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Don't do dialogue. Their job isn't to chat it's to do. Give them tasks which are as realistic as possible. This is my process: 1) Start with a easy (but real

Don't do dialogue. Their job isn't to chat it's to do. Give them tasks which are as realistic as possible. This is my process: 1) Start with a easy (but real) task to get the candidate over their initial period of nerves. 2) Provide positive reinforcement. 3) Gradually ramp up the difficulty of the task, providing positive reinforcement and/or guiding the candidate where you think they've gone wrong. 4) Towards the end put 'traps' in the tasks which you have encountered in real life - i.e. problems which surprised and stumped you. This is an opportunity to spot exceptional candidates who can see the traps. I'd skip literally all of the conversation and video aspect and communicate solely with text based chat and screen sharing. Unless you have a real need to see the color of the candidate's skin before you make a decision, I suppose.

fsloth 10y ago
"Don't do dialogue. Their job isn't to chat it's to do." I don't know anything about your specific business, but as a senior level engineer, I need to feel I have an ownership of my role where I work. This includes understanding the business environment, the organizational dynamics, what is expected of the position and so on. I don't want to work at a position where I would feel like a replaceable drone. This all is highly personal, and context sensitive, of course, but I would not use this script to hire senior personnel.
- crdoconnor 10y ago
  I don't see any reason why the same principle shouldn't apply. For a senior manager I'd probably give them a series of (as realistic as possible) scenarios and ask them to make a series of decisions and then judge them on that basis. If the role of senior management is actually more about bullshitting then by all means just make the interview all about having a chat.
  - fsloth 10y ago
    I disagree, a deeply technical discission is about anything but bullshitting. If the conversation does not flow naturally when discussing a deeply technical topic I would claim there is a knowledge gap or serious lack of communication skills. But, like I said, contexts are different and those things might not matter.
    - crdoconnor 10y ago
      It might very well not be, but I still see no reason to not deliberately make the interview as close an analog as possible for the job in question.
methyl 10y ago
> Don't do dialogue. Their job isn't to chat it's to do. I think you are wrong. An exceptional programmer who cannot communicate is basically useless.
- crdoconnor 10y ago
  If you are giving them a sufficiently realistic task, their communication skills will be tested more thoroughly than if you decided to just have a nice chat about tech. I think the importance of developers' communication skills is context dependent. It's more vital in some roles than in others.
- Klockan 10y ago
  The ability to chat comfortably with a stranger for 90 minutes is orthogonal to being able to communicate effectively.

fsloth 10y ago

"Don't do dialogue. Their job isn't to chat it's to do." I don't know anything about your specific business, but as a senior level engineer, I need to feel I have an ownership of my role where I work. This includes understanding the business environment, the organizational dynamics, what is expected of the position and so on. I don't want to work at a position where I would feel like a replaceable drone. This all is highly personal, and context sensitive, of course, but I would not use this script to hire senior personnel.

crdoconnor 10y ago
I don't see any reason why the same principle shouldn't apply. For a senior manager I'd probably give them a series of (as realistic as possible) scenarios and ask them to make a series of decisions and then judge them on that basis. If the role of senior management is actually more about bullshitting then by all means just make the interview all about having a chat.
- fsloth 10y ago
  I disagree, a deeply technical discission is about anything but bullshitting. If the conversation does not flow naturally when discussing a deeply technical topic I would claim there is a knowledge gap or serious lack of communication skills. But, like I said, contexts are different and those things might not matter.
  - crdoconnor 10y ago
    It might very well not be, but I still see no reason to not deliberately make the interview as close an analog as possible for the job in question.

methyl 10y ago

> Don't do dialogue. Their job isn't to chat it's to do. I think you are wrong. An exceptional programmer who cannot communicate is basically useless.

crdoconnor 10y ago
If you are giving them a sufficiently realistic task, their communication skills will be tested more thoroughly than if you decided to just have a nice chat about tech. I think the importance of developers' communication skills is context dependent. It's more vital in some roles than in others.
Klockan 10y ago
The ability to chat comfortably with a stranger for 90 minutes is orthogonal to being able to communicate effectively.