The Changelog: Software Development, Open Source Principles for hiring engineers (Interview)
25 snips
Feb 8, 2022 Jacob Kaplan-Moss, software developer and co-creator of Django, shares his insights on effective engineering hiring practices. He emphasizes the importance of work sample tests as authentic simulations of real job tasks. Jacob critiques traditional interview methods and discusses tailoring assessments to match specific roles. He introduces eight key principles for hiring engineers, advocating for a respectful candidate experience. Additionally, he explores the innovative idea of reverse code reviews as a method to enhance evaluations while ensuring a focus on both technical and interpersonal skills.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
The Interviewing Paradox
- Interviewing for software roles is challenging because it's hard to directly assess coding skills in a short timeframe.
- Evaluating someone's ability to write software during an interview without having them actually write a substantial amount of code is inherently difficult.
Tech's Not-Invented-Here Syndrome
- The tech industry often overlooks established management practices from other fields, hindering its hiring processes.
- This resistance to outside perspectives can lead to the reinvention of solutions for problems that have already been solved.
The Near-Quitting Team
- Jacob Kaplan-Moss highlights a past hiring mistake where a bad hire almost led to his team quitting.
- This experience motivated him to create better hiring processes.
