Re: [gentoo-project] Recruitment issues and potential improvement

[Ben de Groot]

On 5 February 2015 at 14:56, Michał Górny <mgorny@g.o> wrote:
> Hello, everyone.
>
> It's finally time to discuss some of the recruitment issues. It's not
> a new complaint that the process is time-consuming and discouraging to
> our contributors. We have a pretty low number of new recruits [well,
> we could definitely have a higher number!] and too often they resign
> in the process.
>
> As I see it, the main issue are ebuild quizzes. They are very time-
> consuming and discouraging. It's like filling a quiz with relatively
> simple questions where answers need to fit a key, and you have to tell
> the recruit to fill in the missing bits a few times just to help him
> get further.
>
> I myself attempted ebuild quiz twice, because the first time I simply
> ended up not having the time for it. My late recruit was making slow
> progress, and recently vanished -- hopefully only because he doesn't
> have will for that anymore. As I see it, the disadvantages outweigh
> the benefits here.

I totally agree, and I have been saying that for years, whenever it
comes up. I do also agree with the argument usually brought forward by
recruiters that this knowledge does need to be covered. But I would
say this is put in the wrong format.

I've done the quizzes twice as well, and they are demotivating and
time-consuming. I've also seen my fair share of mentees who struggled
with it. I do think we can do significantly better here.

> I have discussed this with kensington and a few Council members
> (unofficially), and we came up with following ideas:
>
> 1. remove or reduce the ebuild quiz to a reasonable number of
> questions. In other words, make it bearable. Focus on the stuff that
> can't be checked otherwise.

Maybe we can change the format? Maybe divide it up into smaller units?

> 2. Add an extra contribution period in which the candidate commits to
> the tree through Pull Requests. Developers watch the requests, review
> them and decide when the recruit is ready. We may extend this with
> requirements like '3 different developers must review late activities
> and evaluate them'.
>
> 3. Possibly extend the recruit-recruiter interaction. Rather than
> treating the interrogation as some kind of final confirmation, make it
> a small extra part of the learning process. In other words, reduce
> the other parts, fill in the blanks here.

I think 2+3 should be part of the mentoring process. I think we should
give more structure to that mentoring process. As it stands, there
aren't too many guidelines for mentors. We could give them something
more concrete to work with.

And I would be willing to work with recruiters and mentors to make that happen.

-- 
Cheers,

Ben | yngwin
Gentoo developer