We're a LAMP shop that is doing more and more angular. I contract with many HNers. Please email johnny d0t goodman @ cpap d07 com if interested in discussing further and setting up a fizzbuzz.
I read blog posts to the contrary. They say how awful it is that these "dumb HR people" ask these basic things. Well, I've probably done 200 technical interviews, mostly from HN, and unfortunately this is my experience.
If I must choose between unpopular and ineffective, then bring on the fizzbuzz. If you do pass the screen, I guarantee you those you will be working with are smart and effective too. So effective and so enjoyable in fact, that I keep doing these interviews in order to find them!
@jacquesm - You are internet famous, I love your blog and admire your work. I know we're on different sides of this. If you care to pick this apart, I will read it with an open mind and respond as factually as I can.
In that situation I think a fizzbuzz test is a bit strange.
But, it's your company and I don't think anybody should tell you how to run it, I was just curious about why you'd administer this particular test on someone that should be able to not only ace it but will likely be insulted by it.
How do you define "a real test of their capabilities"?
While we start the hour long skills test off with some fizzbuzz weeders, we quickly move into harder questions pulled out of issues we've resolved in the real world that are likely to be of the same shape of future work.
If people are offended by fizzbuzz, they don't express it often during interviews/employment/exit interviews. The most common reaction from someone who can solve it is a bit of a wink and a nod as they slay it and move on to the "real" stuff.
I've never had anyone ace our test. No one is a 10 everywhere. I think there's a lot of value in how you approach things and react to a blocker or limitation. We watch this closely too. It isn't just about saying "Every answer is correct, so hire me".
Lastly, we're out of Houston, TX. I'm guessing the culture is very different in CA and perhaps that's the mismatch.
Anyway, as I said, you're free to run your shop any way you want.
For what it's worth, I'm a native Texan out of Dallas and wouldn't dream of giving someone with demonstrated development ability, like OP has, a fizzbuzz "test" as part of hiring. I'm guessing the culture is very different in Houston and perhaps that's the mismatch.
If you can't write a loop, conditional and dump something to some output destination, all from memory, you have no business applying for a job as a Software Developer.
I will say that I'm lenient about knowing the modulus operator, since that's not an every-day thing for many people (though I would think it's pretty common with webdevs since that's traditionally been a popular a way of doing alternating row colors on tables).
To anyone who actually can code, it seems ridiculous that people are applying to coding positions who can't come up with a solution to this, but anecdotally many hiring managers routinely encounter such applicants. I suspect the parent here is using the term "set up a fizzbuzz" as shorthand for "set up some time to see if you can actually cross the bare minimum coding hurdle."