[mkramlich]

Another big factor, which I don't think you said explicitly, is that oftentimes the majority of applicants for a software development position seem to lack the actual ability to write code. There are many horror stories from folks doing hiring where they experienced applicants who seemed to lack the ability to write even simple, small applications. Granted, some of those situations could have been caused by pressure and nervousness, but other times it isn't. Some of those folks just can't code at all, but they applied anyway.

[icey]

It's something I didn't mention, but you're completely right.

The past 3 positions I've hired for have had essentially identical applicant spectrums:

* 80% completely ignored the requirements and didn't provide requested the information. Our listings contain one or two questions to make sure they've been read. Things like "What is your favorite programming language?" or "What is your favorite technical blog?"

* Another 10% were not qualified as per the listing

* Half of the remaining 10% did not pass HR screening - usually this meant they were jerks to the HR lady or didn't have good references * Less than half of the remaining 5% were able to perform at any capacity during our very simple coding exercise.

By simple I mean things like "write a function that accepts an integer and returns the next largest prime" or "write a function that interpolates two strings".

We have fairly liberal hiring practices, but insist on being able to do the job we're hiring for. I feel sorry for any company that doesn't have a technical interview process in place.

[ekidd]

In my experience, the horror stories are the _norm_ when interviewing for publicly-listed positions. I understand that some people don't perform well under pressure, but even so, that doesn't explain some of the things I've seen.

For example, if you list C as your primary programming language, and you need a copy of K&R to remember that functions use "{}" brackets, you're not getting hired. I mean, please respect me enough to spend 30 minutes cramming before trying to bluff your way into a job.

My rule of thumb: Do not hire programmers without asking them to write code! Shy people who don't work well under pressure can submit github repositories instead.