OT: Frustated hiring here

[Coronita]

Ok. I’m sort of going to vent part of my frustration here…Because while I don’t deny there’s plenty of people who are unemployed in the U.S., neither me nor my colleague have seen one applicant with the said knowledge we need who is interested.

Collectively, were looking for a phone app developer who knows google’s mobile O/S for two separate and unrelated purposes…But problem is that most of the good applicants either

1)work for google who have no intention of leaving

2)work for qualcomm or the likes of xxxcom company in San Diego who have no intention of leaving.

3)know almost zilth about the platform yet want a comp package of equivalent to someone doing this for 20+ years (not possible)

4)not willing to switch/learn a damn new thing.

The deal is, coincidently we both need folks who can do things (yesterday)…Not someone who is going to screw around for the next 4-5 months “figuring things out from scratch”….Perhaps we’re both being harsh, but we’re like dude, if you really want to do this, couldn’t you have possibly tried to learn this during the past 1-2 years when you already thought your existing skillset needed to be expanded. Why are you going to do this on our dime?

Meanwhile, said colleague says he talked to candidates from Bangalore, Korea, China, Taiwan from a recruiter with said skill set, asking for comps comparable to U.S. wages…And plenty of applicants who can do the damn work, minus the headache of managing overseas. Seems like some folks here have been sleeping at the wheels when the rest of the world decided to keep up…

I keep reading that unemployment is getting worse, but where is the talent pool?…I guess a a backup plan, we can probably fall back on a fresh college grad and just train him/her/them up…

[/end vent]

[AK]

Has your colleague verified that the overseas candidates actually have Android experience? That is, beyond the recruiter’s assurances?

And are you sure you’re not putting too much of a premium on Android-specific knowledge? I mean, there’s a pretty high barrier to entry for iPhone apps (high-end Mac, Objective-C and XCode, $99 for the SDK, etc.) but Android doesn’t require much beyond knowledge of the general Java/Eclipse suite. That sounds more like 4-5 weeks max, not 4-5 months.

And no, I’ve never done anything for the iPhone, but my employer thinks I should learn how to, on my own dime and on my own time. And that’s how I’d respond to your assertion that American developers aren’t picking up new skill sets — most of us are scrambling just to meet our current employers’ demands for new skills in an age of downsizing and “reorganization.”

[AK]

Has your colleague verified that the overseas candidates actually have Android experience? That is, beyond the recruiter’s assurances?

And are you sure you’re not putting too much of a premium on Android-specific knowledge? I mean, there’s a pretty high barrier to entry for iPhone apps (high-end Mac, Objective-C and XCode, $99 for the SDK, etc.) but Android doesn’t require much beyond knowledge of the general Java/Eclipse suite. That sounds more like 4-5 weeks max, not 4-5 months.

And no, I’ve never done anything for the iPhone, but my employer thinks I should learn how to, on my own dime and on my own time. And that’s how I’d respond to your assertion that American developers aren’t picking up new skill sets — most of us are scrambling just to meet our current employers’ demands for new skills in an age of downsizing and “reorganization.”

[AK]

Has your colleague verified that the overseas candidates actually have Android experience? That is, beyond the recruiter’s assurances?

And are you sure you’re not putting too much of a premium on Android-specific knowledge? I mean, there’s a pretty high barrier to entry for iPhone apps (high-end Mac, Objective-C and XCode, $99 for the SDK, etc.) but Android doesn’t require much beyond knowledge of the general Java/Eclipse suite. That sounds more like 4-5 weeks max, not 4-5 months.

And no, I’ve never done anything for the iPhone, but my employer thinks I should learn how to, on my own dime and on my own time. And that’s how I’d respond to your assertion that American developers aren’t picking up new skill sets — most of us are scrambling just to meet our current employers’ demands for new skills in an age of downsizing and “reorganization.”

[AK]

Has your colleague verified that the overseas candidates actually have Android experience? That is, beyond the recruiter’s assurances?

And are you sure you’re not putting too much of a premium on Android-specific knowledge? I mean, there’s a pretty high barrier to entry for iPhone apps (high-end Mac, Objective-C and XCode, $99 for the SDK, etc.) but Android doesn’t require much beyond knowledge of the general Java/Eclipse suite. That sounds more like 4-5 weeks max, not 4-5 months.

