Need to hire someone

[EternalOptimist]

It's a fairly small co, rate would be ~ £500/day for the right person. Which wouldn't be you with an attitude like that. We need a competent programmer who knows java well and a few other common bits and bobs. TBH, most programmers aren't competent, it's like trying to hire a mechanic when most of them only do clutches and have never seen brakes.

Anyway, you're rather missing the point of the post, which is what's the best way to find someone? If you can give intelligent feedback on what sort of interview questions to ask rather than ranting like a spoiled dickwad who's just been told he can't recode the whole thing in python that would be helpful.

'were you doing a similar job last friday ?'

[wonderboy]

fullyautomatix makes a good point (albeit rather agressively). Without knowing the rate you are willing to pay it is not possible to say whether this is a good question.

I want an Aston Martin, but that doesn't make it reasonable to rule out a Ford Fiesta because it doesnt do 0-60 in 4 seconds. If I buy the Fiesta I am left with 70k still in my pocket.

[eek]

It's a fairly small co, rate would be ~ £500/day for the right person. Which wouldn't be you with an attitude like that. We need a competent programmer who knows java well and a few other common bits and bobs. TBH, most programmers aren't competent, it's like trying to hire a mechanic when most of them only do clutches and have never seen brakes.

That's true because must contractors spend years working day in day out on clutches because that is what their clientcos are paying them to implement.

Proramming languages are so big nowadays that you rarely use more than 20% of the apis and even then it will be in the same area.

[DimPrawn]

It's like anything. The top notch lawyers, cosmetic sugeons, dentists etc are not looking for work, they are earning mega bucks and pick and choose where they want to work.

In IT, the super Java devs that can run rings round anyone are in London on £1K+ per day at some bank with tax payer backed pockets to dip into.

What you are left with is Mr/Ms average, can read, can write, can code a bit.

£500 per day is okay money, but lets be honest, pay is the same now as it was a decade ago in IT, cost of living is at least double. Anyone with any brains is now working in Asia/Australasia/America or on the EU gravy train.

You may as well hire ten Bob's like everyone else and just rewrite it a dozen times until it sort of works.

[TheFaQQer]

That's true because must contractors spend years working day in day out on clutches because that is what their clientcos are paying them to implement.

Proramming languages are so big nowadays that you rarely use more than 20% of the apis and even then it will be in the same area.

In which case, EO's question becomes a lot more meaningful:

'were you doing a similar job last friday ?'

Q: This is what we need to do, have you done something similar? If not, then what approach would you adopt to solving the problem?

[mudskipper]

That's true because must contractors spend years working day in day out on clutches because that is what their clientcos are paying them to implement.

Proramming languages are so big nowadays that you rarely use more than 20% of the apis and even then it will be in the same area.

Most of us do clutches brilliantly and would love to do brakes for a change, but would need to read up a bit to refresh ourselves with current best practices.

If the purpose of your question is to see if they ask the right questions, then I think it's the wrong question. You're unlikely to ever come across a real world scenario that is so vague. What ways could you transform an XML document is likely to get you a sensible answer. How would you implement a btree data index will get you a different answer - but only worth asking if you need them to have this skill.

[EternalOptimist]

In which case, EO's question becomes a lot more meaningful:


Q: This is what we need to do, have you done something similar? If not, then what approach would you adopt to solving the problem?

'if you have never done a similar job, have you ever tackled a wicked problem and failed to crack it?
prove it'

[aussielong]

The trees aren't very big. Maybe 50-200 leaves.

You want to model the tree as a composite. Iterate round the tree (pluggable depth first or breadth first strategy)-Visiting each node- visitor type per node type.

If you want to build up a new tree on the way round the orig , pass it as a recursion argument.

I did this last week for binomial model option pricing.

[mudskipper]

How about:

Q1. Give an example of some common tree structures.

Q2. (Following on from one of the examples in Q1) - How might you do a,b,c to an X?

etc.

Most people are nervous at interviews. Your question is unlikely to bring out the best in them.

[EternalOptimist]

You want to model the tree as a composite. Iterate round the tree (pluggable depth first or breadth first strategy)-Visiting each node- visitor type per node type.

If you want to build up a new tree on the way round the orig , pass it as a recursion argument.

I did this last week for binomial model option pricing.

I think the problem is finding a best fit in a second tree, for each node walked in the first tree