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How to hire a programmer  

Jeff Atwood outlines a solid process for hiring programmers:

  1. First pass a few simple "Hello World" online tests.
  2. Ask to see their portfolio.
  3. Hire for cultural fit.
  4. Do a detailed, structured phone screen.
  5. Give them an audition project.
  6. Interview in person.

Jeff rightly emphasis the "cultural fit" test. We may all bemoan HR departments and their psychometric nonsense, but poor cultural fit does, in practice, seem to always lead to trouble down the line.

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