And no, I’ve never done anything for the iPhone, but my employer thinks I should learn how to, on my own dime and on my own time. And that’s how I’d respond to your assertion that American developers aren’t picking up new skill sets — most of us are scrambling just to meet our current employers’ demands for new skills in an age of downsizing and “reorganization.”

[AK]

Has your colleague verified that the overseas candidates actually have Android experience? That is, beyond the recruiter’s assurances?

And are you sure you’re not putting too much of a premium on Android-specific knowledge? I mean, there’s a pretty high barrier to entry for iPhone apps (high-end Mac, Objective-C and XCode, $99 for the SDK, etc.) but Android doesn’t require much beyond knowledge of the general Java/Eclipse suite. That sounds more like 4-5 weeks max, not 4-5 months.

And no, I’ve never done anything for the iPhone, but my employer thinks I should learn how to, on my own dime and on my own time. And that’s how I’d respond to your assertion that American developers aren’t picking up new skill sets — most of us are scrambling just to meet our current employers’ demands for new skills in an age of downsizing and “reorganization.”

[sdduuuude]

FLU – I can’t say I’m familiar with the mobile app space, but I agree with the other poster that a good mobie app developer should pick up on device-specific details in a few weeks. A great one, in a couple weeks.

I don’t know if there is such a thing as a class for teaching developers the ropes for the Google device, but that would be a great incentive for any applicants.

I’d suggest finding a great programmer in a space that is as close to your space as possible and wrap Google training, if there is such a thing, into the compensation package.

Or, hire a contractor that is working for Google to teach your new hires what they need to know as a side job. We contractors are whores. We’ll do anything for a side job.

I know a gal who has been programming for many years in many spaces. I have never worked with her, but she seems to be very diverse. Rattled off lots of languages she worked in. Her husband is an independent Mac developer and now has several iPhone apps. I’m sure he could offer his expertise as well. She is looking for work and she doesn’t strike me as greedy. Drop me a personal message with your email and we’ll talk.

[sdduuuude]

FLU – I can’t say I’m familiar with the mobile app space, but I agree with the other poster that a good mobie app developer should pick up on device-specific details in a few weeks. A great one, in a couple weeks.

I don’t know if there is such a thing as a class for teaching developers the ropes for the Google device, but that would be a great incentive for any applicants.

I’d suggest finding a great programmer in a space that is as close to your space as possible and wrap Google training, if there is such a thing, into the compensation package.

Or, hire a contractor that is working for Google to teach your new hires what they need to know as a side job. We contractors are whores. We’ll do anything for a side job.

I know a gal who has been programming for many years in many spaces. I have never worked with her, but she seems to be very diverse. Rattled off lots of languages she worked in. Her husband is an independent Mac developer and now has several iPhone apps. I’m sure he could offer his expertise as well. She is looking for work and she doesn’t strike me as greedy. Drop me a personal message with your email and we’ll talk.

[sdduuuude]

FLU – I can’t say I’m familiar with the mobile app space, but I agree with the other poster that a good mobie app developer should pick up on device-specific details in a few weeks. A great one, in a couple weeks.

I don’t know if there is such a thing as a class for teaching developers the ropes for the Google device, but that would be a great incentive for any applicants.

I’d suggest finding a great programmer in a space that is as close to your space as possible and wrap Google training, if there is such a thing, into the compensation package.

Or, hire a contractor that is working for Google to teach your new hires what they need to know as a side job. We contractors are whores. We’ll do anything for a side job.

I know a gal who has been programming for many years in many spaces. I have never worked with her, but she seems to be very diverse. Rattled off lots of languages she worked in. Her husband is an independent Mac developer and now has several iPhone apps. I’m sure he could offer his expertise as well. She is looking for work and she doesn’t strike me as greedy. Drop me a personal message with your email and we’ll talk.

[sdduuuude]

FLU – I can’t say I’m familiar with the mobile app space, but I agree with the other poster that a good mobie app developer should pick up on device-specific details in a few weeks. A great one, in a couple weeks.

