Hiring is the most important thing for a business...

besides not running out of cash! :) I have read the most single important blog entry today!!! If you are in business or work for a business and involved in the hiring process, this blog entry should be on the wall!! Forget all the inspirational posters or network/technical diagrams pinned up. Read Bnoopy's manifesto on hiring with no false positives. I am so much in agreement that I am now guilt free in the events that will be taking form shortly in my consulting team. I do believe that a group should be over zealous in regards to hiring. I always try to throw in 2 questions (besides the techical/business normal questions) that will show me what type of technical person we have in front of us that may soon be working side by side with us: 1. What magazines do you read on a consistent basis? 2. What book are you reading now? You will not believe what the responses are to these 2 questions. I have had "senior" developers tell me that they only read EWeek and/or PCWorld (or some similar tech trade free magazine). Not bad magazines but if you do not read some developer based magazines like MSDN, Code, or any of the other developer targeted zines then do not even step in front of me. In regards to books, I am really interested in knowing more about the person. You can find out so much about a person just by finding out what they read and what they have read in the past year. But they have to read books!!! I can go for anything but reading shows the mentality that I look for in people and who I want to work with and for me.