Comments on: Tips for hiring new engineers http://www.stochasticgeometry.ie/2008/04/25/tips-for-hiring-new-engineers/ Articles on random topics in Programming, Systems Administration, Academia and Industry by Mark Dennehy Fri, 27 Jan 2012 18:39:43 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Jason Woodward http://www.stochasticgeometry.ie/2008/04/25/tips-for-hiring-new-engineers/comment-page-1/#comment-650 Jason Woodward Wed, 28 Apr 2010 13:32:01 +0000 http://stochasticgeometry.wordpress.com/?p=43#comment-650 I don't know how HR laws work in Ireland, but my experience with large organizations in the United States is that they prefer to be intentionally vague in job ads and descriptions for the simple reason that the more precise a description is the less leeway the employer has for making judgement calls or minor changes to the tools, languages, etc without risking running afoul of cries of "that's not in my job description" or "I met the qualifications of the job, and the person you hired didn't, so I'm going to sue you". Sad, perhaps, but a reality of a litigious society. I don’t know how HR laws work in Ireland, but my experience with large organizations in the United States is that they prefer to be intentionally vague in job ads and descriptions for the simple reason that the more precise a description is the less leeway the employer has for making judgement calls or minor changes to the tools, languages, etc without risking running afoul of cries of “that’s not in my job description” or “I met the qualifications of the job, and the person you hired didn’t, so I’m going to sue you”. Sad, perhaps, but a reality of a litigious society.

]]> By: Jason Antman’s Blog » Hiring Technical People http://www.stochasticgeometry.ie/2008/04/25/tips-for-hiring-new-engineers/comment-page-1/#comment-491 Jason Antman’s Blog » Hiring Technical People Sun, 07 Mar 2010 16:00:33 +0000 http://stochasticgeometry.wordpress.com/?p=43#comment-491 [...] seeing a link to it on the SAGE mailing list, I happened to read Mark Dennehy’sblog post on Tips for hiring new engineers. I felt the need to make a few comments on some of his findings. Perhaps someone in HR, or a [...] [...] seeing a link to it on the SAGE mailing list, I happened to read Mark Dennehy’sblog post on Tips for hiring new engineers. I felt the need to make a few comments on some of his findings. Perhaps someone in HR, or a [...]

]]> By: John http://www.stochasticgeometry.ie/2008/04/25/tips-for-hiring-new-engineers/comment-page-1/#comment-62 John Mon, 28 Apr 2008 18:29:21 +0000 http://stochasticgeometry.wordpress.com/?p=43#comment-62 Interesting write-up on your recent experiences Mark, if only the HR and middle-management types of the World read blog entries like this one, they might learn something. It's funny because I think I know the company you mentioned that demanded you come in and sit a technical exam before interviewing with them, as I had exactly the same experience with them (no names mentioned!). My very strong impression of them was that they did not want to "waste their time" interviewing me if I did not come up to "their high programming standards", but what about wasting my time? No thanks. In a market (here in Ireland anyway) where demand far outstrips supply for software engineers, especially the few good ones in the market, these companies really need to adopt new strategies and more importantly better attitudes, unless they are deliberately planning to remain short-staffed as a business strategy ;-) Interesting write-up on your recent experiences Mark, if only the HR and middle-management types of the World read blog entries like this one, they might learn something.

It’s funny because I think I know the company you mentioned that demanded you come in and sit a technical exam before interviewing with them, as I had exactly the same experience with them (no names mentioned!). My very strong impression of them was that they did not want to “waste their time” interviewing me if I did not come up to “their high programming standards”, but what about wasting my time? No thanks.

In a market (here in Ireland anyway) where demand far outstrips supply for software engineers, especially the few good ones in the market, these companies really need to adopt new strategies and more importantly better attitudes, unless they are deliberately planning to remain short-staffed as a business strategy ;-)

]]> By: Mark Dennehy http://www.stochasticgeometry.ie/2008/04/25/tips-for-hiring-new-engineers/comment-page-1/#comment-61 Mark Dennehy Mon, 28 Apr 2008 13:41:18 +0000 http://stochasticgeometry.wordpress.com/?p=43#comment-61 Don't even start me with the Google interview process when it comes to wasting time... Don’t even start me with the Google interview process when it comes to wasting time…

]]> By: Cormac http://www.stochasticgeometry.ie/2008/04/25/tips-for-hiring-new-engineers/comment-page-1/#comment-60 Cormac Mon, 28 Apr 2008 09:56:15 +0000 http://stochasticgeometry.wordpress.com/?p=43#comment-60 FWIW Google never seem to put salary information on their ads ... the ads I dislike most of all are the agency ones where they don't even tell you what company the ad is for, but list off a bunch of perks designed to appeal to unattached 20-somethings (which I'm not) FWIW Google never seem to put salary information on their ads … the ads I dislike most of all are the agency ones where they don’t even tell you what company the ad is for, but list off a bunch of perks designed to appeal to unattached 20-somethings (which I’m not)

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