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The job of a good HR department is to at least be able to screen the really dumb ones and pass the rest up the technical chain for evaluation.

The good engineers might be burned out but if they know that not spending time interviewing and reviewing resumes will result in having to deal with a dud that gets hired, having to babysit them, teach them the basics of programming and watch them slowly destroy the code base, they would be quite happy to assist with evaluations.




If anyone in HR had the capabilities to tell the difference between a qualified candidate and one who is lying, then that HR person is also qualified to transfer to engineering and start coding.


Not all people who can code, enjoy doing it as part of their main job.


As I see it the job of a good HR department is:

1) Make sure that job ad reaches people who are likely to be good candidates.

2) Job ad is attractive enough so that good candidates will actually apply.

3) Handle the administrative side of the recruitment process: paperwork, visas, appointments, expenses, tickets, re-location, contract, security checks etc.

4) Make sure the whole process complies with the legislation.

5) Streamline and expedit the whole thing from the very start to finish.

In my eyes HR is not qualified to make a judgement if a candidate is any good at programming.


In my long career, I have yet to meet anyone with a title anywhere in the neighborhood of "HR" with the ability to tell the difference.




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