How do you find good programmers?

[tags]programmers, hiring[/tags]

I have a hard time finding good programmers. Usually I’m asked to look for one in the most inopportune times. Namely when we’re on a tight deadline and it’s really too late to add new people. Unfortunately, it looks like I’m not alone in learning that the programmers for hire aren’t up to snuff.

Looking for a PHP developer is worse, because there is such a low barrier to entry. If you look for a Java developer or a C/C++ developer there’s some reasonable assurance that they either a. learned it very well or b. was taught it formally. With PHP the barrier to entry is so low that anybody can claim to be a PHP developer. I can safely attest that if you embark on a quest to learn more about PHP or even programming in general there’s a lot more out there.¹

I think the best situation is to interview for people during your downtime and keep the communication open with them. In my situation I know more positions that are open that require talented developers versus the number of talented developers I know. So even if I can’t use a person when they happen to be free, I can at least pass them on good leads.