[RESOLVED] Checking Someone's Knowledge

[uk_codemonkey]

Hi folks

This might sound like a strange request, but I hope it becomes a bit clearer as I explain.

I am currently employed as my employer's only database and applications developer. My core skills are SQL Server 2000, and VB.NET 2002 Winforms applications.

We are currently in the market for a programmer who can code C#.NET 2002. Ideally, they would also be conversant in SQL Server, and would also have a working knowledge of Microsoft Active Directory on a 2000/2003 platform. The problem that we currently have is that, until we've hired someone to do the job that we have in mind for them, we have no way of validating their alleged skillsets.

Does anybody know of any kind of online resource that we can use to test out our candidates' knowledge, rather than employing them and discovering afterwards that they have led us up the garden path?

TIA

[Hack]

Moved to General Developer

[RobDog888]

Interviewing them first and making them pass some kind of skills test is always a given.

At my previous place of employment I wrote a testing program with Q and A's related to common sense, coding, logic and the ability to read English.

[Fishcake]

We're currently hiring a developer and towards the end of the interview we're asking them some Database questions and some .net questions that get harder as we go and it's really useful for weeding out the total time wasters, it's amazing how much experience some people try and say they have yet when asked simple questions haven't got a clue.

[sevenhalo]

One of the things I've offered every company I've worked for (before getting hired) is a "sit-in" day. Basically, volunteer some of my time to find out what they do and what's expected of me on a given day. It's really beneficial for both sides of the interview table. I don't want to take a job that isn't anywhere near my expertise and they may not be sure how to convey the position properly (this has happened to me before. It's the sole reason I got thrown into VB.Net and Javascript when I listed VB6 and Java on my resume).

Although, I don't know how legal it is to ask someone to volunteer a saturday (or whatever time they have off) for this. It is an eye opener. No one is going to take a job they can't handle. Also, you can assess their technical skills by how interested and involved they are. If you keep getting the polite yes over and over; chances are, they're lost and just don't want to look out of place.

It also gives you a chance to get to know them on a little more "social" note. Take them out to lunch and just chat it up. Personality is the first thing that's typically lost during an interview, an informal lunch might give you a better idea of their character.

Personally, I've always liked doing this whole method because it's not so much grilling a canidate as it is a trial run. Also, you get to asess the "street smarts" of the canidate which is extremely important. You could have all the knowledge and test well, but if you have no clue how to apply it... What good is it?

[umilmi81]

Brainbench.com has tests that you can ask them to complete. It costs you money, but they are good tests, and it's worth the peace of mind.

[uk_codemonkey]

Thank you very much everyone.

RobDog, we've done the first round of interviews, which was really just a sizing up exercise to see if the people we were looking at would fit in well with the rest of the department - we're a small team here, so we need to team players. It's the second interview that's going to determine technical ability.

The problem that we've got is this: although as a developer, I can test someone's understanding of basic Development Lifecycle principles, and I can get people to get me examples of how they would code VB.NET or SQL, I can't do the same when it comes to C#, which is why I've posed the question on here. Umilmi81, I'm probably going to suggest that we investigate something like BrainBench.com - I'd prefer to pay a bit of money to test someone's skills, rather than a lot of money to find out they don't have any!

[mendhak]

I'd advise against Brainbench, because it is a certification at the end, you need to see their presence of mind and test their knowledge and experience on the spot. You can find loads of C# interview questions and database questions online, look for questions which test for a bit of experience in addition to actual knowledge.

[mendhak]

One other thing.

Whenever I've interviewed candidates, in addition to testing the usual, I also test for personality and gauge them. I do this in order to determine whether they are fast at picking up skills and knowledge, whether they can work in a 'changing' environment.

This way, even if their skills don't match up to what was expected, you can at least have some guarantee that they will be able to pick up the pace and meet the needs of the project/task.

[uk_codemonkey]

Hi Mendhak

Between myself and the other members of the department, we've managed to come up with 10 questions, five of which relate to SQL, and five of which relate to C#. Needless to say, we also found the answers too.

The test that we put together had the desired effect - we were running second interviews for two candidates. The first one failed to show up, whilst the second one failed the test dismally - he wasn't even too clear on the difference between a Primary Key and a Foreign Key. So, the test has been a success in that it weeded out a potentially weak candidate. However, it leaves us no further forward on finding a suitable person for the job.

C'est la vie :)

Thanks folks.