Ask HN: Share your interview / hiring practices?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2616435

by icey • 15 years ago

14 5 15 years ago

news.ycombinator.com

What does your interview process look like? How do you decide if someone is the right fit?

We do a phone interview to cover the basics, a tech screen + tech interview and a "do at home" coding exercise. This combination ends up cutting out more than 90% of the people we talk to, but bad seeds are still making it through. In the future, we're going to change our process to have an "in-office" coding exercise, but I would like to be considerate of people's time.

How do you assess the people that apply with you in order to improve the chances of hiring well?

petervandijck• 15 years ago

I think that a) people need to make time when you're hiring. Like 20% of their time. and b) firing quick.

Hiring isn't foolproof, and if it's a priority, then yes, it'll eat in people's time.

baggins• 15 years ago

I'm also interested in this, but as an interviewee. Personally, I like in person interviews better than phone interviews, which I've found to be very formal and unpleasant.

rawsyntax• 15 years ago

I wrote about the other side of it (the interviewee) here http://rawsyntax.com/post/6112439871/interviewing-for-progra...

FWIW, I don't think coding exercises help. I think the employer should require and example project that runs, and the source code to it. Many good developers have a side project that they can show off.

pavel_lishin• 15 years ago

Many good developers have a side project that they can show off.

And if they don't, it's probably not a great sign.

baruch• 15 years ago

I've interviewed many people who looked great on the resume and failed to do even a trivial coding question. The good developers quickly wade through such a question without a winch which leaves plenty of time to discuss interesting projects and see how they think.

Ask HN: Share your interview / hiring practices?

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