

Ask HN: Would you employ a C# programmer who pronounces it "see hash"? - andrewstuart

Someone just called me on the phone and said that they are looking for a job as a "see hash" programmer.<p>Someone else spoke to me the other day about a C++ job and said that they are a "C double plus programmer"?<p>Does it matter?<p>UPDATE: here's another question - would you employ someone for a development role IF THEIR NAME IN THE EMAIL ADDRESS WAS ALL IN CAPS?  Does that matter?
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stonemetal
On the one hand you aren't hiring them to speak about the language so it
doesn't really matter how they pronounce it. On the other hand it displays an
unfamiliarity with the language and community to not know how it is
pronounced. It would make me suspicious but not immediately disqualify them.

~~~
andrewstuart
That's the direction I am thinking. How much verbal discussion has a person
done with experienced programmers if they mispronounce the name of the
programming language?

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mhd
As long as they know how to optimize a squeal database for a sexy ride. (NB:
Wasn't intended to come out _this_ double-entendre-ish)

~~~
andrewstuart
Or clean up their front end with ajax and back end with soap.

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brockad
It could just be a language issue. I don't believe that it's grounds to deny
them a shot at a technical interview, nor do I think it's a reason not to
employ them if they pass that interview.

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brockad
Just the email address in caps? I think that's safe enough, could be a
convention they fell into. AS long AS he isn't USING caps to emphasize THE
wrong WORDS it should be fine.

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sirwitti
that depends on what kind of developer you´re looking for. if you´re looking
for a very experienced pro (which costs you a lot) i doubt those are the right
ones.

but if you´re looking for someone who can learn things from your (hopefully)
existing team, and who costs you less, you could call them for interviews.

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tshtf
How did these people find you?

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andrewstuart
I'm a recruiter.

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lzw
You should be able to evaluate someone's ability to program without ever
asking them to write any code, or without them ever having even heard of the
language you're going to have them programming in.

I've never met a programming language that I couldn't learn and be competent
at in about a week. Everything about programming has nothing to do with
particular languages.

The "you need 5 years of java experience" is the kind of requirement that HR
robots and hiring managers who aren't programmers look for. They look for
someone having already done the job as proof that they can do the job. Yet,
someone with 5 years java experience is going to be as good of a C# programmer
as they were a Java programmer, even if they've never heard of the language
before being hired.

PS- Please don't take this personally, I'm assuming your an engineer, but if
you're a designer or marketing guy and are not sure how to hire a programmer,
don't take this as derogatory at all. Programming is like driving a car. It is
an ability, that is improved with learned skills, but it is not specific to
the particular language. IT is like thinking a woman who owns a volkswagon bug
can't drive a fiesta because she's got 5 years of "bug experience"

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lukesandberg
I largely agree, competent programmers should be able to pick up new
tech/languages/tools fairly quickly....

However i think in order to evaluate someones ability to program, you do need
to ask them to program. The language may not matter too much but the ability
to think coherently and organize a solution is a skill that can't get easily
picked up in a week.

~~~
lzw
If you ask them to write code on a whiteboard you are testing their ability to
work while nervous without their common tools handy... when left with someone
staring at them silently and expectantly.

I have had great success determining the quality of programmers just by
talking to them. I've also found that the job (back when I worked for others)
that I got where they asked me to write programs for them turned out to be the
most crappy, poorly run businesses. But the ones that just talked to me, and
determined I was a good programmer from that, turned out to be the best.

The very best told me by the end of the interview that they were going to make
an offer. (I understand that offers take time to prepare, run by legal or
whatever.)

The entire industries recruiting system is completely broken and inefficient.

