http://jrothman.com/blog/htp/2006/08/why-i-look-for-problem-solving-in-a-work-context.html Hiring technical people and being hired can be difficult, no matter what the economy is doing. Use the tips here to hire better, or find a new job. Thu, 20 Nov 2008 11:51:21 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 http://jrothman.com/blog/htp/2006/08/why-i-look-for-problem-solving-in-a-work-context.html#comment-167 Steven J. Owens Wed, 06 Sep 2006 02:01:28 +0000 http://jrothman.com/blog/htp/?p=390#comment-167 Instead of an idiotic puzzle or (my god0 trick question, I prefer to ask the candidate to solve a real problem we have. I'm careful to explain up front that this is about exploring their approach to problem-solving, and not only that there's no right answer, but that we haven't solved it for ourselves yet. The problem is usually something that we have a work-around for and it's low enough priority that it hasn't yet bubbled up to the top of the list. This also means, not coincidentally, that we usually have a pretty good idea of what the problem is, how we'd go about investigating it, solving it, etc. I think the fact that we ourselves haven't tackled it yet both keeps us from having a preconception about the answer and makes the candidate feel like we're not yanking their chain, and like we're not looking a particular answer. In one case, two different candidates gave good, but markedly different answers to the same question; one was a much more "in the trenches" response combined with some experience-informed divide-and-conquer black-boxing to narrow it down first, the other was a more methodology-based, structured approach that showed the candidate didn't have particular experience with that technology niche, but had a good general problem-solving and design foundation. Instead of an idiotic puzzle or (my god0 trick question, I prefer to ask the candidate to solve a real problem we have.
I’m careful to explain up front that this is about exploring their approach to problem-solving, and not only that there’s no right answer, but that we haven’t solved it for ourselves yet.
The problem is usually something that we have a work-around for and it’s low enough priority that it hasn’t yet bubbled up to the top of the list. This also means, not coincidentally, that we usually have a pretty good idea of what the problem is, how we’d go about investigating it, solving it, etc.
I think the fact that we ourselves haven’t tackled it yet both keeps us from having a preconception about the answer and makes the candidate feel like we’re not yanking their chain, and like we’re not looking a particular answer.
In one case, two different candidates gave good, but markedly different answers to the same question; one was a much more “in the trenches” response combined with some experience-informed divide-and-conquer black-boxing to narrow it down first, the other was a more methodology-based, structured approach that showed the candidate didn’t have particular experience with that technology niche, but had a good general problem-solving and design foundation.

]]> http://jrothman.com/blog/htp/2006/08/why-i-look-for-problem-solving-in-a-work-context.html#comment-166 Adrian Howard Thu, 10 Aug 2006 12:19:19 +0000 http://jrothman.com/blog/htp/?p=390#comment-166 Another reasons for employers to have a think about using puzzles.... for some potential employees it switches the bozo bit for that employer. Ask me about manhole covers, or throw an IQ test that was discredited in the sixties, in my direction during an interview and I'll think you're an idiot. Of course you're not an idiot :-) The problem is we've discovered that far to many bad organisations use these sorts of test - so it raises a red flag. (and from various pub conversations I've had I know I'm not alone in this opinion) Another reasons for employers to have a think about using puzzles…. for some potential employees it switches the bozo bit for that employer.
Ask me about manhole covers, or throw an IQ test that was discredited in the sixties, in my direction during an interview and I’ll think you’re an idiot.
Of course you’re not an idiot The problem is we’ve discovered that far to many bad organisations use these sorts of test - so it raises a red flag.
(and from various pub conversations I’ve had I know I’m not alone in this opinion)

]]>