[brogrammer90]

If a candidate actually had any of those attributes, never mind all seven, they wouldn't be interviewing at your company. Companies need to realize 99% of candidates are B players, and 99% of their own employees are too.

[soham]

Very well said.

Interviews are not standardized tests. They are closer to a date/sale, than they are to a test. Same answer in an interview is likely to be interpreted differently by different people, very much like you're on a date.

The more you think of interviews like a test, the more you'll agonize about it, and the more you'll feel writing and believing such gospel-ic articles like this. True, there are a few basic common things, but beyond that, it's subjective by definition.

Whoever YOU think fits your values and ideas, is an A player. Everyone else is "B", because they are not exactly "compatible" to your thinking.

At http://InterviewKickstart.com, that's what we find. Every company has a different viewpoint of what a great engineer is. After a generic training for interviews, it's about compatibility with the companies.

[hinkley]

My current gig asked me a bunch of questions about tools and techniques... that I am unable to use to do my job.

Suffice it to say that there were some hurt feelings when the contract actually started and I saw how they were actually doing their work. If I knew then what I know now I would have continued looking.

[sanderjd]

Hmm, this is interesting: I usually share your sentiment when I read articles like this. I think companies are overly obsessed with hiring "the best of the best" and should instead focus on finding great employees, which is a different thing. Having said that, I thought this particular article avoided that trap and enumerated attainable attributes of good employees. As a B-player myself, I believe I (and many others) have nearly all of these attributes, never mind none.

[gearoidoc]

I think the "A-Class" employee idea is a myth. Obviously I've come across individuals who are more talented than others but it's very, very difficult (maybe impossible) to put people in a box.

Would you prefer to work with a genius engineer who is an asshole to deal with or someone with a great personality who takes somewhat longer to learn?