Interviewing

I’ve been interviewing candidates quite a bit lately and I must admit that I quite enjoy the process. I get to meet new people and learn about how they work, and things they’ve worked on, and about technologies that I haven’t used or haven’t heard of. At Intelliware we usually conduct two separate interviews: the first is a personality/fit interview intended to answer the questions, “Can we work with this person, and would they be happy here? [Read More]

Big Data and HR

This piece from the New York Times touches on a subject that I’m passionate about - the challenges of hiring good people. Deep into it, it mentions that: “…the most proven method, Dr. Lewin said, is a referral from someone already working there. Current employees know the culture, he said, and have their reputations and their work environment on the line.” The big data thing is a cool, tech solution, but really it’s referrals that matter. [Read More]

The Guild

Troy Hunt’s Ghost Who Codes ignited something inside me. Initially I was a little insulted because I don’t have much of an online presence apart from my blog and my Twitter account. There are many reasons for this but in the end it doesn’t matter. You see, as much as I respect Troy, I think he’s missing the point. The best developers rarely apply for advertised jobs. They’re hired through their network and are never on the market. [Read More]

Recruiting 101

Recruiting is difficult. Most of the top talent already have jobs and are rarely in the job market. As a recruiter (or a headhunter, or a talent scout) these are precisely the people that you should be trying to attract. There are a few simple guidelines that might help you generate genuine interest in the role you’re trying to fill. Try to build relationships with candidates, not just a contact database. [Read More]