I don’t know if there is such a thing as a class for teaching developers the ropes for the Google device, but that would be a great incentive for any applicants.

I’d suggest finding a great programmer in a space that is as close to your space as possible and wrap Google training, if there is such a thing, into the compensation package.

Or, hire a contractor that is working for Google to teach your new hires what they need to know as a side job. We contractors are whores. We’ll do anything for a side job.

I know a gal who has been programming for many years in many spaces. I have never worked with her, but she seems to be very diverse. Rattled off lots of languages she worked in. Her husband is an independent Mac developer and now has several iPhone apps. I’m sure he could offer his expertise as well. She is looking for work and she doesn’t strike me as greedy. Drop me a personal message with your email and we’ll talk.

[sdduuuude]

FLU – I can’t say I’m familiar with the mobile app space, but I agree with the other poster that a good mobie app developer should pick up on device-specific details in a few weeks. A great one, in a couple weeks.

I don’t know if there is such a thing as a class for teaching developers the ropes for the Google device, but that would be a great incentive for any applicants.

I’d suggest finding a great programmer in a space that is as close to your space as possible and wrap Google training, if there is such a thing, into the compensation package.

Or, hire a contractor that is working for Google to teach your new hires what they need to know as a side job. We contractors are whores. We’ll do anything for a side job.

I know a gal who has been programming for many years in many spaces. I have never worked with her, but she seems to be very diverse. Rattled off lots of languages she worked in. Her husband is an independent Mac developer and now has several iPhone apps. I’m sure he could offer his expertise as well. She is looking for work and she doesn’t strike me as greedy. Drop me a personal message with your email and we’ll talk.

[an]

FLU, I agree with the last 2 poster. Any good developer worth your time can pick up a new platform easily if they’ve already worked in the mobile app arena before. I picked up dumb phone platforms, BREW and WinMo on the job and still able to churn out new apps w/in 6-9 months. This is not your everyday isolated apps either, we’re talking about apps for OEM that do file management or camera/camcorder.

Android is also quite new, so you can’t expect the applicant pool to be that big. If you want top talents, most of them already have a job and were not laid off, you have to pay the premium for it. Android seems to be a hot space right now too, so those who have Android experience probably wouldn’t have too much difficulty finding a job.

[an]

FLU, I agree with the last 2 poster. Any good developer worth your time can pick up a new platform easily if they’ve already worked in the mobile app arena before. I picked up dumb phone platforms, BREW and WinMo on the job and still able to churn out new apps w/in 6-9 months. This is not your everyday isolated apps either, we’re talking about apps for OEM that do file management or camera/camcorder.

Android is also quite new, so you can’t expect the applicant pool to be that big. If you want top talents, most of them already have a job and were not laid off, you have to pay the premium for it. Android seems to be a hot space right now too, so those who have Android experience probably wouldn’t have too much difficulty finding a job.

[an]

FLU, I agree with the last 2 poster. Any good developer worth your time can pick up a new platform easily if they’ve already worked in the mobile app arena before. I picked up dumb phone platforms, BREW and WinMo on the job and still able to churn out new apps w/in 6-9 months. This is not your everyday isolated apps either, we’re talking about apps for OEM that do file management or camera/camcorder.

Android is also quite new, so you can’t expect the applicant pool to be that big. If you want top talents, most of them already have a job and were not laid off, you have to pay the premium for it. Android seems to be a hot space right now too, so those who have Android experience probably wouldn’t have too much difficulty finding a job.

[an]

FLU, I agree with the last 2 poster. Any good developer worth your time can pick up a new platform easily if they’ve already worked in the mobile app arena before. I picked up dumb phone platforms, BREW and WinMo on the job and still able to churn out new apps w/in 6-9 months. This is not your everyday isolated apps either, we’re talking about apps for OEM that do file management or camera/camcorder.

Android is also quite new, so you can’t expect the applicant pool to be that big. If you want top talents, most of them already have a job and were not laid off, you have to pay the premium for it. Android seems to be a hot space right now too, so those who have Android experience probably wouldn’t have too much difficulty finding a job.

[Author]

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