Weeding out real agile from buzzword agile in an interview

Posted by indyK1ng on Programmers See other posts from Programmers or by indyK1ng
Published on 2011-01-14T20:28:43Z Indexed on 2011/01/14 20:59 UTC
Read the original article Hit count: 314

Filed under:

interview

|

agile

|

scrum

|

buzzwords

I've been interviewing for co-ops (paid internships) lately and a large number of the companies I've been interviewing with have been saying they use Scrum or some other agile methodology (scrum being the most popular). I know that there are real agile shops and there are places which say they use an agile methodology but are really doing something else and using agile as a buzzword.

My question is, what are some questions I can ask in an interview which would separate these shops out?

© Programmers or respective owner

Related posts about interview

Microsoft SDE Interview vs Microsoft SDET Interview and Resources to Study

as seen on Programmers - Search for 'Programmers'
I have always heard that SDE interviews are much harder to crack than SDET. Is it really true? I have also heard that if candidate doesnt do well in SDE interview he is also sometimes offered SDET position. How much truth is there into these talks? I would highly appreciate if someone would put… >>> More
How to prepare for a telephone interview: ‘Develop an Interview Cheat Sheet’

as seen on Oracle Blogs - Search for 'Oracle Blogs'
At Oracle we often do telephone interviews in different stages of the process with candidates, due to the fact that we hire native speakers into other countries. On this blog we already have an article with tips and tricks for phone interviews that can help you during the telephone interviews… >>> More
C# Multithreading Interview questions for a senior developer/designer position.

as seen on Programmers - Search for 'Programmers'
I know there have been a great deal of interview questions posted on SO and specifically i like the post "Good C# interview questions for a Senior developer position" But i really wondered what sort of interview questions were asked to a senior developer or technical consultant on multithreading… >>> More
SQL SERVER – Interview Questions and Answers – Frequently Asked Questions – Introduction – Day 1 of 31

as seen on SQL Authority - Search for 'SQL Authority'
List of all the Interview Questions and Answers Series blogs Posts covering interview questions and answers always make for interesting reading. Some people like the subject for their helpful hints and thought provoking subject, and others dislike these posts because they feel it is nothing more… >>> More
SQL SERVER – Interview Questions & Answers Needs Your Help

as seen on SQL Authority - Search for 'SQL Authority'
About an year ago, I had posted SQL Server related Interview Questions and Answers. It was very well received in community. I have received many comments, suggestions and emails on this subject. I am planning to upgrade the Interview Questions and Answers and take it to next level. Here, I need your… >>> More

Related posts about agile

Is Agile the new micromanagement?

as seen on Programmers - Search for 'Programmers'
Hi, This question has been cooking in my head for a while so I wanted to ask those who are following agile/scrum practices in their development environments. My company has finally ventured into incorporating agile practices and has started out with a team of 4 developers in an agile group on a… >>> More
Is Agile the new micromanagement?

as seen on Programmers - Search for 'Programmers'
This question has been cooking in my head for a while so I wanted to ask those who are following agile/scrum practices in their development environments. My company has finally ventured into incorporating agile practices and has started out with a team of 4 developers in an agile group on a trial… >>> More
Security Talk Webcast: Agile Security - Develop Code Rapidly and Securely with SDL-Agile

as seen on Dot net Slackers - Search for 'Dot net Slackers'
Find out how SDL and Agile can be made to work well together - and in many ways actually work better together than separately. Get an in-depth look at the new MSF-Agile+SDL process template for Visual Studio Team System that can help development teams integrate SDL-Agile tasks directly into their… >>> More
Agile Awakenings and the Rules of Agile

as seen on Geeks with Blogs - Search for 'Geeks with Blogs'
For those that care, you can read my history of management and technology to understand why I think I’m qualified to talk about this at all. It’s boring, so feel free to skip it. Awakenings I first started to play around with the idea of “agile” in 2004 or 2005. I found a book on the Rational… >>> More
Agile isn’t always Agile

as seen on SQL Blog - Search for 'SQL Blog'
I want to make a disclaimer before I dive into this topic – At Microsoft we use all kinds of development methodologies, and I’ve worked in lots of other shops using lots of methodologies. This is one of those “religious” topics like which programming language or database is best, and is bound to generate… >>> More