinlein (1907 - 1988)
Such a large company should have training and guidelines available for potential interviewers. As others have said, don't try to be clever or trip someone up with trivia. Evaluate the person based on the tasks they will be performing. Evaluate answers given with an open mind. Although you should also know the subject matter, don't treat an answer wrong because it is something you wouldn't do, there are many ways to accomplish a task. One from the bad experience list. I was placed in front of one senior developers system and asked to code something. The keyboard was a split type, as in two separate pieces for each hand, VS also had addins that I don't use and kept getting in the way. The feedback was I wasn't familiar enough with VS and couldn't type. :wtf: From my perspective after the interview is just as important. I like to give feedback as soon as possible. Don't wait a week to tell someone you're not interested.
I know the language. I've read a book. - _Madmatt
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I work for a big software services company($6 billion enterprise). I have been asked to conduct interviews for developer and senior developer positions for .net I have some experience with selecting people for my own startup(earlier). I would like to know are there any guidelines which I need to follow to conduct this interview. please let me know about any of your personal techniques you follow to find the best person. Do share any pleasant :laugh: or not so pleasant:mad: experience you had while interviewing.
'Progress isn't made by early risers. It's made by lazy men trying to find easier ways to do something.' Robert Heinlein (1907 - 1988)
Use a cattle prod. Every time they give an answer you don't like - #PAZAM-FIZZ#. Technically this is not completely legal and some HR departments have been known to complain, but it is still the most entertainment you can get out of a graduate without the use of firearms.
Panic, Chaos, Destruction. My work here is done. or "Drink. Get drunk. Fall over." - P O'H
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I work for a big software services company($6 billion enterprise). I have been asked to conduct interviews for developer and senior developer positions for .net I have some experience with selecting people for my own startup(earlier). I would like to know are there any guidelines which I need to follow to conduct this interview. please let me know about any of your personal techniques you follow to find the best person. Do share any pleasant :laugh: or not so pleasant:mad: experience you had while interviewing.
'Progress isn't made by early risers. It's made by lazy men trying to find easier ways to do something.' Robert Heinlein (1907 - 1988)
I usually start off with: "Do you understand the words that are coming out of my mouth?" * It's amazing how many times the interview stops with that lone question. If yes, then I go with; "Do you know what the 'f' you're talking about?" If yes, then: "Oh yeah? PROVE IT!" * This is another one of those questions that trips people up surprisingly often.
A guide to posting questions on CodeProject[^]
Dave Kreskowiak Microsoft MVP Visual Developer - Visual Basic
2006, 2007, 2008
But no longer in 2009... -
I usually start off with: "Do you understand the words that are coming out of my mouth?" * It's amazing how many times the interview stops with that lone question. If yes, then I go with; "Do you know what the 'f' you're talking about?" If yes, then: "Oh yeah? PROVE IT!" * This is another one of those questions that trips people up surprisingly often.
A guide to posting questions on CodeProject[^]
Dave Kreskowiak Microsoft MVP Visual Developer - Visual Basic
2006, 2007, 2008
But no longer in 2009...Is that copyrighted or can I combine it with the cattle prod?
Panic, Chaos, Destruction. My work here is done. or "Drink. Get drunk. Fall over." - P O'H
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I work for a big software services company($6 billion enterprise). I have been asked to conduct interviews for developer and senior developer positions for .net I have some experience with selecting people for my own startup(earlier). I would like to know are there any guidelines which I need to follow to conduct this interview. please let me know about any of your personal techniques you follow to find the best person. Do share any pleasant :laugh: or not so pleasant:mad: experience you had while interviewing.
'Progress isn't made by early risers. It's made by lazy men trying to find easier ways to do something.' Robert Heinlein (1907 - 1988)
Ask at least one question you don't expect most people to know the answer. It is valuable to know how someone deals with something they don't know or understand. If they BS you that might indicate someone who lets pride get in the way of getting things done and will not be truthful when you ask for status. If they just say "I don't know" then that's good, but they may not be motivated enough for leadership. If they tell you that they don't know but explain how they would find out, that is the best case scenario. Be careful about some of the typical questions and the preconceived answers. I knew a guy who always asked "How would you solve a maze". The answer he was looking for was recursion. He was completely unprepared for the candidate who said pick either the left or the right wall and stick to it (which is how many people solve corn mazes IRL). Either algorithm could be the best depending on the maze. A lot of other things depend on the culture of your existing team. If someone always putting a curly brace on its own line will start a holy war, then you need people who aren't passionate about style conventions or are passionate in the asme way as your team.
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I work for a big software services company($6 billion enterprise). I have been asked to conduct interviews for developer and senior developer positions for .net I have some experience with selecting people for my own startup(earlier). I would like to know are there any guidelines which I need to follow to conduct this interview. please let me know about any of your personal techniques you follow to find the best person. Do share any pleasant :laugh: or not so pleasant:mad: experience you had while interviewing.
'Progress isn't made by early risers. It's made by lazy men trying to find easier ways to do something.' Robert Heinlein (1907 - 1988)
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Is that copyrighted or can I combine it with the cattle prod?
Panic, Chaos, Destruction. My work here is done. or "Drink. Get drunk. Fall over." - P O'H
No, go right ahead. I was thinking of revising the first question with a jab from the cattle prod immediately following the question mark, not giving the candidate an opportunity to answer at all. You know, just to see how they deal with a sudden outside influence and the affects it has on their ability to form a coherent answer and participate in a group discussion.
