Hiring Managers: Vetting Game Programmers

工作室招聘优秀程序员的3大步骤（并非直译，而是根据文章内容翻译）

by Marc Mencher

So you’re in that blue sky brain-storming session and there are a ton of awesome ideas up on the board, and then someone says, “This is GREAT! Now we need someone who can make it work like that.” Yep, you need a programmer. And not just any programmer. You need someone who can push the envelope,work with all the teams and fit into and grow with your company’s culture. That’s the moment your Quest begins . . .

你正处在头脑风暴的过程中，黑板上写满了各种有趣的理念，然后有个人说道：“这个（理念）很棒！现在我们需要有个人去落实行动。”是的，你需要一名程序员。但是除此之外你还需要这个人能够挑战极限，即与所有团队共事，适应并与你们的公司文化共同成长。这时候你的任务便开始了。

There’s a lot of “ebb ‘n flow” these days and a lot of open jobs. A lot of people are getting hands-on experience, thanks to the ease of making small social games. Their work is easier to see but harder to vet. There are programmers at big companies whose projects are either ending or whose companies are downsizing (or closing), but there may be relocation issues that have to be considered in addition to salaries.

如今出现了许多开放性工作。多亏了创造小型社交游戏的简单化，许多人都能获得实践经验。我们可以很轻松地看到他们的工作但却很难对此进行审查。一些大公司的程序员们要么遇到了项目结束，要么遭遇了公司裁员（或倒闭），而除了薪资问题，他们还需要考虑重新定位的问题。

To increase the odds of making the best hire for your company, you want to develop a basic "vetting" system that looks at traditional and non-traditional aspects of your potential new programmer.

如果你希望能为公司聘请更加优秀的员工，你便可以需要一个基本的“审查系统”，即着眼于潜在程序员身上一些传统和非传统元素。

Step 1: The Job Description

Before you write the job description, be sure you have a good understanding of what various job titles mean. Terms like developer, programmer and engineer aren't always interchangeable. A QA person might be called an engineer at one company, while developer might refer to someone other than a programmer. Some programmers prefer engineer because it sounds less like a drudge position. If need be, include a sentence or two that describes what the title means at your company.

第一步：工作描述

在你撰写工作描述之前，你必须确保自己真正理解了各种职称的含义。就像开发者，程序员和工程师便不能进行互换。在一家公司里QA也可能被叫做工程师，而开发者则是不同于程序员的身份。（在某些公司）有些程序员更希望被叫做工程师，因为他们认为这听起来比较不像是做苦工的人。如果必要的话你还可以包含1，2个句子去描述该职称在你们公司所负责的工作。

Figure out what you want your new hire to do, then write a job description that clearly states you’re required and preferred criteria. Aim for something between "as long as you're breathing" and "must have a Masters Degree in everything." (Hint: It's pretty easy to spot a job req that's been customized for someone you've already decided to hire.)

明确你需要新员工负责哪些工作，然后在工作描述中清楚地写出你的要求以及优先条件

Here are some things to look for:

• Deep interest in gaming, both as a programmer AND a player. This used to be designated as "avid gamer" but what does "avid gamer" mean any more? Of course candidates are going to tell you they're avid gamers!
• Wide variety of gaming genres (ok, at least two!) If you make MMOs or FPS games only, specify that you want someone whose interest and passion is in your genre.
• Want someone with corporate-culture experience? These days, that's different from "must have shipped an AAA game" because small companies can ship AAA titles too.

以下是一些要求：

• 对游戏充满兴趣，不管是作为程序员还是玩家。他们经常被称作“狂热的玩家”，但是“狂热的玩家”还意味着什么呢？当然了，应聘者都会说自己是狂热的玩家！
• 喜欢各种游戏类型（至少两种！）。如果你所创造的是MMO或FPS，你便需要明确应聘者必须对这一游戏类型感兴趣。
• 要求应聘者具有企业文化实践经验？这并不意味着对方“必须发行过AAA级游戏”，因为现在小型公司也能创造自己的AAA级游戏。

Let candidates know if some kind of testing will be administered. If you have questions about the legality of testing, check with your HR department, and if they don't know, get the info from someone who does, like your state's employment agency. Surprising an interviewee with an on-the-spot test (the formal kind) can be grounds for action, and not the good kind.

让应聘者知道你将执行某种测试。如果你质疑测试的合法性，那就向HR部门进行确认，如果他们也不知道的话，你也可以咨询一些做过这种测试的前辈，例如当地的职业介绍所。如果未通知应聘者而突然进行测试则不是一种合适的做法。

Be clear about your interview agenda. Will candidates be asked to undergo both "personal" and "technical" interviews?

清楚你的面试流程。是要对应聘者进行“个人”面试还是“技术性”面试？

Do you want to see a demo of the candidate's work? Do you want to see it online by yourself? Ask for a CD or URL. Because of proprietary software and NDAs, be willing to look at open source work and/or game modding.

你是否想要观看应聘者的作品演示？还是你想自己在网上观看？这时候你便可以要求应聘者提供一张CD或URL。而出于专用软件和NDA的原因，应聘者会更乐意提供给你开发源作品或游戏修改内容。

 

 

 

 

 

push the envelope 挑战极限；接近甚至超越安全限度；越过底线