For the first time I\'m in the position where I\'m helping interview potential f
ID: 650555 • Letter: F
Question
For the first time I'm in the position where I'm helping interview potential front-end developers. The other interviewer is more business & PM-focused, although he is a former developer. I probe for knowledge and background in CSS, Javascript, and other related technologies, but those questions are really just testing for lingo. I feel that it would be unfair to ask very specific questions about CSS when we're not in front of a computer.
I've also been given websites that these web developers have written. Is that enough to go on for interviewing front-ends? We're also looking for general aptitude, rather than a databank of knowledge.
Explanation / Answer
I've faced several interview styles over the years. They seem to break down as follows:
Do you seem as the right sort of person?
When I have worked in these companies they seem to hire and fire quickly. At interview they make a judgement about whether you could fit in, and that you seem to be talking the right stuff, and if after a few weeks you are not demonstrating this, the new recruit fails probation and is removed.
Asked 20 random facts.
These kind of interviews are very revealing to the candidate. They tell the candidate what problems the interviewer has faced, and the level of work involved. The problem is that they positively select people who have read the book, rather than identify programming talent. When I have worked in these environments the quality of the other programmers has been variable, and generally poor.
Demonstrate skills.
This is the interview technique I primarily use. I give the person a role related task and then observe how they perform. Do they ask key questions about the brief? Are they familiar with the subject? Does their performance seem consistent with their CV? Do they have a design? Did they actually implement their design or did it stray? If you ask questions about their design decisions do they give a considered answer as to why? Or did they mentally flip a coin? If you introduce a constraint that should cause a design decision to change do they recognise that?
With regards to asking specific CSS questions whilst not on a computer, I'd agree that a 20 random question approch would not identify the best candidates for you, but I would be looking for evidence of a suitable level of familiarity of CSS issues with open questions. e.g. can you give me an example of how you could improve the presentation of...
In my experience its best to be patient whilst recruiting, at times rejecting 90%+ of candidates and insisting on the best.