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Ask HN: What is the FizzBuzz test for hiring an engineering manager?
- geocar 14y agoI think management that can't code cannot evaluate or understand the products and outcomes of an engineering team. However, in the spirit of the question: I ask them what do they do that ships. I mostly want to know if I can personally deal with them because communicating upwards is difficult, but I am most troubled by a simple answer (e.g. Scrum, Pair, etc).
- rosenjon 14y agoIt's a simple coding test that asks you to write s program that prints Fizz, Buzz or FizzBuzz, usually depending on the multiple of some number. I.e. multiple of 3 print fizz, multiple of 5 print buzz, multiples of both 5 and 3 print fizzbuzz. Usually it will ask you to do this for numbers from 1 to 100, or something like that. It's basically a way to weed out people who don't know how to write any code.
- martinwnet 14y agoI'm pretty sure the questioner knows what Fizz Buzz is, but they are asking what an equivalent test would be for an engineering manager.
- lazyfunctor 14y agoI think OP knows about fizzbuzz but wants to know about similar test for hiring an engg manager
- codeonfire 14y agoThere is no FizzBuzz test for an engineering manager. Managers are not chosen due to a measurable skill, they are chosen based on political factors, previous job titles, contacts, and a huge number of other reasons. Sometimes they are hired simply to fire people for a month or two, then are fired themselves. Measurable, productive work is what everyone else does.
- jlengrand 14y agoI know a famous equivalent that has been used to hire a manager. The company back in the time was searching for a guy able to "think out of the box". You'll find the answer on google in seconds if you search, so take a minute to think about it by yourself ^^ The question was simple : You are in the middle of nowhere, riding a two-seats car during a storm. Stopping to a stop sign, you see three people waiting at a bus stop. - the girl of your dreams - your best friend - an old granny on her way to die What do you do?
- jlengrand 14y agoVideo version : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9OzhVAw8pM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9OzhVAw8pM
- codenut 14y agoWhats the goal here? Regardless, I will ask my besfriend to drive my old granny to the hospital and stay at the bus stop with my dream girl in the middle of the storm.
- jlengrand 14y agoProbably the same as when an employer asked my girlfriend if she was a virgin during an interview. In french, virgin and virgo (zodiac sign) are the same word. It puts yourself in situations you don't expect. You have to use your guts, and not your knowledge to answer those :)
- deleted 14y ago[deleted]
- dgunn 14y agoSo you want an equally bad way of hiring managers as fizzbuzz is for hiring engineers? Odd request...