# Joel Spolsky - The Guerrilla Guide to Interviewing (Highlights) ![rw-book-cover|256](https://readwise-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/static/images/article4.6bc1851654a0.png) ## Metadata **Cover**:: https://readwise-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/static/images/article4.6bc1851654a0.png **Source**:: #from/readwise **Zettel**:: #zettel/fleeting **Status**:: #x **Authors**:: [[Joel Spolsky]] **Full Title**:: The Guerrilla Guide to Interviewing **Category**:: #articles #readwise/articles **Category Icon**:: 📰 **URL**:: [www.joelonsoftware.com](https://www.joelonsoftware.com/2006/10/25/the-guerrilla-guide-to-interviewing-version-30/) **Host**:: [[www.joelonsoftware.com]] **Highlighted**:: [[2021-09-17]] **Created**:: [[2022-09-26]] ## Highlights - You should always try to have at least six people interview each candidate that gets hired, including at least five who would be peers of that candidate (that is, other programmers, not managers). ([View Highlight](https://instapaper.com/read/1444765561/17481924)) - If even two of the six interviewers thinks that a person is not worth hiring, don’t hire them. ([View Highlight](https://instapaper.com/read/1444765561/17481925)) - Never say, “Hire, but not for my team.” This is rude and implies that the candidate is not smart enough to work with you, but maybe he’s smart enough for those losers over in that other team. ([View Highlight](https://instapaper.com/read/1444765561/17481926)) - it is much, much better to reject a good candidate than to accept a bad candidate. ([View Highlight](https://instapaper.com/read/1444765561/17481929)) - Never say “Maybe, I can’t tell.” If you can’t tell, that means No Hire. ([View Highlight](https://instapaper.com/read/1444765561/17481930)) - You’re looking for people who are Smart, and Get things done. ([View Highlight](https://instapaper.com/read/1444765561/17481931)) - How do you detect smart in an interview? The first good sign is that you don’t have to explain things over and over again. The conversation just flows. ([View Highlight](https://instapaper.com/read/1444765561/17481936)) - But in general, the way to learn the most about a person is to let them do the talking. Give them open-ended questions and problems. ([View Highlight](https://instapaper.com/read/1444765561/17481937)) - Before the interview, I read over the candidates resume and jot down an interview plan on a scrap of paper. ([View Highlight](https://instapaper.com/read/1444765561/17481938)) - I always reassure candidates that we are interested in how they go about solving problems, not the actual answer. ([View Highlight](https://instapaper.com/read/1444765561/17481941)) - Good candidates are careful to explain things well, at whatever level. ([View Highlight](https://instapaper.com/read/1444765561/17481942))