4 ms·

I FizzBuzz all new developers I hire. Frankly, if you aren't prepared to spend the 5 (at most) minutes it takes to put FizzBuzz down in a language you say that

by sjm-lbm 13y ago

I FizzBuzz all new developers I hire. Frankly, if you aren't prepared to spend the 5 (at most) minutes it takes to put FizzBuzz down in a language you say that you are an expert in, I'm ok with you walking. Being a productive team member requires trust, and FizzBuzz is a really low standard to start at when attempting to gain trust. I'd be openly suspicious that anyone who can't be bothered to run through FizzBuzz in an interview would be the type to complain that whatever task they are working on (that needs to be done) isn't RealProgramming(tm), and is beneath them.

huhtenberg 13y ago
I'm off the market, but if I were asked to do FizzBuzz on a tech intervieew, I would do it, but conditional on the interviewer doing something as idiotic immediately after that. Like write an iterator for a binary tree. Treating the person on the other side of the table is a fake works both ways. Don't underestimate how actually offensive a FizzBuzz question to a qualified developer is.
- kevinconroy 13y ago
  Think of it this way: they aren't trying to offend you - they're trying to show you that they're keeping all the other idiots who can't do FizzBuzz from joining the team. FizzBuzz is a necessary but not sufficient standard for acceptable technical skill. As a hiring manager, I'm not just amazed by how many people can't do FizzBuzz, but by how many people haven't even heard of it before I ask it.
  - tel 13y ago
    It is an immediate indicator that they're hiring off the street. That might be good---you're very competitive---but it also may mean that hiring is pretty out of touch from dev communities.
  - sjm-lbm 13y ago
    > I'm not just amazed by how many people can't do FizzBuzz, but by how many people haven't even heard of it before I ask it. This is very true. I've often thought of pulling it from the list of questions just because of the visibility that it gets - I mean, I do actually feel, to an extent, embarrassed asking it. Surely anyone who spends 30 whole minutes preparing for a job interview can find it on Google. It still manages to be difficult for some people, though. And, really, that's something that I want to know quickly.
  - yohanatan 13y ago
    If the interviewers are not competent enough to detect those who would fail FizzBuzz through other means (like a simple, respectful conversation about any technical topic) then I would not want to work with them.
- jakejake 13y ago
  well, why don't you flip it around. how would you like it if you were a developer who, as part of his duties, had to interview potential hires and HR keeps sending you people who are unable to even solve FizzBuzz? Or, worse yet if they actually hire people who are unable to handle FizzBuzz and now you have them sucking up all of your time along with bits of your soul? You don't see any value of FizzBuzz because you are only thinking about it from one limited perspective.
tensor 13y ago
I might turn around and ask you to print out the alphabet. I mean, I don't want to work for someone who can't write.

by sjm-lbm 13y ago

huhtenberg 13y ago

I'm off the market, but if I were asked to do FizzBuzz on a tech intervieew, I would do it, but conditional on the interviewer doing something as idiotic immediately after that. Like write an iterator for a binary tree. Treating the person on the other side of the table is a fake works both ways. Don't underestimate how actually offensive a FizzBuzz question to a qualified developer is.

kevinconroy 13y ago
Think of it this way: they aren't trying to offend you - they're trying to show you that they're keeping all the other idiots who can't do FizzBuzz from joining the team. FizzBuzz is a necessary but not sufficient standard for acceptable technical skill. As a hiring manager, I'm not just amazed by how many people can't do FizzBuzz, but by how many people haven't even heard of it before I ask it.
- tel 13y ago
  It is an immediate indicator that they're hiring off the street. That might be good---you're very competitive---but it also may mean that hiring is pretty out of touch from dev communities.
- sjm-lbm 13y ago
  > I'm not just amazed by how many people can't do FizzBuzz, but by how many people haven't even heard of it before I ask it. This is very true. I've often thought of pulling it from the list of questions just because of the visibility that it gets - I mean, I do actually feel, to an extent, embarrassed asking it. Surely anyone who spends 30 whole minutes preparing for a job interview can find it on Google. It still manages to be difficult for some people, though. And, really, that's something that I want to know quickly.
- yohanatan 13y ago
  If the interviewers are not competent enough to detect those who would fail FizzBuzz through other means (like a simple, respectful conversation about any technical topic) then I would not want to work with them.
jakejake 13y ago
well, why don't you flip it around. how would you like it if you were a developer who, as part of his duties, had to interview potential hires and HR keeps sending you people who are unable to even solve FizzBuzz? Or, worse yet if they actually hire people who are unable to handle FizzBuzz and now you have them sucking up all of your time along with bits of your soul? You don't see any value of FizzBuzz because you are only thinking about it from one limited perspective.

tensor 13y ago

I might turn around and ask you to print out the alphabet. I mean, I don't want to work for someone who can't write.