Famed software guru
Joel Spolsky has created a
jobs board that actively incorporates his
Joel Test, a 12 item score that rates your software house/department.
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The Joel Test
- Do you use source control?
- Can you make a build in one step?
- Do you make daily builds?
- Do you have a bug database?
- Do you fix bugs before writing new code?
- Do you have an up-to-date schedule?
- Do you have a spec?
- Do programmers have quiet working conditions?
- Do you use the best tools money can buy?
- Do you have testers?
- Do new candidates write code during their interview?
- Do you do hallway usability testing?
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(The last one is a little esoteric and requires you to read his definition).
Of course, item 8 almost treats Developers as Gods. And a company may score highly on this test, yet limit developers to non-creative, grunt production work programming-to-spec that could be one step away from Pacific Rim outsourcing.
So where does your company rate on this scale (1-12)? Admittedly, this is limited to a software company/department that concentrates on pure software development, not on systems analysis, and it will differ based on where your project is in the software/systems development lifecycle (SDLC).
The highest score that I have seen personally at companies where I have worked is 7.
What about you?