The Problem
I don't like most interview questions.
- What is your biggest weakness?
- Why are manhole covers round?
- Talk about a time when you failed.
I think interviews for front-end developers are broken. Questions are asked and stories are told; the truthy-ness of those stories is completely up to the interpretation of the interviewers. Wouldn't it be better to simply work with the candidate for a while and get "real" experience with that person?
This Solution
Jasper attempts to fix this problem by providing a tool for use in various ways. One way to use Jasper is to include it on a website as an easter-egg to be found by developers. People like to find things and most people like a challenge; developers especially will rise to a challenge to prove their skill. Another way to use Jasper is to include it in an interview where a candidate and another person - or two - can work through the challenges presented. By doing "real" work with someone, you may be able to get a better feel for how working with them might actually be once they are hired.
I think interviews should involve some typical every-day stuff. I think that this would help the candidate relax a little since it should be an activity they are completely comfortable with.
The Jasper challenges progressively increase in difficulty.