Hiring a developer who is really talented is a skill that relies heavily on intuition, technical acumen, social networking and process management. If you have ever been given the hiring responsibility, then you most probably understand the challenges that are involved.
One particular problem when it comes to IT staffing is that it is tough to evaluate the hallmark qualities of the software engineering candidates. How can you explore the ability of a candidate to think creatively and innovate? How will you know if he or she is a team player? How do you know their capacity to utilize constructive feedback? Can you even investigate their moral fiber? Even though this task isn’t simple, it is important to find answers to all these questions so as to hire the best people. Unfortunately, nothing of substance will be achieved when you just ask them.
Some methodologies and approaches can help you to evaluate the subtle dimensions of a programmer’s skills and abilities. If used effectively, the techniques can assist you to hire the best programmer there is.
Technical acumen
Determining the technical proficiency of a candidate goes beyond their knowledge in programming languages or technology. An ideal developer will not waste time memorizing something that can be found in an API document or a language specification. Additionally, learning a new technology, language, and design patterns is a minor exercise for strong developers. Even though these technical details are essential, they are not the only elements that must be considered during the evaluation process. It’s critical to evaluate a candidate’s creative thinking, problem-solving skills, understanding as well as their fundamental technical strength.
One proven method you can use to accomplish this is to provide a programming challenge that is unconstrained by language. Present the problem and ask the candidate to come up with a solution using any language as long as the solution is thorough and correct. The goal is to evaluate their ability to solve problems, computer science knowledge, and coding style.
Another technique would be to ask the candidates to offer some of the open source projects they have created or contributed to. If a candidate was only a contributor, he or she should indicate the code portions they authored. You can then review their code and know the patterns they employed, coding style, design, and so on.
Language
An ideal software engineer should be able to communicate concisely, clearly and effectively both in writing and verbally. You can evaluate verbal communication skills during an interview. These skills are important as they will assist a candidate to work well with other team members especially when exchanging ideas. Writing samples can be used to evaluate the written communication skill. It’s advisable to ask the candidate to provide technical writing samples because they will demonstrate their writing skills and technical clarity.
Is the Feeling Mutual?
Now that you have found a highly skilled and experienced candidate with a great personality, you need to know if they are really interested in working for the company in the available position. One sided relationships don’t work even in a business-related environment. You cannot get the right answer by asking the question directly. Consider the way a candidate approached you from the beginning. Did the candidate offer a compelling explanation of why they are particularly interested in that position and your company? Did they research about the company as well as the vacant position they are applying for? If so, did they ask questions during the interview? A genuinely interested candidate will be bold enough to ask questions regarding the position, other than providing a convincing explanation about why they would like to work with you.
Your recruiting journey will differ from those of other companies because the process is based on the culture and human resource priorities of your company. Look for a methodology that is suitable for the organization and then implement it. You may succeed or face some challenges, but as long as you keep learning from your failures, you can be sure that you are on the right track.
