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How do you feel about testing algorithm design as a component of, or alongside a more "project based" homework test (project based meaning something like "Devel
by dsacco 12y ago
How do you feel about testing algorithm design as a component of, or alongside a more "project based" homework test (project based meaning something like "Develop a few classes to interact with an API like so...").
Do you think developers need any grounding in foundation if it isn't explicitly part of their job description?
Finally, do you administer the homework test via a third party like HackerRank or develop your own problem and simply email it to them?
- kasey_junk 12y agoI quite like algorithm design to be one of the judgement criteria for judging submitted work samples. Designing the work sample is very difficult, but the good ones have some box canyons that are easy to fall into without proper attention to algorithms. I personally have found my computer science academic background invaluable in my career, and think that foundational computer science is useful in nearly any software development position. That said, some of the very best developers I've worked with do not have that foundation, so I do not think it should be used as a selection criteria. I have historically used email for work samples and then fed them into whatever code review system the company is using. If I were setting up a big hiring pipeline right now I would probably due research about outsourcing the mechanics of collection/testing/code review collaboration to a 3rd party. That said, sending candidates through your real workflow can expose problems on your side, which is a nice side benefit.