I suggest you ask your friendly developer to write down 5 difficult
questions for each of those technical areas, along with the answers.

Then set this test to your candidates. If it looks like they’ve scored
more than 80%, it’s worth starting an email dialogue.

Narrow down via email to 4 or 5, and then do interviews via Skype. That
should narrow you down to 2 or 3 which you could meet up with in person.

Tom Watts wrote:

type="cite">

We’re using…

Redhat
MySQL
Apahe
PHP
Javascript

Flash (though very lightly)
Wowza (again, not a main focus)


–
Tom Watts
Director

w: dubstudios.com
t: +44 (0) 20 8123 3452
m: +44 (0) 7791 163 866
skype: tomwatts22

dub I Communities for Insight & Innovation

Youmeus Ltd t/a Dub Studios is registered in England and Wales,
Registration No: 6167745 and registered at The Pines, Boars Head,
Crowborough, East Sussex. TN6 3HD

2009/4/27 Patrick McCarthy <[address removed]>

style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">

size="2">Hi Tom,

size="2"> 

size="2">Is the language just PHP or are you using others?

size="2"> 

size="2">Regards,

size="2">Patrick McCarthy

size="2"> target="_blank">UK2.NET

---

From: [address removed] [mailto:[address removed]] On Behalf Of Tom
Watts
Sent: 27 April 2009 11:55
To: [address removed]
Subject: [entrepreneur-1056] How can we test a developer’s
skills?

Hi everyone.

Long time listener, first time caller.

I was hoping that someone on this group could offer some advice…

We’re in the business of building and running online communities for
research and innovation, which we deliver to brands and agencys. Part
of our proposition is the delivery of our bespoke social network tool.

To date, we have been working with an external agency, who have done a
good job at building our product to specification. However, as business
ramps up, we are looking to refine the product and introduce new
features and services. As such, it has become necessary to recruit a
developer, who is versed in the use open source tools (LAMP).

We’ve looked around and have a good final list of candidates, who we
feel could be a good ‘fit’ to our existing team.

The one area that we have yet to test for is the ability to actually
code – including their approach to coding. Not having these skills
internally, it is difficult for us to achieve this. As such we were
hoping to find some form of test that we could give them.

In my mind, I thinking of a simple 1-2 hour exercise, whereby the
candidates could make a simple web application/service/feature, which
would demonstrate their skills. We have a friendly developer who could
then look through what they have made and give us an idea of their
abilities.

Is there such a test that people know of? If not, perhaps there is a
different approach that someone has used successfully?

Either way, I would very much appreciate any ideas people may have.

Thanks in advance

Tom

–
Tom Watts
Director

w: target="_blank">dubstudios.com
t: +44 (0) 20 8123 3452
m: +44 (0) 7791 163 866
skype: tomwatts22

dub I Communities for Insight & Innovation

Youmeus Ltd t/a Dub Studios is registered in England and Wales,
Registration No: 6167745 and registered at The Pines, Boars Head,
Crowborough, East Sussex. TN6 3HD

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Regards,

Simon
--
Simon Whiteside
Simkin Solutions Limited

Clients Include: Politics Home, WENN, FileFX,
Favy, Mather Communications, Sibelius

2a Royal Chase, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN4 8AY
Registered in England and Wales. Company Number: 4045429
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Skype: callto://swhiteside
Second Life: Simon Hagoromo