A guide to posting questions on CodeProject[^]
Dave Kreskowiak Microsoft MVP Visual Developer - Visual Basic
2006, 2007, 2008
But no longer in 2009... -
jarajeshwaran wrote:
I would like to know are there any guidelines which I need to follow to conduct this interview.
Wear pants.
No, no, no, you do NOT wear pants. You wear cargo shorts with a butchers coat and apron, covered in blood and carrying Nagy's cattle prod. Why would you want the candidate felling comfortable during this process? How else are you going to find out how the candidate deals with being thrown into a very unusual situation?
A guide to posting questions on CodeProject[^]
Dave Kreskowiak Microsoft MVP Visual Developer - Visual Basic
2006, 2007, 2008
But no longer in 2009... -
I work for a big software services company($6 billion enterprise). I have been asked to conduct interviews for developer and senior developer positions for .net I have some experience with selecting people for my own startup(earlier). I would like to know are there any guidelines which I need to follow to conduct this interview. please let me know about any of your personal techniques you follow to find the best person. Do share any pleasant :laugh: or not so pleasant:mad: experience you had while interviewing.
'Progress isn't made by early risers. It's made by lazy men trying to find easier ways to do something.' Robert Heinlein (1907 - 1988)
Believe me, it's strangely liberating and it certainly gives you the upper hand.
"WPF has many lovers. It's a veritable porn star!" - Josh Smith
As Braveheart once said, "You can take our freedom but you'll never take our Hobnobs!" - Martin Hughes.
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Believe me, it's strangely liberating and it certainly gives you the upper hand.
"WPF has many lovers. It's a veritable porn star!" - Josh Smith
As Braveheart once said, "You can take our freedom but you'll never take our Hobnobs!" - Martin Hughes.
The Wise One has spoken!
------------------------------------ I will never again mention that I was the poster of the One Millionth Lounge Post, nor that it was complete drivel. Dalek Dave
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Ask at least one question you don't expect most people to know the answer. It is valuable to know how someone deals with something they don't know or understand. If they BS you that might indicate someone who lets pride get in the way of getting things done and will not be truthful when you ask for status. If they just say "I don't know" then that's good, but they may not be motivated enough for leadership. If they tell you that they don't know but explain how they would find out, that is the best case scenario. Be careful about some of the typical questions and the preconceived answers. I knew a guy who always asked "How would you solve a maze". The answer he was looking for was recursion. He was completely unprepared for the candidate who said pick either the left or the right wall and stick to it (which is how many people solve corn mazes IRL). Either algorithm could be the best depending on the maze. A lot of other things depend on the culture of your existing team. If someone always putting a curly brace on its own line will start a holy war, then you need people who aren't passionate about style conventions or are passionate in the asme way as your team.
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Believe me, it's strangely liberating and it certainly gives you the upper hand.
"WPF has many lovers. It's a veritable porn star!" - Josh Smith
As Braveheart once said, "You can take our freedom but you'll never take our Hobnobs!" - Martin Hughes.
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T M Gray wrote:
If they tell you that they don't know but explain how they would find out, that is the best case scenario.
That's a little bit silly because how many times can an interviewee repeat "I'd google it"?
JazzJackRabbit wrote:
how many times can an interviewee repeat "I'd google it"?
Gosh, that would be an improvement. So many have "I'll post a question demanding code urgently from CodeProject" on speed dial.
"WPF has many lovers. It's a veritable porn star!" - Josh Smith
As Braveheart once said, "You can take our freedom but you'll never take our Hobnobs!" - Martin Hughes.
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Interviewing can be useful to eliminate bad candidates, but to find good ones I think the only reliable way is to either find someone you already worked with, or get a recommendation from someone you trust. Anyway, when it comes to interviewing my list of advices would be: - Honestly explain them what their job is going to look like; if possible, show them the work area and maybe even a screenshot of your code base. If they are going to be dissapointed, it is much better for everybody for it to happen during the interview than after the person starts working. At a previous job, we hired a senior developer who assumed he would write new code, and then when we gave him bugs to fix he simply refused. - Let them ask questions and give as good answers as possible. Again, you don't want to lure them into something they will regret later. - Ask them a "controversial" question (placement of curly braces is one of my favorites) and see how they react, especially if you disagree with them. - Ask them about previous accomplishments, problems they solved and make sure you understand what was their role in the process. - Most of all: good luck! Both to you and your potental hires :)
Nemanja Trifunovic wrote:
Ask them a "controversial" question (placement of curly braces is one of my favorites) and see how they react, especially if you disagree with them.
Just curious, what is the purpose of that approach?
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I work for a big software services company($6 billion enterprise). I have been asked to conduct interviews for developer and senior developer positions for .net I have some experience with selecting people for my own startup(earlier). I would like to know are there any guidelines which I need to follow to conduct this interview. please let me know about any of your personal techniques you follow to find the best person. Do share any pleasant :laugh: or not so pleasant:mad: experience you had while interviewing.
'Progress isn't made by early risers. It's made by lazy men trying to find easier ways to do something.' Robert Heinlein (1907 - 1988)
Create a comfortable, friendly atmosphere. An interview sucks enough already for both sides already. Ask HR Esp. with a company this size there are a lot of do's and don'ts. bets get a briefing from Human Resources. Let them write code. It is a controversial topic, but after having it doen in one round of interviews, I'd never again hire a developer without. You must must must prepar well, though. Set minimum standards. And never ever settle for less, no matter how badly you need help. Read Joels guide to interviewing. Jeff Atwood has some on writing code, too.
Agh! Reality! My Archnemesis![^]
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