Are Contests the Best Way To Find Programmers? 260
Nerval's Lobster writes "Tech firms are engaging in several non-traditional hiring methods, from programming contests to finding the right people via algorithm. One of the more popular methods: set up a coding challenge or programming contest to bring out interested parties, with the top prize being a trip to the sponsoring company's headquarters to interview for a job. Look at what Facebook is doing in this area, sponsoring several Kaggle.com programming contests to find the best programmers; it also makes use of the site InterviewStreet to screen potential applicants. In theory, any company can build and run a contest online. But is it really the best way to go about hiring a programmer (or any other tech-minded employee, for that matter)?"
Re:Who has time? (Score:5, Interesting)
Now, if I were in charge, what you just said wouldn't be a reason to not hire you. There are lots of good programmers who don't have time for extra programming, but the best programmers, in my experience, are those who really enjoy it, and will take on small projects for fun from time to time.
Re:Contests are the best way... (Score:5, Interesting)
"Wanted: highly intelligent but deeply insecure attention seekers woefully ignorant in the larger ways of life. Must be easily manipulated and enthusiastically embrace indentured servitude for life (or until we deign to discard their burned-out husks). Will pay big shiny baubles and provide free desk, chair and leg iron benefits. Those with any self-respect or business acumen need not apply."
Re:Something is wrong with this picture. (Score:5, Interesting)
" but aren't these large companies wanting to raise the H-1B visa limits because of allegedly poorly trained/inexperienced programmers?"\
no. They want highly trained and experienced people to work for cheap.
We have plenty of programmers in the US, but we have the gall to want to be reasonably paid.
Re:NO (Score:5, Interesting)
If you need good engineers try offering the best compensation and the best working conditions.
Pro tip: Providing bad engineers with good pay and better working conditions doesn't make them into good engineers.
Good pay and good working conditions will allow a company to be more selective about who they hire, but they still need some way of selecting the good ones. Many companies fail badly at this. I have worked for several that paid well, and ended up with salaries that were negatively correlated with competence.
Re:NO (Score:1, Interesting)
Re:NO (Score:4, Interesting)
I disagree. I think contests are a perfect filtering mechanism for experienced programmers. It tells us that the company would rather waste our time on trivial crap rather than solving the real problems.
I do see value in this type of stuff for giving the people with no experience a chance to rise above the thousands of other resumes for the same entry level position.
Re:Contests are the best way... (Score:5, Interesting)
to find programmers who like contests.
...and who have time to participate in contests
Exactly. To judge by my interview with Facebook, in particular, I think they're OK with that. They seem quite focused on hiring young programmers who could bang out code quite fast (to solve non-trivial problems), with blithe unconcern for ideas like "maintainability" or "design review". They were also mystified why they had such a hard time hiring senior devs.
Still, they know what they want, and contests seem to fit that quite well. And even if you prefer sanity to freneticness (freneticism?), hiring a few devs occasionally through "contest screening" could be worthwhile.
I really like the idea of a purely objective hiring process where anyone can compete and resumes don't matter - but as an add-on to your normal process, not a replacement for it. That way madness lies.