Gets Things Done has the mission of advising technical recruiters, human resources staff and hiring managers on recruiting and retaining the best technical talent. Of special note: Two contributers to this site are Joel Spolsky and Jeff Atwood, each well known and highly regarded for hiring and retaining top technical talent, so definitely watch for their posts.
We post updates to this site at least once per week, so check back often and sign up for our monthly newsletter because we'll even send you a free copy of Joel's book Smart and Gets this Done when you do!
Also, maybe you are already ahead of the game: all top talent, meeting aggressive deadlines, high employee engagement and piles of resumes galore; feel free to submit an article or case study. We'll be happy to post it here.
The Hardest Interview Puzzle Question Ever
Hiring is difficult under the best of conditions. But an interview process that relies too heavily on puzzle questions is risky. Sure, you may end up with programmers who can solve (or memorize, I guess) the absolute gnarliest puzzle questions you throw at them. But isn’t effectively communicating those solutions to the rest of the team important, too? For many programmers, that’s the hardest part of the puzzle.
Read MoreOn Interviewing Programmers
During interviewing a developer and considering if you want to hire them, there are a few key technical interview questions that you want to ask yourself: -Is this programmer passionate about what they are doing? -Can they communicate effectively to a small group? -Do they have a good handle on their area of expertise? -Would your team enjoy working with this person?
Read MoreA Field Guide to Developers – What am I working on?
To some extent, one of the best ways you can attract developers is to let them work on something interesting. This may be the hardest thing to change: doggone it, if you’re in the business of making software for the gravel and sand industry, that’s the business you’re in, and you can’t pretend to be [...]
Read MoreWorking Remotely
Some of the best talented developers may not live in your geographic area, nor can they relocate. So, then what? Here are some tips on creating a remote developer team. o The minimum remote team size is two. Always have a buddy, even if your buddy is on another continent halfway across the world. o Only code-loving veterans should be considered for remote development positions. Those working remotely should be highly passionate about the work, which lends itself to being highly self-motivated. o To be effective, remote teams need full autonomy and a leader (PM, if you will) who has a strong vision and the power to fully execute on that vision. Some technology and process tips: o Real Time Chat o Persistent Mailing List o Voice & Video Chat o Monday Team Status Reports – emailed to everyone o Meeting minutes
Read MoreA Field Guide to Developers – Private Offices
Private offices seem like a huge expense, but have statistically proven to increase programmers productivity. As a recruiting tool, private offices are a high priority for talented programmers. A private office says to candidates that you respect their work style and are willing to provide support in increasing productivity.
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