The Code Jam as a Valid Selection Method for Google

There are no doubts about its innovative and top-of-the-hat thinking selection method, but it may not be the most reliable one. For one thing, the No.1 contestant selected through Code Jam may not be interested in a career with Google, despite entreaties and attractions; again, the selection panel needs to evaluate that this wild card selection has met all pre-requisites for a programmer’s job. When time and competitively strategic aspects of recruitment are critical factors, these may be considered viable options, but it needs to be tempered with conventional recruitment procedures, especially at the final stages of the potential appointment.

The use of this wild card method needs to be viewed with care and circumspection, especially for other positions in the company. This is because what may be appropriate for programmers may not be suitable for, say, marketing or public relations jobs. It would then become necessary to devise a Code Jam to cater to these specialized positions and apply it accordingly. For the present, it would be prudent to restrict scope and applicability to software professionals and programmers only. It is also necessary to evaluate the impact of this method upon accepted HR practices and procedures and the likely benefits or challenges that these would confer upon future recruitment policies and practices of the company. It is seen that only after Code Jam has been fully operationalized and positively tested that it needs to be used for other divisions or positions of the company.