Especially nowadays when Developers don't seem to have to be required to actually be able to code.
I'm not part of the hiring process at our place but from what I've tried to contribute as a potential technical test, I get told it's too hard... It's really really not hard at all. But from what I can tell if you ask them to code, even in their own time or in the interview, that's unfair and stressful and you aren't seeing them at their best. So you ask questions instead of asking them to code, but then developers don't remember stuff they can just google nowadays. Again, you are being unfair and it's too hard for them!
We really seem to have allowed the infantalization of our industry, it's very depressing. Maybe the answer is just reject anyone under 35?
I find that things I think would be easy and often incredibly difficult for people who are not as experienced as I am. That certainly played out while I was writing exams for undergraduates.
Once we become experts (relatively) at something it becomes very difficult to judge "easy" and "hard" things. I suspect we have rose tinted glasses about our prior selves and their ability. Plus, the people we are testing are not our prior selves and have a totally different set of experiences they draw from.
You're comment feel very much so "back in my day" which I am almost certain is a logical fallacy.
I’m seeing the opposite in DC. Our recent “junior” candidates have been very impressive. I can see the affects of competition being played out. And, especially the female candidates - just outstanding.
I'm sure it depends on your organization, and with large orgs maybe even your particular subdivision. That said, I can sympathize. I'm involved in the interviewing process of my niche in the org and try my best to hire quality candidates, but I can say that a non-trivial amount of devs are hired into the org without demonstrating any ability to code.
I think even a simple fizz-buzz can be a good litmus test. "I see here that you put JavaScript on your resume - good, we need that here. Let's open a console window in Chrome and do FizzBuzz". I've honestly gotten blank stares - developers who don't even know where to start.
So you want to implement an age measure of qualification, since you cannot get hiring to implement a good technical interview process?
Do you also write code the same way?
I'm not part of the hiring process at our place but from what I've tried to contribute as a potential technical test, I get told it's too hard... It's really really not hard at all. But from what I can tell if you ask them to code, even in their own time or in the interview, that's unfair and stressful and you aren't seeing them at their best. So you ask questions instead of asking them to code, but then developers don't remember stuff they can just google nowadays. Again, you are being unfair and it's too hard for them!
We really seem to have allowed the infantalization of our industry, it's very depressing. Maybe the answer is just reject anyone under 35?