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> It's especially bad if they are unwilling (as some seem to be) to have a short phone conversation prior to the coding test to tell you about the project. I'm

> It's especially bad if they are unwilling (as some seem to be) to have a short phone conversation prior to the coding test to tell you about the project. I'm sympathetic. But the last time I put out a job ad I got over 100 applications for a single opening. How should companies try to narrow that to a manageable number? Just look at the CV and throw it out based on that? What do you look for on the CV that cuts out 80%+ on candidates to get the number down to an amount that I could have a short phone conversation with?

roel_v 7y ago
You didn't invite all of them for am interview did you? Just call those you will interview. And yes you preselect on the CV, that's what it's for.
rleigh 7y ago
Yes, that's the exact reason you got those CVs in the first place. To assess their suitability. To require every applicant to waste their time to do some test to save you reading them is phenomenally lazy. Do that after you've done an initial pass over the CVs, and had a conversation with them. Your job opening should have had some sort of "job specification" with "essential" and "desirable" criteria. Take a quick pass over all the CVs. If they don't meet all essential criteria, then put them in a reject pile. For the remaining CVs, order them by how many of the desirable criteria they meet, then take a cut of the top n to contact. If you don't have the time to do this, then HR should. This won't take long; it's a quick yes/no. You look at the remaining CVs in detail after that initial pass and take into account their education, experience etc. Any candidate worth their salt will already have tailored their CV for the job specification to make sure that the essential and desirable criteria are clearly shown on the CV to make your job easier. If it's not clear, then reject it. You'll have that number down to a shortlist of 5 in 60 minutes.
inimino 7y ago
Yes, you call the ones that look best on paper first, and you keep interviewing until you hire someone. You don't throw out the CVs at all because you might look at them later. Give up on this absurd idea that you need a perfect process to find the perfect person without doing any of the work. There's not a talent shortage in our industry nearly so much as there is a sane-hiring-practice shortage. Maybe we should start quizzing would-be managers on these basic hiring skills before putting them in positions where they are responsible for hiring people.
946789987649 7y ago
Marking a test takes way longer than a 15 minute conversation surely?

roel_v 7y ago

You didn't invite all of them for am interview did you? Just call those you will interview. And yes you preselect on the CV, that's what it's for.

rleigh 7y ago

Yes, that's the exact reason you got those CVs in the first place. To assess their suitability. To require every applicant to waste their time to do some test to save you reading them is phenomenally lazy. Do that after you've done an initial pass over the CVs, and had a conversation with them. Your job opening should have had some sort of "job specification" with "essential" and "desirable" criteria. Take a quick pass over all the CVs. If they don't meet all essential criteria, then put them in a reject pile. For the remaining CVs, order them by how many of the desirable criteria they meet, then take a cut of the top n to contact. If you don't have the time to do this, then HR should. This won't take long; it's a quick yes/no. You look at the remaining CVs in detail after that initial pass and take into account their education, experience etc. Any candidate worth their salt will already have tailored their CV for the job specification to make sure that the essential and desirable criteria are clearly shown on the CV to make your job easier. If it's not clear, then reject it. You'll have that number down to a shortlist of 5 in 60 minutes.

inimino 7y ago

Yes, you call the ones that look best on paper first, and you keep interviewing until you hire someone. You don't throw out the CVs at all because you might look at them later. Give up on this absurd idea that you need a perfect process to find the perfect person without doing any of the work. There's not a talent shortage in our industry nearly so much as there is a sane-hiring-practice shortage. Maybe we should start quizzing would-be managers on these basic hiring skills before putting them in positions where they are responsible for hiring people.

946789987649 7y ago

Marking a test takes way longer than a 15 minute conversation surely?