Last Updated: 27 Jun 2023
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people:hr:how-to-hire-technical-people [Aug 31, 2010 05:53 PM] dordal |
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+ | = How-To Guide for Hiring Developers & Other Tech Staff = | ||
+ | Hiring technical folks – at least good technical folks -- can be a tough thing to do. Here is a short How-To Guide that will help you. | ||
+ | |||
+ | == Making a Plan == | ||
+ | |||
+ | {{ : | ||
+ | |||
+ | You should make a detailed list of the qualities you want to look for and the types of questions to ask, before beginning the process. | ||
+ | |||
+ | === Finding Good Employees === | ||
+ | |||
+ | Finding employees can be a difficult task, and is usually best accomplished through referrals or similar means. I’ve put together [[people:: | ||
+ | |||
+ | Good employees have a number of traits, and according to Joel Spolsky' | ||
+ | |||
+ | * **//Be Smart//** | ||
+ | * **//Get Things Done//** | ||
+ | |||
+ | That's it. In more detail, however, people should have: | ||
+ | |||
+ | * **Expertise: | ||
+ | * **Commitment: | ||
+ | * **Attitude: | ||
+ | * **Behavior: | ||
+ | * **Team Skills:** It is critical to have people that work well in a team, and work well with your team. | ||
+ | * **Thirst for Knowledge: | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | === Pre-Interview === | ||
+ | |||
+ | Once you hear of a prospective hire, you should get a resume from them, and then do a bit of pre-interview work. | ||
+ | |||
+ | First, review the resume: | ||
+ | |||
+ | * {{ : | ||
+ | * Look for 'happy feet'. If they have switched jobs a lot in the past, they may not stay with you for very long either. | ||
+ | * Look for similar companies. If they' | ||
+ | * Look for sloppiness. Don't excuse someone who has a sloppy resume, doesn' | ||
+ | * Look out for qualifiers. Many resumes are filled with phrases like " | ||
+ | * Make sure the person is not going ' | ||
+ | |||
+ | === Phone Interview === | ||
+ | |||
+ | Once you have reviewed someone' | ||
+ | |||
+ | * Finding out more about who the person is, and what they do. | ||
+ | * Finding out what skills they think they have. | ||
+ | * Asking them about previous employers/ | ||
+ | * Doing a simple skills test; i.e. ask them some technical questions related to their area. Many people can talk the talk, but not many can walk the walk. | ||
+ | |||
+ | If you like the person, go ahead and set up a tech screening or a real interview. If not, politely tell them that you'll get back to them if you are interested in bringing them in for an interview. | ||
+ | === Tech Screening === | ||
+ | |||
+ | If you're hiring an engineer, you may want to put them through a second phone interview; this one is an in-depth tech screening. It will help separate the wheat from the chaff, and potentially save you and your colleagues a lot of time when doing the in-person interview. | ||
+ | |||
+ | My favorite way to do a tech screening is via [[http:// | ||
+ | |||
+ | If you don't have WebEx, you can also use [[http:// | ||
+ | |||
+ | When you start the interview, login to the WebEx system and ask them to share their screen. Then ask them to write code for you while you watch. Ideally, you'll want to put them through actual tests, such as the [[: | ||
+ | |||
+ | Once you're done, either offer to bring them in for an in-person interview, or let them know that you'll be in touch with next steps later. | ||
+ | |||
+ | === Interview === | ||
+ | |||
+ | The in-person interview is the most important part of hiring someone. In it, you will try to determine if the candidate would be a good fit for your company. Interviewing is a skill that takes a long time to master, but here are some ideas to get you started. In addition to reading this and the list of [[/ | ||
+ | |||
+ | * Ask open-ended questions. The idea of an interview is to try to draw information out of a candidate, not get them to answer simple questions. | ||
+ | * Put the applicant at ease. They will have a lot better impression of you, and you will get more out of them, if you can put them at ease. | ||
+ | * Base your interview from these [[people: | ||
+ | * Be sure to test the candidate on their skills. The test will take different forms depending on what position you are interviewing for. | ||
+ | * Ask the candidate whether they have any questions about the company. Try to sell them on your company. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Ending the interview: It is a good idea to give the interviewee clues that the interview is ending, such as pushing back your chair and putting down your pencil. If you are interested in this candidate, let them know of your interest and say you'll get back to them. If you aren't sure, or aren't interested, mention you have other people to see and politely let them know you'll get back to them later. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Be sure to take notes during the interview! Also, I always like to take about ten minutes // | ||
+ | |||
+ | === Check References (Optional) === | ||
+ | |||
+ | Checking references is important - it lets you get an independent view on a candidate. However, it can be hard to do, at least in the United States, because of new state and national laws. | ||
+ | |||
+ | * Call references listed on the candidate' | ||
+ | * If possible, try to get the names of other people who the candidate has worked for, and call them too. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Don't delay in checking references. It is very important to talk to the candidate before you interview the references, so you can ask them about issues you feel might be of concern. | ||
+ | |||
+ | === Second Interview(s) === | ||
+ | In most cases, a candidate will be interviewed by more than one person. This may happen on the same day, or it may happen later. The second interviewer should talk to the first person and be sure to hit any points of concern. | ||
+ | |||
+ | === Hiring Them === | ||
+ | |||
+ | {{ : | ||
+ | |||
+ | Generally, I like to offer them the job on the phone, but decline to discuss specifics such as salary and vacation time. Those belong in the formal offer letter. | ||
+ | |||
+ | === Not Hiring Them === | ||
+ | |||
+ | Once you've made your selection, you'll need to tell everyone else that you aren't going to hire them. You can do this via email or a phone call; I generally prefer a phone call. Email is a cop-out; it's how the person you went out with last night tells you that they want to be 'just friends' | ||
+ | |||
+ | When you do call them, keep the conversation pleasant and don't burn any bridges. Here's what I suggest: | ||
+ | |||
+ | //" | ||
+ | |||
+ | Some people may ask why, or what the other individual had that they didn' | ||
+ | |||
+ | * People Skills/ | ||
+ | * Tech Skills: //" | ||
+ | * Communication: | ||
+ | |||
+ | Notice how these are phrased: //"You were good, but there was another individual who met our needs better."// | ||
+ | |||
+ | === Final Thoughts === | ||
+ | |||
+ | Hiring people is a hard thing to do, so take your time to do it right. If you're in a hiring boom, you may have to move quickly, but don't rush things. There are studies that say that it costs a company half of someone' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Remember, unless you're bringing a short-term consultant on board, you're hiring the person, not the skills. Good people can learn new skills. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Finally, remember to always use your best judgment and trust your gut. If something doesn' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Good luck! |