What is the best way to evaluate an automation engineer's programming skills?

Going through their project repositories like Github, BitBucket and Gitlab etc can also be other proof to gauge their programming and version control skills

This can be very difficult based on that many Technology companies and technology divisions have in their employee contract that any code you write for the business, belongs to them. This does not mean you can't have a portfolio but the hiring process should include cases for them to show personal work as well. In those cases, they create a simple automation to showcase what they know. Asking in-depth questions about various tools and automations can help to spot those who know this field and those who may need some more experience.

Start with a friendly chat about their coding adventures and what is their passion and knowledge are . Then, a mini coding challenge, or a cool puzzle to solve and shows you how they think. Don’t forget to peek at the projects they’ve done before - it's like looking at snapshots of their coding journey! Also check how well they jam with your band. Also, get them to tell a story about a tech topic they love. In my experience, it's not all about tech skills. It's also about teamwork. A quick chat with their previous teammates may help you get a full picture of their coding skills and how fun they’ll be to work with!

Coding challenges are valuable for assessing an automation engineer's programming abilities. These timed exercises gauge the candidate's aptitude in solving role-specific problems. Platforms like Codility, HackerRank, or CodeSignal can be used. Alternatively, you can create custom challenges tailored to your organization's needs, simulating real-world automation scenarios. These exercises evaluate proficiency in languages like Python, C++, or Java, ensuring the candidate can effectively tackle the automation challenges they'll face in your industry.

Los desafíos de codificación son una buena manera de saber las habilidades de un ingeniero de programación. Primero, ante un código ya dado con un problema existente podemos ver la capacidad de analizar un código y detección del problema. Además, en la resolución de dicho problema podemos evaluar la sencillez y organización a la hora de programar. También podemos evaluar con diferentes ejercicios de codificación la capacidad de razonamiento ante situaciones o proyectos nuevos y desconocidos. Sin duda, un método muy eficaz para observar las habilidades de un ingeniero de automatización.

In my experience, coding challenges are indeed a robust way to assess technical skills. They not only measure language proficiency but also allow evaluation of problem-solving capabilities, logical reasoning, and time management skills. However, it's crucial to ensure these challenges embody real-world scenarios to gauge how a candidate might perform on the job accurately. One thing I’ve found helpful is to provide challenges based on the issues that the organization has faced in the past. Another important aspect is to maintain a balance between the level of challenge difficulty and the job role's requirements. Overly complex challenges might not provide a real contemplation of candidates' suitability for the role.

This feels like it could become a burden in some cases, especially when a hiring manager or reviewer wants a full suite within the review time of an hour or so. Practical assignments should not be overly complex and just be simple code blocks to showcase their skills. This sadly can and has been abused by companies in the past to write code to test their actual product rather then a "fake" environment setup.

The focus on teamwork, problem-solving proficiency, and staying current with programming trends is in harmony with the diverse demands of contemporary programming positions. This underscores the requirement for engineers to not only excel in coding but also to communicate effectively, collaborate with team members, and stay informed about advancing technologies.

In my experience, this is a great idea and should be done on every interview, hiring process or general review of employees. The plus of this is fresh eyes can provide perspectives that we sometimes may not see (i.e. Tunnel Vision), can allow the person to grow and expand their knowledge, and will result in overall better position for everyone. Feedback and Improvement should always be the first step in working with your automation engineer's.

If programming is that important for your project maybe you should consider getting a programmer instead of an Automation engineer. ;)

Pedro is right to me automation is an art in problem solving and coming up with creative solutions. You don't need a strong programmer you need the base knowledge that something should have the ability to be programmed. You need possible solutions and creative ways to get around problems in my experience strong programmers are most of the time the opposite people you want. You want the people who don't follow the norm and think outside the box.