Great post on how to hire programmers, distilled into three distinct questions:

There are three questions you have when you’re hiring a programmer (or anyone, for that matter): Are they smart? Can they get stuff done? Can you work with them?

At Draconis, we pretty much follow exactly this formula.  In the past, I’ve thought about asking brain-teaser-type questions, but always came back around to myself: if I were asked that question, would I think it’s a fair reflection of my abilities (regardless of whether I got it “right” or not)?  The answer was invariably no.

I’ve often thought that HR people hiring programmers are tempted to force programmers into the same hiring mold of other jobs, like manufacturing: if they can do X task, then they can do Y job.  Yet programming requires so much more thinking: ultimately, you’re solving problems rather than going through the mechanics of a job.  The difference is vast.

In the past, I’ve scoffed at the (in)famous hiring questions of Microsoft and other large companies being used in startups.  In a large operation, programmers can often be pigeonholed into single tasks where repeatable mechanics can be tested and measured (and where those brain-teaser questions might work).  In startups and consulting companies, a programmer needs to be smart and versatile.  There’s a world of difference, and I think this article sums up what works nicely to hire smart and versatile programmers.